The main reason why the building of canals slowed in the 1830s and 1840s was because "Railroads started in America at this time" and the five ways in which the South was affected would be "Slaves became more important and valuable" "Land under production declined" "Southern attitudes about slavery hardened" "Cotton became the principal southern crop" and "<span>Cotton became a major U.S. export", since there was never a Caste system in the South. </span>
