It was actually the Scottish who were the first to deep-fry chicken in fat (the rest of the world usually baked or boiled it), and they brought the dish with them to America.
Fried Chicken Was Invented by the Scottish
Due to the need for so much fat and the fact that spring chickens were hard to come by before the early 1900s, fried chicken was generally only given on holidays and special events.
Before WWII, It Was a Special Occasion Dish
During the years before the Civil War, slaves were usually allowed to keep chickens, so frying them up for special events became pretty normal.
Slavery and Segregation were Essential to its Rise in Popularity
These days, almost all chickens you'll find in a grocery store or butcher shop are broilers. These chickens were bred to be good for all kinds of food, even fried. In the beginning.
Not all Chickens are Suitable for Frying
People may think of American fried chicken when they hear the word, but there are different kinds of fried chicken all over the world. In Korea, it's fried twice and then dipped in a sweet and hot sauce.