The term identifies a region of the southeastern United States where cotton was historically the predominant crop. This area stretched across several states, from North Carolina to East Texas, and its agricultural economy was largely defined by the cultivation of this fiber. For example, many counties within Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia were deeply reliant on its production.
The economic and social structures of this region were profoundly shaped by cotton agriculture. It fueled significant wealth for landowners but also contributed to the expansion of enslaved labor prior to the Civil War. Its dominance led to the development of specific farming techniques, trade networks, and manufacturing centers related to processing the harvested material.