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Difficulty: MediumSouthern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

Source: J. D. B. De Bow, *De Bow's Review*, 1846

"We have been content to be sole producers of the materials of commerce, and to leave the commerce itself to others... We have been dependent upon the North for our agricultural implements, our clothing, our shoes, our books... The South must encourage home manufactures, if she would be independent of the North."

Which of the following best explains why the economic condition described in the excerpt persisted in the South during the first half of the nineteenth century?

  1. The high profitability of cotton and plantation agriculture concentrated capital in land and enslaved labor, discouraging investment in manufacturing.Answer
  2. B
    The Southern states successfully established an independent mercantilist system that restricted all trade with Northern factories.
  3. C
    The Market Revolution led to the economic isolation of the South, making it entirely self-sufficient and independent of national markets.
  4. D
    Southern planters increasingly replaced enslaved labor with European indentured servants to reduce production costs.

Answer

The high profitability of cotton and plantation agriculture concentrated capital in land and enslaved labor, discouraging investment in manufacturing.
The correct answer is correct because the antebellum Southern economy was dominated by highly profitable cash crops, especially cotton. Planters chose to reinvest their substantial profits into buying more land and enslaved workers rather than building factories or infrastructure, resulting in a persistent reliance on Northern and European imports for manufactured goods.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus.
The excerpt by J. D. B. De Bow highlights the South's reliance on cash crop production and its dependency on Northern manufacturing for everyday goods.
Understanding the core issue of economic dependency and lack of diversification in the South.
2
Recall Southern economic patterns between 1800 and 1848.
Planters invested their wealth primarily in land and enslaved labor because cotton production was incredibly profitable, which left little capital for industrial development.
Identifying the historical cause of the Southern economic structure.
3
Evaluate the options against this historical context.
The explanation regarding the profitability of plantation agriculture directly explains the persistence of this dependency, whereas other options either confuse historical eras or misrepresent the Market Revolution.
Selecting the correct response that aligns with historical facts.

Key Concept

The Southern economy's reliance on cotton production and chattel slavery led to a lack of industrialization and economic dependence on Northern manufacturing.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Southern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

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