sep 15, 1841 - Richest Agricultural Society Forms

Description:

It was Solomon Northup who we have to thank for transforming the Mississippi Valley into the richest agricultural society in human history. He set out to pick a plant from a field, but it was not just any plant; this plant was extra special. Originating in Rodney, Mississippi in the year 1820, this highly-valued plant is called Gossypium barbadense. This cotton plant is a hybrid of Georgia and Siamese cottons. During this time period, the value of this plant is comparable to that of gold in this day and age. After Northup picked that plant, it brought in very large sums of money to those planters who sold it.
This is another example of the significance of cotton in the Early Modern age. This material good, like many other material goods, flourished and became of such high demand. It is important to understand how these goods came to be and why their journey happened the way it did, especially with goods as significant as cotton.