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Its economy depended on manufacturing and shipping. But it neither raised its own food nor its own raw materials, nor did it furnish freights for its own shipping.

I have no idea what you are talking about here.

The only raw material the North imported in large quantity for its industry that I'm aware of was cotton.

The North produced much more food than the South, and was a major exporter of grain to England and elsewhere in Europe. In some years exporting about as much grain as the South exported cotton.

The Deep South did not even produce enough food to feed itself, with large imports from the North. Not surprising, since so much of the land was devoted to cotton, which isn't particularly edible.

Are you perhaps talking about the Northeast rather than the North? Even the Northeast was at this time still largely agricultural, though less so than the rest of the country.

You really do have some odd ideas of what the country was like in 1860.

I said: "Its economy (referring to the Northeastern states) depended on manufacturing and shipping. But it neither raised its own food nor its own raw materials, nor did it furnish freights for its own shipping."

You said: "I have no idea what you are talking about here."

Again that was a reference to the Northeastern states.

You said: "The only raw material the North imported in large quantity for its industry that I'm aware of was cotton."

Wrong.

Cotton was not the largest import or the only one.

In 1860, the value of cotton imported into the Northeast was $110,000. (U.S. Treasury). The value of food imported the year before to the Northeastern states from the South was $200,000.

That should clear up the issue.

Here from the Annual Report of the US Treasury, 1859. It was a part of President Buchanan's State of the Union report of that year. That data was also developed in part from the US Census of 1860, and reported on by Thomas P. Kettell, "Southern Wealth and Northern Profits", pgs 73, 74, and 75.

Data from Reports:

1859 Value of Southern Produce sold to the North...$200,000,000.

1859 Value of produce and grains exported from the North to Europe...$40,047,700.

Quote: "The exports of bread stuffs and provisions are also due to the South, since but for the quantities of these which are sent North to feed the Eastern States, little or no Western produce could be spared for Europe, even at high prices. (pg. 72, Kettell).

Quote: "The barren hills of New England...they have hitherto had their food and materials brought to them." (pg. 72, Kettell).

Quote: (1859 food exports from the North)"...The quantity of these articles which went direct from the Northern States did not exceed the quantities which that section received from the South and from Canada." (pg. 73, Kettell).

So, if you believe the Treasury report you will see that your comment about Northern imports that you mentioned that "I'm aware of..." must now include food as being a large percentage of Northeastern imports.

You will also notice that your comment: "The Deep South did not even produce enough food to feed itself, with large imports from the North"... is also incorrect.

If you will consult Kettell's section III, you will find that the first table shows you that the Southern states produced in 1858 54 million slaughtered animals to the productions of 22 million in the west and 34 million in the Northeast.

With regard to grain, the South produced 307 million pounds while the West harvested 173 million and the Northeast produced 132 million.

T think your understanding of the productions of the late 1850s is entirely wrong.