Students investigate the compelling question, “How Did Cotton Sow the Seeds of Panic?” Students identify the market forces of demand and supply during the boom and bust of the cotton industry in the United States during the time surrounding the Panic of 1837. They learn how economic and political forces impacted the treatment of enslaved persons in the United States during the lead up to The Panic of 1837. The depth of this inquiry is in the reflection on what role reliance on enslaved people as labor played in the economic growth of the United States. This emphasizes that individual and institutional choices can lead to the exploitation of individuals and groups. This lens is vital to understanding that the choices that students make have far reaching opportunity costs.
