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Questions and Answers
What was the main economic commodity of the South for over a century?
What was the main economic commodity of the South for over a century?
- Tobacco (correct)
- Sugar
- Cotton
- Wheat
What was a major problem with tobacco farming?
What was a major problem with tobacco farming?
- It required a lot of water
- It needed a lot of machinery
- It treated the land poorly, draining the soil of nutrients (correct)
- It was susceptible to pests
Why did tobacco farmers need to move around?
Why did tobacco farmers need to move around?
- Because tobacco fields did not last forever (correct)
- To be closer to markets
- To escape the heat
- To find better laborers
What was another cost of tobacco production, aside from its declining yields?
What was another cost of tobacco production, aside from its declining yields?
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What was a consequence of tobacco farming's impact on the land?
What was a consequence of tobacco farming's impact on the land?
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What was a result of the need for tobacco farmers to constantly move and expand?
What was a result of the need for tobacco farmers to constantly move and expand?
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Study Notes
Rise of American Cotton and Decline of Tobacco
- Cotton production rose astronomically in the American South, replacing tobacco as the main economic commodity.
- Tobacco was the South's main economic commodity for over a century, grown and sold in nearly every southern territory and state, with Virginia being the hub of tobacco production.
Negative Effects of Tobacco Production
- Tobacco drained the soil of nutrients, treating the land poorly and rendering fields barren after just four or five cycles of growth.
- Tobacco fields had a limited lifespan, unable to support growth beyond a few years, leaving only patches of grass.
Consequences of Tobacco Production
- Farmers were forced to constantly move, purchasing new lands, developing new methods of production, and creating new fields through deforestation and westward expansion.
- Tobacco production was expensive due to the need for massive, temporary fields, large numbers of laborers, and constant movement.
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