On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 25th episode of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, answers a simple question: When did the South become the South? The answer lies in the rise of King Cotton, the expansion of slavery, and the transformation of an entire region. As cotton made the South the wealthiest part of the young nation, it also bound its economy, culture, and politics ever more tightly to slavery.

McClay shares the story of how the South's growing dependence on slavery put it on a tragic collision course with the ideals of the American founding, making political compromise increasingly impossible and the coming of the Civil War ever more likely.

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