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Prior and during the Civil War, cotton was a major source of revenue. European, Asian, and Africa nations depended on the United States as a major source of the crop. Cotton was no longer a regional investment; it had become a part of worldwide commerce. As the United States entered a war, it was certain that the cotton industry was going to be heavily affected (Beckert, 1409). With the threat of slavery being dissolved, Southerners realized that had to come up with a solution in order to keep generating a profit from cotton crops. They began to rely on free labor. Citizens who took over were mostly farmers who worked on land that was rented or owned by them (Beckert, 1424). Countries such as Egypt and India began to modernize by building cotton-producing factories on rural land, thus meeting a growing demand for the plant (Beckert, 1413). Reformation of industrial systems outside the United States shows countries’ determination to meet the same level as their competitors. As nations in the Atlantic invested in the cotton empire, they were involved in operations that connected them by the way of commerce.
Sven Beckert’s article reminded me of “Sugar Islands,” where the Maderia and Canary Islands invested in sugar and led to successful commerce worldwide. Although there was competition from Brazil, the demand for sugar reveals there were successful markets between countries (Vierira, 67). They viewed sugar as not only a seasoning, but also a product to make money off of. I agree with Viktoriya Shalunova that “slaves were a vital component to the world economy in cotton production.” The cotton empire was successful to due backbreaking labor performed by slaves, as Southerners saw it. By using forced labor, the Southern states were able to further generate large profits by distributing this cash crop across the Atlantic world.