Quote:
Originally Posted by electricron
Charleston and Savanah are surrounded by swamps.
Land not easy to build on and land not easy to grow crops on.
Much of the wealth in the South prior to the Civil War was invested into plantations, both land and labor. After the Civil War, the wealth was eliminated resulting from liberating the slaves and the burning of the plantations by Sherman's march to the sea. It's difficult to pay taxes without money from crops and slaves. While the historic agriculture plantation system may or may not have created huge profits and wealth, the new agriculture systems based upon sharecropping after reconstruction didn't allow acculmuntaing as much wealth, as the money earned from the crops was distributed to more people working the smaller and smaller farms. An agriculture based economy is basically non compatible with large urban cities.
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Both low country cities were surrounded by large rice and indigo plantations, as well as naval stores materials (e.g. turpentine) provided by slash pine forests. Also, the Savannah, Ashley and Cooper were navigable rivers, so the use of railroads was not as critical. The swamp and marshes did not in anyway impact the growth of either city, or the wealth of the region. It was, however, a very concentrated wealth, and there was no significant middle class in the South at the outbreak of the Civil War, but by that time, the shipping needs and trade patterns had already shifted. The opening of the midwest, first from the Erie Canal and later continental railroads, definitely elevated the better deep water ports of the Northeast over the Southern Ports. Additionally, the changes in trading patterns enhanced the Northeaster cities. Manufactured goods became a larger part of the trade patterns as the US implemented tariffs to bolster fledging US industries. As a result, the southern ports became secondary destinations, where cotton was loaded for shipping to the English and French mills.
The 'elite' in both cities were comfortable with the arrangements and the wealth generated by the triangle trade. And, as others have pointed out, you cannot discuss either city's evolution without considering the disruption of the Civil War, and the subsequent occupation/reconstruction of the south. Northern interests ensured that the South/s manufacturing would be restricted. Additionally, the efforts required to create a new civic and economic structure detracted greatly from civic efforts. There was a massive destruction of assets and you can't build without $$$.
The industrial expansion of the South started with the migration of the mills to the fall line cities, not the old ports, with the exception of NO. At the end, Savannah or Charleston had neither the infrastructure or civic goal to grow like Philadelphia or Boston.