One of the main factors that contributed to the lack of manufacturing in the South during the first half of the 19th century was the South’s over-reliance on agriculture powered by slave labor. Unlike the North, which had a free-labor and factory-based economy, the South relied on owning large plantations for agricultural production. As a result, Southerners neglected industry and transportation improvements, leading to a lack of manufacturing and transportation infrastructure in comparison to the North2.
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