Final answer:
Life in the Southern colonies revolved around agriculture, with particularly high dependence on cotton. This livelihood was supported largely by enslaved people, who provided the necessary labor. This structure resulted in significant wealth for plantation owners and also led to an economic interdependence with other regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Life in the Southern colonies centered primarily on an agricultural economy, with a heavy reliance on slavery. The Southern colonies became known for their cultivation of labor-intensive crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, but the most significant crop was cotton. The creation of Eli Whitney's cotton gin in 1793 significantly increased cotton production, making it the South's major commercial crop.
Slavery played a critical role in enabling the economic success of the Southern colonies. Enslaved people provided the labor needed to plant, tend, and harvest these crops, shouldering the brunt of the physical work. The usage of human chattel became the bedrock of the Southern economy, with significant wealth generated for plantation owners.
Despite the wealth generated from cotton on the world market, the South also became economically dependent on other regions for goods, such as inexpensive clothing, furnishings, foodstuff and loans. This economic interdependence transformed the Southern market and led to significant changes both culturally and socially.
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