The Civil War was the result of 40 years of intense conflict and symbolized economic, social, and poliitical diferences between the north and the south. The South produced cash crops ... cotton, tobacco, and sugarcan for export to the north and Europe it depended on the North for manufactures and for trade. The labor force in the south included nearly 4 million slaves. Although the slave owners formed a small minority of the population it dominated Southern politics and society. Slaves were the largest single investment in the south. Fear of slave unrest ensured the loyalty of non slave owners to the economic and social system.
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