On the eve of the Civil War, the South produced 85% of the world’s raw cotton, and “King Cotton” in some form accounted for 50% of the total American economy. A full 80% of the southern economy was cotton driven, while the North manufactured 90% of all American goods. The two halves of the country, sundered by the Mason-Dixon Line, were so different that they were masquerading as one nation in name only.
