Life in the South

The fertile soil and long growing season in the South supported the focus on the rural (country) way of life. Geography led to the growth of isolated, self-sufficient plantations rather than cities. As the North experienced the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the 19^th century, the South lagged behind. To some extent, the very revolution that was taking place in the North led the South to become more set in its ways. Many of the South’s largest cities were shipping centers located along the Atlantic coast. There were fewer cities than in the North, but they were similar. They had public water systems and well-maintained streets. As on plantations, slaves did much of the work in cities. They worked as servants, in mills, in shipyards, and at skilled jobs.

King Cotton

The demand for cotton for textile mills in England and in the Northwest increased as the Industrial Revolution took hold. The invention of the cotton gin made it easier to make a profit from cotton and the economy became more dependent on cotton. This trend called for more for more slaves to work the fields and support life on the plantations. The region became even more dependent on the right to own slaves

A Two-Tiered Society

Most of Southern society was controlled by a handful of wealthy plantation owners who had a powerful influence. They were the wealthiest members of society, and many were political leaders. Some lived in beautiful mansions and had large landholdings. These owners made large profits from the labor of slaves and from exports to other countries. The owners felt no incentive to invest in industry. Only one-third of white families owned slaves in 1840. One-tenth of these had twenty or more slaves (fewer than 4 in 100 white families). Most of the whites in the South were poor farmers; they didn’t own slaves but they hoped to one day