Following the introduction of slavery into the colony in 1719, colony residents began using forced labor to produce limited quantities of pitch and tar. Slaves were also utilized in the lumber industry. Although most of the Mississippi’s Gulf Coast survived the Civil War unscathed by warfare, the area’s economy, like the rest of the South, was devastated. Slave laborers operated in the lumber industry, one of Mississippi’s largest markets. Following the emancipation of slaves, the region was unable to maintain operation and could not sustain sufficient supply for the demand lumber.