3-4.2

It Is Essential For Students to Know:

• It is essential for students to know The geography of South Carolina, including the climate, soil conditions, and topography supported growing cotton.
• The institution of slavery and the plantation system were originally established by the early English settlers who brought the institution with them from Barbados (3-2.7).
• Slavery was also supported by the social class system (3-4.1) of South Carolina.
• The elite class who controlled the government encouraged the practice of slavery in order to support their lifestyle, economic situation and social and political position.
• After the Revolutionary War, Northern states passed laws to gradually free their slaves; however, the plantation owning political elite in South Carolina did not support such laws.
• The institution of slavery became stronger as a result of the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney [1793].
• By making it easier to pick the seed from the short boll cotton, the cotton gin made cotton a profitable cash crop for all parts of South Carolina.
• Some students mistakenly think that because it was faster to take the seed out of the boll, less slave labor was needed. It is important that students understand that the cotton gin led to the expansion of slavery. Planters soon increased profits by increasing the production of cotton which required more slave labor to plant, chop (hoe) and pick the cotton.
• Planters bought additional slaves and were less likely to free any of their slaves, continuing the cycle of exploitation of African Americans.
• As the cultivation of cotton grew, cotton became increasingly important to the economy of South Carolina and South Carolinians became increasingly dependent on slave labor.
• Many smaller independent farmers, because of increased profits due to the cotton gin, also became slave owners. Like the larger plantations, they too became dependent on the slaves to keep up the increased production of and after the invention of the cotton gin.
• More slaves equaled more money, regardless of the size of the farm. As a result of the increased production of cotton, cotton farmers sought more land farther west and the institution of slavery was spread with the cultivation of new cotton fields.

It Is Not Essential For Students to Know:

• It is not essential for students to know about the fluctuations of the cotton market brought about by increased production, the differences in types of cotton, how to grow cotton, or the negative impact on the soil of agricultural practices of this time period.
• Students do not need to understand how the cotton gin works.