Final answer:
The economic foundation of southern states in the mid-1800s was cotton, which was inextricably tied to the institution of slavery. This cash crop was pivotal to the South's economy and was primarily responsible for its prosperity and social dynamics during that period. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Economic Foundation of Southern States in Mid-1800s
The economic foundation of southern states in the mid-1800s was predominantly cotton. This cash crop not only shaped the region's economy but also had a profound impact on the social and cultural life of the South. The cultivation of cotton was closely tied to the institution of slavery. In fact, slavery was integral to the cotton industry, providing the labor force required for its production. The South's dependence on cotton and slavery was such that any challenge to these cornerstones of their economy and society was vehemently opposed.
By the 1850s, the success of cotton had made it the cornerstone of the Southern economy, with the South producing the majority of the world's supply. The link between cotton and slavery was so strong that the two were almost synonymous with the Southern identity and economy at that time. As plantation owners grew wealthier from cotton production, the system of slavery inflicted daily suffering on African Americans, who were considered property.
The profitability of cotton, boosted by the labor of enslaved people, was a critical aspect of the international textile industry. Sharecropping, too, was linked to cotton production, as many Southerners, in a cycle of debt, continued to farm cotton. During the antebellum period, cotton was not just a crop, it was the engine of the economy in the South and played a key role in shaping American history.
To answer the multiple-choice question provided: The economic foundation of southern states in the mid-1800s was a) cotton.