Final answer:
The statement that the growth of the cotton industry and demand for slave labor in the American South was driven by technological, economic, and political reasons is true. Cotton's profitability relied on slave labor, influencing the South's economy, culture, and political power, and contributing to the sectional divide leading to the Civil War. The Statement for the question is True.
Step-by-step explanation:
The growth of the cotton industry and the subsequent demand for slave labor in the American South was indeed driven by a combination of technological, economic, and political factors. This statement is true. Technological advancements such as the invention of the cotton gin in 1794 increased the efficiency of cotton production, which led to a greater demand for slave labor to manage the expanded cotton fields. Economically, cotton became a lucrative commodity that was essential to the Southern economy and was greatly sought after by both American and British textile mills, cementing the region's dependence on enslaved labor. Politically, the wealth accrued from cotton production afforded plantation owners significant influence, leading to a staunch defense of slavery within powerful circles and perpetuating its existence as a central part of the Southern economy.
Slave labor was pivotal to the antebellum South's wealth, with the production of cotton and other cash crops like rice and tobacco relying on the extensive exploitation of enslaved individuals. Cotton's profitability, which was largely dependent on slavery, played a significant role in the shaping of the Southern cultural and economic identity. This interdependence of cotton and slavery also contributed to the ideological divide between the North and South, ultimately culminating in the Civil War.