from Howie Bick of The Analyst Handbook
Throughout the course of American history, the South has been a driving force behind America’s economy. Through farming and agriculture, the south was the main area of produce, crops, and food. Whether it was corn, potatoes, or wheat, most of America’s food was grown and produced in the southern part of the United States.
Agriculture has been one of the leading sources of revenue and a huge part of the economy since 1776.
Given the advantageous weather conditions, the South was able to grow and maintain certain crops that nowhere else in America could. The conditions were ideal for farming, plantations, and sharecropping.
One of the South’s biggest exports, and money makers, was tobacco. American’s have always loved and purchased high amounts of tobacco, since the dawn of time. Cigarettes have been something that’s become a part of American culture and has maintained its presence.
Another one of the big reasons why the South was able to be such a huge player in the agriculture world was its proximity to Central and Southern America, and its access to ports. Through various canals and passageways, the south was able to transport its goods to places at fractions of the cost, and it much less time than the rest of the country.
Among the fastest growing cities in the South ,and in the country, are Nashville and Austin. Both of these cities have seen explosions in population, innovation, and their economies. Massive corporations have been starting to take notice and have been investing considerable resources in the south. Cities also like Dallas, Raleigh, and Atlanta have become areas where people have started to gravitate towards in finance, real estate, and banking. These industries have seen the south as an opportunity to grow their businesses, and also to further expand their footprints.
Just think about how far the south has come since the 1700’s or 1800’s. Farm workers or agriculture people would have zero clue as to what does a financial analyst do, or what a graphic designer does. These types of positions have started to become more and more common in the south.
As times changed, and the country evolved, the South did as well. The southern part of the U.S. has been able to be home to some of the fastest growing cities throughout the U.S.. They’ve been able to change the dynamic of its economy from solely an agriculture region to a mix of technology, finance, and agriculture. The economy of the south has become way more diversified and developed since what it once was, an agriculture based economy.
