<span>The event in question is that 1881 International Cotton Exposition. Given that cotton at that time was the South's biggest cash crop, this event held significant value in gaining exposure for producers in the American South and connecting them with possible global partners and purchasers. The event lasted 2.5 months and attracted somewhere less than 200,000 attendees.</span>
"natural resources" "natural resources" and a thriving "labor force" would all be factors. It should also be noted that the textile industry was already doing well.
