This volume meticulously details the economic and industrial landscape of the American South and West in the mid-19th century. It presents a comprehensive overview of the region's commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, and internal improvements, with a particular focus on the institutions of slave and free labor. The work aims to provide a factual account of the South's resources and products, serving as a foundational text for understanding the era's economic structures.

This work is a significant historical document, offering a primary source perspective on the economic conditions and social structures of the American South and West prior to the Civil War. Its detailed enumeration of resources and labor systems provides crucial data for understanding the region's development and the debates surrounding slavery. The book's value lies in its comprehensive scope and its reflection of the prevailing economic thought of its time. As a replication of an original published before 1852, it offers scholars and interested readers direct access to historical data and analysis.