In the mid-nineteenth-century, the economic power switched in the South from the “upper South” to the “lower South,” which was expanding agriculturally. This switch resulted in the growth of a cotton-based economy. Economically, the change from cultivating tobacco and rice to cotton helped immensely. The high demand for cotton led to tremendous profits in the South and this drew the population to move to the prospering agricultural lands. The increase in cotton farming made African American slaves a necessity to the white males. These slaves were required to obey their masters and work the fields all day. The increase in slavery changed the social systems down South; the order now went African American slaves, poor white males, and at the top was wealthy white plantation owners. …show more content…
The poor white males still had a little power considering they were above the slaves and also could benefit from the growing cotton economy. Although they were the least populated, white, wealthy plantation owners ruled the southern society. These men “exercised power and influence far in excess of its numbers”. The plantation owners called the shots when it came to slave labor and due to the high demand for cotton, they used their power to work their slaves hard to grow cotton. The growth in cotton clearly resulted in the growth of slavery because more men were needed to work the fields, helped boost the economy and make profits, and created an oligarchy government because the rich, white males were at the top ruling over the