Question

question 8 of 10
what was the basis of wealth in the southern states?

a. a balance of slaves and factories

b. land and slaves

c. the goods produced in southern factories

d. railroads, canals, and factories

Explanation:

In the pre - Civil War Southern United States, the economy was predominantly agrarian. Large - scale plantations (which required land) were a key part of the economy, and enslaved people (slaves) were used as labor on these plantations to grow cash crops like cotton. Option A is incorrect because there was not a balance of slaves and factories; factories were not a major part of the Southern economy. Option C is wrong as Southern factories were not a major source of wealth compared to agriculture. Option D is incorrect as railroads, canals, and factories were more characteristic of the Northern economy's infrastructure and industrial base, not the South's wealth basis.

Answer:

B. Land and slaves