What does Lords of the Lash and Lords of the Loom mean?

Answer 1

By 1860, New England produced almost 70 percent of the cotton cloth made in the U.S. and its cotton mills.

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 came just three years after Samuel Slater built his cotton mill in Pawtucket, the first automated cotton mill in the U.S. By increasing demand in the North and productivity in the South, the two technologies worked together to increase cotton production exponentially - and with it, the number of Africans who found themselves in slavery.

Choosing cotton grown by slaves tied (the mill owners) into the cotton economy. They were businessmen and they saw their mills as a way of providing employment throughout New England.

About 3.8 million slaves produced almost 4 million bales of cotton in 1860, four times the number of slaves and 40 times the amount of cotton of just 40 years earlier.

Answer 2

"Lords of the Lash" typically refers to those who wield power through physical punishment or control, often associated with slavery or authoritative figures. In contrast, "Lords of the Loom" signifies individuals who hold power through economic influence or control of production, commonly associated with industrial or commercial leadership.