Agrarian Rural South

Definition

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.