CULTIVATION AND CULTURE: COTTON ON A FELICIANA PLANTATION

This program will center on cotton, not only as a cash crop, but also as a powerful force in shaping the culture and rhythms of daily life on Oakley plantation. As we walk the plantation, the cultivation and processing of cotton will be assessed from the raising of the seed beds, to the picking of the bolls, to the sale and movement of the crop in domestic and international markets. The program will also emphasize the explosive growth of cotton cultivation after the introduction of the cotton gin will be emphasized, along with the development of the Petit Gulf strain of short-staple cotton that transformed the entire architecture of plantation economy and society in the Lower Mississippi valley.
Walking tour--comfortable shoes, a hat and sunscreen are recommended.