DURING THE CIVIL WAR

The Civil War affected Palestine on two levels – halukkah and cotton. During the War, all halukkah activity from the United States ceased. This would have adversely impacted the welfare of Palestinian Jewry were it not for the large contributions coming in from the centers in Europe and North Africa. At the same time, demand for cotton increased. This was the economic mainstay of the southern United States and American cotton was in high demand in Europe. During the War, its production plummeted and Europe was forced to look elsewhere to satisfy demand. Palestine and Egypt were, at that time, huge cotton producers and demand for Palestinian cotton skyrocketed. Unfortunately, of the few agricultural enterprises Palestinian Jews engaged in, cotton production was not one of them, being in the hands, mainly, of Arab fellaheen. Consequently, any income from the selling of cotton to Europe did not benefit the Jews, but it did not benefit the fellaheen either as they were “owned” by the Arab effendi nobles who took the lion’s share of the monies that came in. This was the state of affairs until the end of the Civil War. During the Reconstruction period, southern American cotton production gradually resumed and demand for the Palestinian and Egyptian product decreased dramatically.