AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: "King Cotton" (Day 115/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of “King Cotton” in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Visualizing 200 Years of U.S. Population Density, Visual Capitalist

In the first half of the 19th century, there were significant territorial changes, transportation improvements, and population shifts in the U.S. that contributed to massive economic growth.

King Cotton, TheCivilWarandWhy

In the South, the phrase “King Cotton” indicated the economic and political importance of cotton production not only to the economy but also its impact on Southern society.

Value of Cotton Exports 1800-1860, WhitneyCottonGin

Demand for cotton significantly increased as Northern and European industry expanded. New methods of cheap and efficient transportation and inventions such as the cotton gin, fueled efforts by Southerners to fill this demand. Cotton became the dominant crop produced in and exported from the South.

Expansion of Cotton Production & Spread of Slavery

The labor intensive nature of production stimulated the increased demand for enslaved labor. Despite the 1808 prohibition on the importation of enslaved persons, there was a rapid and exponential growth of the population of enslaved African Americans in the period.

“King Cotton” represented the significant role that cotton production played in Southern society and its economy. The growth and sale of cotton contributed to immense wealth for the region as well as increased reliance on the labor of enslaved persons.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Nat Turner’s Rebellion in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!