The main industry in the South during the Civil War was agriculture, with cotton being the main crop.

Known as "King Cotton," this cash crop was essential to the South's ability to trade with other countries, especially Britain and France, and to maintain economic stability. The South's reliance on cotton farming required the labor of enslaved people, further solidifying the system of slavery. Because of its emphasis on agriculture rather than industry, the South was more susceptible to attack throughout the war due to Union blockades that hampered cotton exports and other sources of income.