The cash crops of the Southern Colonies included tobacco, rice, indigo, and later cotton. These crops were cultivated on large plantations using enslaved labor and were central to the economy of colonies such as Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Tobacco thrived in the Chesapeake region, while rice and indigo were prominent in the Lowcountry due to the warm climate and fertile soil. These crops were exported to Europe and played a key role in shaping the agricultural and social structure of the South.
To find the missing numbers for the final coordinates, fill in these boxes with the answer to the questions below.
N36 43.489 W76 37.9XX
1. A tropical plant of the pea family, which was formerly widely cultivated as a source of dark blue dye
2. Name for leaves that come from the top part of a tobacco plant
3. ___ Whitney is credited with inventing the cotton gin
4. White, fluffy crop harvested for use in the textile industry
5. A swamp grass that requires flooded fields for cultivation
6. Eliza _____ Pinckney is often credited with perfecting the growth of indigo as a major cash crop in South Carolina.
7. The rounded seed capsule of plants such as cotton
8. The first profitable tobacco crop was grown by John ____ in 1612 at Jamestown