Cotton for the most part was the only thing the South had to keep the relevant. It was extremely profitable for both the states and the ranch owners. That is until they continued to overplant cotton and eventually took most of the nutrients and soil needed to grow the cotton. Advancements such as Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin and others such as the sewing machines and power looms caused an increase in demand from the cotton from the Northern states. Throughout this time period the plantation owners were able to buy land at extremely low sums of money. In order to keep the plantations running smoothly, they needed to purchase slaves. Slavery was the perfect answer for the plantation owners, because it provided a strong labor source that could not quiet or demand more money, but they also insured that the labor source would continue for generations. The increasing demand for slaves, as well as the ban of purchasing slaves from Africa, cause the price of slaves to sky rocket. Making it more profitable for smaller farmers to sell their sales to the West or farther South. Slavery was a huge part of the economy for the south, and the Antebellum period only increased the need for slaves, with advancements in technology and transportation.
The Antebellum period saw many technological advancements in the time from the 1840s to the 1850s. Advancements in the market economy, King Cotton, textile mills, transportation, and slavery were only part of the items that saw technological and social advancements. The technological and social advancements during the Antebellum period had a huge impact on American history, including expansion to the western part of the country, a more of a population shift, moments that directly led to the civil war, and the ending of slavery and the starting of different