Why was the southern industrial growth limited?

Answer 1

There are multiple reasons that there was little industry in the south. Here are some reasons:

• Cotton demand was so big, there was no need for factories.
• Southerners remained content with farming rather then starting businesses
• Lack of capital (money) - Most southerners had their money invested in slavery and crops

In addition, some southerners did not want industries in the south, and this sentiment remains true in many areas. One Texas politician said

"We want no manufactures; we desire no trading, no mechanical or manufacturing classes. as long as we have our rice, our sugar, our tobacco, and our cotton, we can command wealth to purchase all we want."

Answer 2

Reconstruction did not transform the South into an industrualized, urban region like the North. Most southern factories did not make finished goods such as furniture. New factories began to spin and weave cotton into undyed fabric.