Answer: The fields were left unplanted because the slaves had been freed and much of the small population was unavailable to plant or harvest crops.
Step-by-step explanation:
There are still economic consequences caused by the Civil War. However, this one is undoubtedly one of the most significant. The post-war economy of the South was devastated because it had previously rested on the slave labour force. The fields that were already cultivated were left blank, and according to some records, the South lost over $ 2 billion. The result is the release of some 4.5 million who worked in cotton fields in the South.