The plantation economy in South Carolina prior to the Civil War had significant impacts on small farmers living inland. Among the responses provided, the most accurate statement reflecting this impact is:
Small farmers shifted away from growing food to grow cotton.
The rise of the plantation economy, particularly due to the demand for cash crops like cotton, led many small farmers to adapt their agricultural practices. Faced with competition from large plantations that utilized enslaved labor to produce cotton and other cash crops more efficiently, small farmers often shifted their focus away from subsistence farming or diverse cultivation toward specializing in cotton production. This shift not only aligned them with the dominant cash crop market but also meant that they became more dependent on the fluctuations of the cotton market.
This dependency occasionally placed small farmers in precarious positions, making them vulnerable to market downturns and agricultural collapse. Additionally, focusing on cash crops often resulted in a lack of food security, as small farmers reduced their cultivation of food crops necessary for local consumption. Thus, while small farmers aimed to profit from the cotton economy, they often sacrificed sustainability and stability in their farming practices.
The other responses (growing rice, selling land, and moving to Charleston) did not have the same widespread relevance to small farmers as the shift toward cotton cultivation.