+
Primary
PBS

Pbs: Aia: William Scarborough: Why Were the Native Americans Removed?

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion by Dr. William Scarborough about the migration into Alabama and Mississippi after the War of 1812. Whites not only displaced the Indians, but also eventually brought in thousands of slaves.
+
Graphic
Other

History in Motion: Boll Weevil Blues

For Students 9th - 10th
This scenario shows the spread of the weevil and a few of the songs that singers such as Charley Patton, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and others created in the wake of its devastation. Click on the events to see the details of the...
+
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Crowning of King Cotton

For Students 5th - 8th
Read how an invention made it possible to increase the amount of cotton available for export, thus leading to an increase in the number of acres planted in cotton, and resulting in the need for more and more slaves. Before the invention...
+
Graphic
University of Oregon

University of Oregon: Mapping History: The Spread of Cotton: 1790 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive map that shows the growth of cotton production in pre-Civil War South. The timeline at the bottom of the map indicates the year of the production.
+
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1800 1848: The Cotton Kingdom

For Students 9th - 10th
During the first half of the nineteenth century, demand for cotton led to the expansion of plantation slavery. By 1850, enslaved people were growing cotton from South Carolina to Texas.