The agrarian rural South refers to the predominantly agricultural and rural region in the southern part of the United States before the Civil War. It was characterized by a reliance on plantation farming, slavery, and a slower pace of industrialization compared to the urbanized North.
Related terms
Plantation Economy: The plantation economy refers to an economic system based on large-scale agricultural production, particularly focused on cash crops like cotton or tobacco. Plantations were central to the agrarian rural South's economy.
Slavery: Slavery was a labor system where individuals were treated as property and forced to work without pay. Slavery played a significant role in the agrarian rural South's social structure and economy.
Cotton Kingdom: The term 'Cotton Kingdom' was used to describe the region dominated by cotton production in the deep south. Cotton became a major cash crop that fueled economic growth in the agrarian rural South.