Final answer:
The South was at the center of American commerce and diplomacy due to its production of cotton and reliance on slavery. White Southerners justified slavery through notions of paternalism. Enslaved people endured their oppression through resistance and the creation of communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The South was at the center of American commerce and diplomacy because it produced the majority of the world's cotton supply, which fueled the cotton mill profits in the North. The profitability of cotton relied on slavery, which generated the labor needed for cotton production. White Southerners justified slavery through notions of paternalism and the belief that enslaved people benefited from their care and guidance.
Enslaved people endured their oppression by creating their own communities and finding solace in Christianity. They also resisted their condition in various ways, taking advantage of slaveholders' paternalistic perceptions of them. Nat Turner's Rebellion had significant effects, leading to increased fear among white slaveholders and the implementation of stricter laws and regulations on enslaved people.