[mac_truck]

Add up all of those and the navigation laws seem pretty small potatoes, especially since there was nothing in them that would have prevented southern business interests from taking advantage of the same laws, had they cared to so invest their capital.

Agreed, and to a certain extent early Charleston residents did just that. Prior to the invention of the cotton gin, Charleston exported corn, rice, indio, & timber among other things. Foreign flagged ships from all over Europe made regular stops in Charleston harbor bringing in finished goods, cloth, and a surprising [to me anyway] amount of hard liquor. I've got some numbers that I'll post later that details the Charleston planters thirst for imported booze. It explains much about their incoherence when it came to matters of developing an internal infrastucture or internal improvements.

[Gianni]

[Heyworth] Add up all of those and the navigation laws seem pretty small potatoes

[mac] Agreed,

The heavyweights of econ have weighed in against us. Perhaps it's time to throw in the towel.

[Non-Sequitur]

...and a surprising [to me anyway] amount of hard liquor

You've obviously never been to Charleston.