Question

The Southern economy before the Civil War increasingly...

a. diversified, with more industry and more mechanized agriculture
b. produced more cotton and other crops but did not develop much industry
c. depended on immigrant labor
d. produced tobacco and sugar rather than cotton
e. depended on the North for raw materials

Answer 1

The Southern economy before the Civil War primarily focused on agricultural production, especially cotton, using slave labor, and did not develop much industry or diversify its economic activities.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the years before the Civil War, the Southern economy did not diversify significantly, as it increasingly produced more cotton and other crops but did not develop much industry. The region was known for its sprawling agricultural plantations, which used slave labor to grow cotton for the mills of the North as well as tobacco for export. Despite a few industrial assets in some areas, the South lacked substantial industry and relied heavily on the North and overseas markets for manufactured goods, food, and loans. Cotton, which had risen to prominence especially after the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, was the main commercial crop, and by 1860, the United States produced two-thirds of the world's supply. The dependence on slave labor was integral to the Southern economy, giving rise to a wealth disparity that contributed to the eventual split leading to the Civil War.