9781422274217

Slaves pick cotton on a Southern plantation, 1850s. On the eve of the Civil War, nearly 4 million African Americans were held in slavery in the 15 states where the institution was permitted. Their labor fueled the South’s economy, which was based on farming.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND An abolitionist was an individual who was fighting for the anti- slavery cause. Many abolitionists were former slaves themselves. Commodity crops are crops that are easily traded and stored. They are also often grown in large quantities. The textile industry concerns the design, production, and distribution of cloth and clothing. In the antebellum South, the textile industry relied heavily on cotton.

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