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Essay On Cotton Slavery

492 Words2 Pages

The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 expanded cotton to be one of the most profitable on the North American main land and it also expanded slavery. Cultivation of cotton took extensive measures for example; they cleared forests and drained swamps to fit the cultivation of cotton. A rise in African American bondage occurred in the region from the Atlantic coast to Texas. Numbers grew fastest in the newer cotton producing states that included Alabama and Mississippi. Though tobacco, rice, and sugar played a tremendous role in the country economically. Cotton was a crucial staple crop. Enslaved men and women who worked on the cotton fields rose before dawn. Depending on the time of the year they worked till sun down. During harvest, adult …show more content…

Slaves in the old south also produced hemp, corn, wheat, oats, rye, white potatoes and sweet potatoes. On a plantation slaves were either house servants or skilled slaves. Those who did not have to work on the fields were seen as an elite group. House servants did not want to work on the field because of the grueling job, but field workers did not want to be house servants either because they felt that they would be under surveillance by their white master. Skilled slaves were more elite than house slaves. Since skilled slaves needed tools and spare parts they were able to travel which gave them a sense of freedom this frightened masters. Urban masters allowed slaves to purchase their freedom over a term of years. Urban slaves who bought their freedom typically continued to work in what they did as slaves. White southerners felt that African Americans would not give their full potential in labor unless they were threatened with beatings. In a few cases, resistance caused masters to reduce work hours and improve working conditions. The domestic slave trade between 1820 and 1860 took a toll on many slave families. As the expansion of the cotton kingdom grew the need for money began the trade amongst masters and slave traders. Masters sold men, women, and children. Many families were torn apart some due to punishment. After the abolishment of slavery in 1865 many African Americans went to the south to look

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