“It didn’t “rely” on slave labor. Only 5.37% of the White Southern population owned slaves.”
But nearly 40% of the south’s population in 1860 were slaves.
“ And in the 19th century the Southern states were hardly in a dire situation. They started out as by far the richest region of the country.”
Yes and the southern rich invested in slaves and agriculture instead of infrastructure or industry. Basically three crops (rice, cotton & tobacco) held up that entire southern economy. Meanwhile in the north they developed agriculture AND industry. Tobacco was widely grown in the north too along with corn and wheat, oh yeah and peaches.
“the South being stuck with the vast majority of the tariff burden and the North benefitting from federal subsidies all that time.”
Another myth. The vast majority of imported (tariffs) goods coming into the US came in to the ports of Boston and New York for consumption in the north. Imported goods flowed into Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans but at a fraction of what was being imported to the mid Atlantic and New England. In 1857 tariffs were actually lowered by a bill with widespread support in both the North and South. It was not until March 1861 that the Morell Act increased tariffs and by that time Southern states had already begun seceding from the Union.
What Federal subsidies was the north getting exactly ?? All of the canals and railroads built in the north were privately funded or partially funded by individual states. Harbor improvements were Federally funded but the same funding was spent in the early 19th century to improve Southern ports. Perhaps you mean defense spending ??? Well the Federal government was spending money to defend southern ports too (Fortress Monroe, Fort Wool, Fort Sumter, Fort Pulaski, Fort Morgan, Fort Jackson and Fort Jefferson in Florida which was the largest and most expensive Federal construction project of its time).
“if Tobacco and Cotton have the highest profit margins, they are going to attract by far the most investment - not building factories.”
That’s exactly the point. The south was content to stay stuck in first gear and not invest in the future. That is not the Yankee’s fault, you guys own that failure all by yourselves.