Final answer:
The text provides evidence that supports the argument that cotton shaped the way of life in the South through its close connection with slavery, the dominance of the cotton industry in the Southern economy, and the transformation of the Southern landscape and economy due to cotton production.
Step-by-step explanation:
The text provides several pieces of evidence to support the argument that cotton shaped the way of life in the South. Firstly, it states that by the 1850s, slavery and cotton had become intertwined, and any change related to crop diversity, anti-slavery ideologies, or economic diversification was rejected by the Southern economic and cultural identity. Cotton had become the foundation of the Southern economy. Secondly, it mentions that the South produced the majority of the world's cotton supply, and the cotton fields were worked by around 1.8 million enslaved people. Slavery was the cornerstone of the Southern economy, and the existence of slavery was closely tied to the success of the cotton industry. Lastly, it explains how cotton transformed the landscape and economy of the South, with land being converted from pinewoods and swamps into cotton fields. The market revolution also transformed the South, as it relied on the sale of southern cotton for food, manufactured goods, and loans from other regions.