The Cotton Kingdom

In 1853, Frederick Law Olmsted documented his observations of the southern slave states while working for the New York Times, leading to the creation of The Cotton Kingdom. This pivotal work critiques the institution of slavery, highlighting its detrimental effects on both black and white individuals, the inefficiencies of the plantation system, and the stark economic disparities between the North and South. Hailed as a powerful antislavery argument, Olmsted's findings challenge the notion of "cotton is king" and provide compelling evidence against the Southern reliance on slavery.