The north and the south increasingly grew different during the first part of the 1800’s, eventually culminating into a war that started around 1861. While northern cities became centres of wealth and manufacturing and attracted skilled workers, it wasn’t the case in the south. Farming was the major activity of the south and people earned from plantation crops including tobacco, sugarcane, rice and cotton the produce of which was mainly exported to Europe. this is what I could find on the internet hope it helps! :)