During the Civil War, the group that performed most of the labor required to cultivate cotton were enslaved African Americans. Slavery was deeply entrenched in the southern states, where large plantations relied heavily on enslaved labor for the cultivation of cash crops, particularly cotton. Enslaved individuals worked long hours in harsh conditions, picking cotton, clearing land, and conducting various other tasks necessary for the production of this valuable commodity. Their forced labor played a crucial role in sustaining the Southern economy during this time.
