The Civil War emerged against the backdrop of immense economic stakes tied to slavery, with four million enslaved individuals embodying a staggering financial value of approximately $75 billion today. The labor of these enslaved people primarily fueled the cotton industry, which accounted for a significant 60 percent of the United States' exports at the time. This economic dependency on slavery underpinned the Southern states' power and prosperity.

In 1860, the Mississippi River Valley stood out as the region with the highest concentration of wealth, housing numerous multimillionaires who thrived on the labor of large plantations. This dynamic illustrates how deeply intertwined the nation’s economic structure was with the institution of slavery, highlighting the tragic complexity of American history leading up to the Civil War.