[BroJoeK]

tc: "the culture of the South was noted for its enjoyment of leisure time."

h: "Which was clearly illustrated by the Stephen Foster in the second Iine of the original lyrics to 'My Old Kentucky Home.' "

I too had to look that one up, did not remember it from my youth.

But we should be clear that -- South, North, East or West -- only a fortunate few enjoyed a "leisured" life, 10% at most.
Everybody else -- white, black, Native or mixed -- all worked as hard as their health & ambitions dictated.

Old Kentucky Home tells us of a farm which failed, its, ahem, workers sold down the river for more backbreaking jobs.
Sure Kentucky is a beautiful state, but Garden of Eden?
Not really.

[Tax-chick]

According to Thomas Sowell and other socioeconomic analysts, the relative economic backwardness of the South in the prewar period was due (among other factors) to a lower level of industriousness that was typical of the population at large.

... all worked as hard as their health & ambitions dictated.

It is the latter element that was less typical in the South (they say). As a rule, they simply were not as ambitious for gain or advancement. It's all in "Albion's Seed," among other sources.