What happened as more plantations developed in the south?

As more plantations developed in the South, the demand for enslaved labor increased significantly, leading to the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade. This growth entrenched a plantation-based economy, heavily reliant on cash crops like cotton and tobacco, which fueled regional wealth but also deepened social and economic inequalities. Additionally, the expansion of plantations contributed to conflicts over slavery, which ultimately played a significant role in the tensions leading up to the Civil War. The societal structure became increasingly divided, with a small, wealthy planter class exerting considerable influence over political and social systems.