Question

Why was slavery more difficult to address in southern states in the early years of the republic even before the invention of the cotton gin

Answer 1

Because of the great economic gains

Step-by-step explanation:

The Southern economy relied heavily on agriculture and proceeds brought from it and so the slaves were important as they worked on the farms to produce food and other materials that could be used or exported.

This reliance on slaves and the reluctance to let them go was also increased with the invention of cotton gin.