Show me the United States Congress authorized legislation that subsidized the New York shipping industry.
Packets operated out of New York because it was the best port on the Atlantic seaboard, with the larges capacity for shipping.
There was absolutely no reason a British ship would not call on say Charleston or Wilmington, if the cargo’s owner requested that as the debarkation point. There is nothing in the 1817 Navigation act that precluded any foreign ship from calling on any US port with a cargo originating from another country.
In the years before the war. Almost all harbor improvements to Southern ports was paid for by the United States Government. Your fantasy scenario of millions being poured into Southern port facilities is just that a fantasy.
It's been beaten to death on another thread. I think RustBucket is the one that pointed it out, but it might be someone else.
I think I know how to find that thread where it was discussed, but i'm not going to do it right now. Ask me again later down the road when I'm not busy responding to the current discussion.
Almost all harbor improvements to Southern ports was paid for by the United States Government.
There is that "Front side of the Horse" versus the "back side of the horse" argument again. As the Southern states were paying 80% of the taxes, they easily covered the costs of all money spent on improving Southern Ports, and Northern ones too! :)
Your fantasy scenario of millions being poured into Southern port facilities is just that a fantasy.
Really? Well perhaps you can explain then why the Confederacy would still have their 200 million dollars in import value continue going to New York instead of to their own ports? I'd like to hear this one.