"No power on earth dares make war upon it. Cotton is king." (James Henry Hammond)
"For decades, nearly every candidate who hoped to win the presidency has visited this state to pledge their allegiance to King Corn." -LA Times
Last year in geography, we watched a movie called "King Corn," about the huge role corn plays in American life, both as a food and a fuel. When I read the above line from the slavery chapter in Foner, I immediately made a connection. The ability to make money leads to political power, and valuable crops make money. This fundamental principle applies no matter when or where the situation is, equally applicable in the 18th century and the 21st century. The plantation owners controlled the economy of the south; the livelihood of an entire region depended on their crops and their exports. Because they had the money, they were the most powerful men of the south, and as a result their crop was untouchable. These conditions are the setting of Douglass's narrative. The furious opposition of white plantation owners to the abolition of slavery is because it would severely hamper their ability to make money. The entire issue of slavery is, in a sense, a result of cotton, and the money and power it gives to those who farm it.
Corn has a similar power in modern America. The government provides subsidies to corn farmers and ethanol producers, and for a long time few Republicans or Democrats dared to challenge those subsidies, for fear of political repercussions. The issue is especially important because the first state to have a caucus for presidential nominations, Iowa, is a major producer of corn, and benefits enormously from the subsidies. Corn today wields a similar power to cotton in the 19th century. The ability to make money can have a huge effect on politics and government, no matter when or where the situation is.
Source:http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/11/nation/la-na-ethanol-20110812
Image: http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/corn.html
Last year in geography, we watched a movie called "King Corn," about the huge role corn plays in American life, both as a food and a fuel. When I read the above line from the slavery chapter in Foner, I immediately made a connection. The ability to make money leads to political power, and valuable crops make money. This fundamental principle applies no matter when or where the situation is, equally applicable in the 18th century and the 21st century. The plantation owners controlled the economy of the south; the livelihood of an entire region depended on their crops and their exports. Because they had the money, they were the most powerful men of the south, and as a result their crop was untouchable. These conditions are the setting of Douglass's narrative. The furious opposition of white plantation owners to the abolition of slavery is because it would severely hamper their ability to make money. The entire issue of slavery is, in a sense, a result of cotton, and the money and power it gives to those who farm it.
Corn has a similar power in modern America. The government provides subsidies to corn farmers and ethanol producers, and for a long time few Republicans or Democrats dared to challenge those subsidies, for fear of political repercussions. The issue is especially important because the first state to have a caucus for presidential nominations, Iowa, is a major producer of corn, and benefits enormously from the subsidies. Corn today wields a similar power to cotton in the 19th century. The ability to make money can have a huge effect on politics and government, no matter when or where the situation is.
Source:http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/11/nation/la-na-ethanol-20110812
Image: http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/corn.html
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