America's economy was driven by the production and selling of cash crops during the 19th century. This was especially true for cotton. Cotton is a valuable commodity with several different uses. The development of cotton became easier thanks to the cotton gin. Due to the invention of the cotton gin, there was an increased demand for labor. This lead to the increase in the amount of slaves, especially in southern states. Essentially, the market economy and America's ability to make a huge profit off cotton resulted in an increased demand for slaves.
Many farmers desired that this institution continue to spread westward. This was due to the fact that many farmers were looking to settle west due to cheap land made available by the federal government through laws such as the Homestead Act. In order to have success on these farmers, slave owners wanted to bring their slaves with them to these new territories.
The market economy was mostly influential in the institution of slavery by shaping the economy of the South. The South relied on cash crops as its main source of income. With the development of new technologies, plantations were able to grow, becoming so large that they required an enormous labor force in order to operate. This led to an increased interest in protecting slavery.
The Westward Expansion similarly affected the way slavery was seen in the country. First of all, as people acquired new territories in unexplored lands, they often wanted their slaves to accompany them, pushing the institution of slavery further west. Moreover, as new territories joined the nation, the new lands had to decide whether to become free states or slave states. This caused tension between the two separate areas of the country.
