Final answer:
Southern landowners before the Civil War typically reinvested their wealth from the cotton economy into more land and slaves, but other investments included manufacturing cotton gins and dealing in items like obsolete rifles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question appears to be related to the investment strategies and economic activities before and during the Civil War. Before the Civil War, southern landowners who had grown wealthy from the cotton economy typically reinvested their money by purchasing more land and more slaves.
However, individuals engaged in various forms of investment and economic activities during this period. For example, some sold ships and used the capital to invest in manufacturing cotton gins or to purchase slaves, like Ellison did.
Alternatively, others took advantage of the wartime economy, like the case of Morgan who dealt in obsolete rifles and eventually had control over railroad finances. Moreover, the Confederacy attempted to finance the war through war bonds, which initially found buyers in Europe but became less attractive as the tide of war changed and other cotton sources were found.