As the South continued to grow, especially after the invention of the cotton gin, the demand for labor increased significantly. This led to the expansion of the plantation system and the increased reliance on slave labor.
2. Expansion of slavery
The demand for labor in the South led to the expansion of slavery. The number of enslaved people in the South increased dramatically, from about 700,000 in 1790 to over 4 million in 1860.
3. Cotton became "King"
Cotton became the South's most important crop. By the 1850s, the South was producing over 75% of the world's cotton. The cotton industry was very profitable, and it helped to create a wealthy planter class in the South.
4. Conflict between the North and South
The expansion of slavery and the growing power of the planter class in the South led to conflict with the North. The North was increasingly opposed to slavery, and there were growing tensions between the two regions. This conflict eventually led to the American Civil War.
5. The American Civil War
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was fought over the issue of slavery. The North won the war, and slavery was abolished. The Civil War had a profound impact on the South, and it led to the end of the plantation system and the beginning of a new era in the history of the South.