What economic system was primarily defended by the Southern states before the Civil War?

The economic system primarily defended by the Southern states before the Civil War was slavery. This system was foundational to the Southern economy, which relied heavily on agriculture, particularly the cultivation of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar. Large plantations were operated with the labor of enslaved people, who were seen as an essential labor force for these labor-intensive crops.

Georgia, South Carolina, and other Southern states built their economic success on this model, leading them to vigorously defend slavery as both an economic necessity and a fundamental social institution. The wealth generated from slave labor contributed significantly to the growth of the Southern economy, and Southern states fought fiercely to maintain and expand the institution of slavery, believing it was vital to their way of life and economic prosperity.

In contrast, capitalism, feudalism, and socialism do not accurately reflect the specific economic practices and societal structures in the antebellum South, as they represent different economic systems that either existed elsewhere or did not align with the realities of Southern society at that time.