The importance of cotton to the Atlantic and American antebellum economy.

The importance of cotton to the Atlantic and American antebellum economy.

When the demand for a product is high and its supply low, the price typically rises. Initially, American farmers invested in the farming of tobacco and rice, an investment that experienced a high turn over during the antebellum era. The introduction of cotton farming was due to the high demand for cotton that existed in Great Britain. Majority of the farmers thus shifted their concentration to this particular crop which was very easy to store and transport. In as much as the first plants were labour intensive, they were lucky in this field because there was an invention of a cotton gin which made it very easy to separate raw cotton from the seeds. How could they shift so fast to a crop that initially did not exist in the United States? This paper seeks to answer this question by explaining the various reasons why cotton was essential to the economy of the Atlantic and America, which is also the reason why farmers found it profitable to invest in it.

Cotton became a cash crop in the United States by the midcentury. This was due to the massive amounts of cotton production that resulted from the existence of slaves who worked on the cotton plantations. The slaves could clear land to create space for the white farmers to plant cotton. This was done on a rotation basis such that after about ten years, every farmer could shift to a new area where the soil was still fertile to continue with farming (Olmstead et al. 2018). The increase in production was as a result of the rise in demand because the market for cotton existed in the South. The end product was usually transported by boats along the river Mississippi. This was also an opportunity for investors who intruded the transport sector and offered steamboats necessary for the transportation process. Despite the existence of transport, the strategic location of the coffee plantations was of advantage to this state in terms of demand and supply since it was not too far from their market. 

The first half of the nineteenth century experienced a lot of industrialization changes which affected the consumption and production of certain foods (Olmstead et al. 2018). However, the existence of the slave trade in the South was a significant boost to the dependence of cotton in the region since they relied on that cheap labour during land preparation and harvesting. Slavery not only existed here, but it was also a significant part of their economic success, and just like cotton, they invested a lot in the purchase of slaves until when the trade was outlawed. The market for cotton in America and Atlantic became broader in this revolution, and this boosted their economic status. The fact that almost all the mills in the northern side relied on the cotton produced in this region was a clear illustration of the profits reaped in the cotton business.

In conclusion, the manufacturing industry brought wealth to the majority of the Europeans due to their involvement in the supply sector. In as much as they relied on the slave trade, a good number of their natives were employed in these firms. Consequently, when the rate of employment exceeds the unemployment rate, it is definite that the economic status of the country will be boosted. It is due to the exportation of cotton that the United States appeared in the global economic map. North America, in particular, was a marginal player in the world’s economy due to its dominance in the agricultural sector.

References

Olmstead, A. L., & Rhode, P. W. (2018). Cotton, slavery, and the new history of capitalism. Explorations in Economic History, 67, 1-17.

Olmstead, A. L., & Rhode, P. W. (2018). Slave Productivity in Cotton Picking.