I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute.
Agriculture in the South was much different than that in the Midwest and in New England. In the Southern states, the poorer lands were held by poorer farmers. The best lands were held by rich plantation owners.
All farms grew their own food, but also concentrated on a few new crops that could be exported to meet the growing demand in Europe, especially cotton, tobacco, and sugar.
The cotton gin made it possible to increase cotton production for all farmers. Cotton became a main export crop. But after a few years, the fertility of the soil was depleted, and the plantation owners moved further west. That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next time.