Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2010
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
History
Committee Chair
Crothers, A. Glenn
Author's Keywords
Green River; Kentucky yeoman; Kentucky farmers; Kentucky's political economy; Southside
Subject
Green River Valley (Ky.)--History--19th century; Green River Valley (Ky.)--Economic conditions--19th century; Farms, Small--Kentucky--History
Abstract
This study focuses on the expansion of the Green River's economic and political importance within Kentucky and how it impacted small farmers of the region. It challenges the idea that small farmers played an insignificant role in the agriculture and industry of the antebellum South. Qualitative data, including journals and letters, are used to understand small farmers' reactions to market expansion. Quantitative data, including agricultural and population censuses, are used to determine small farmers' participation in the economy. Small farmers actively participated in commercial exchanges of crops and livestock and encouraged the growth of a transportation infrastructure to market their goods. Economic development within the region revolutionized activity within the political arena. As the economic infrastructure matured, small farmers elected politicians who sought to expand commerce and safeguard markets.
Recommended Citation
Petzold, Christopher P. 1982-, "Small farmers, slavery, and the political economy of Kentucky's Green River, 1790-1850." (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1123.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1123
