Question

Which of the following resulted from the debates about the cotton economy in the first half of the 1800s, as described in the excerpt?

a) Northerners began to frame antislavery arguments in ecological terms.
b) A distinct southern economic and cultural identity emerged.

Answer 1

The debates around the cotton economy led to the formation of a distinct southern economic and cultural identity due to the reliance on cotton and slave labor.

Step-by-step explanation:

The debates about the cotton economy in the first half of the 1800s resulted in the emergence of a distinct southern economic and cultural identity. The intertwining of slavery and cotton became central to this identity, as the South relied heavily on cotton as its major international market product, with slavery providing the essential labor force. The profitability and dominance of cotton led to a reluctance to change or diversify, while the developing differences in economic interests and ideologies relating to slavery further deepened the sectional divide between the North and South. This divide eventually contributed to the conditions that led to the Civil War.