Antebellum Era
(1790-1860)
Here, three sections, the cotton gin, planters’ life, and slavery are the focus of this area. Invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin transformed the subsistence economy of the Upcountry into a flourishing cotton-growing region in less than two decades.
Without slave labor the cotton economy could never have been realized.
Although this cheap labor was instrumental in making some planters the wealthiest in the South, fabulous mansions and luxury goods were not standard for most planters of the state. Instead, many used their profits to invest in more slaves and land.