It could be argued that the "serf" was the "property" of the land during the Middle Ages, since under the feudal system that reigned supreme during this time, serfs (or peasants) had very little rights of their own.
It was the main supplier of cotton
it was the central rail hub
The prosecution was on the side of the fundamentalist, against the defense-backed Modernist. The former argued that God’s word on creation, as was written in the holy bible was to be prioritized over human knowledge