Describe the significance of cotton in the national economy in the 1800s

cotton was king

Explanation:

As mentioned here in a previous column, the invention of the cotton gin greatly increased the productivity of cotton harvesting by slaves. Because of British demand, cotton was vital to the American economy. The Nobel Prize-winning economist, Douglass C. North, stated that cotton “was the most important proximate cause of expansion” in the 19th century American economy.

Cotton was King. It was vital to economy and dominated.

Explanation:

Some statistics and specific examples:

In the late 1840's production increased to over 2 million and in 1860 production reached almost 4 million bales. Everyone clamored for cotton, plantations sprang up across the deep south. Lucky for Europe, South provided an ever-increasing supply

(b) britain had a much larger navy than the u.s.

(d) the u.s. had a small army compared to britain.