Sectionalism grew in southern states due to
1.an increase in federal regulations on southern industry
2.holidays established to celebrate national events.
3.the South’s economic dependency on slavery.
4.a weakened sense of regional identity.
3. the South’s economic dependency on slavery.
Sectionalism grew in southern states due to the South's economic dependency on slavery. Slavery was the backbone of the southern economy, particularly in the agricultural industry. The South relied heavily on the labor of enslaved people to cultivate crops like cotton, tobacco, and rice. The southern states viewed any interference with slavery, whether through federal regulations or anti-slavery movements in the North, as a threat to their economic livelihood. This economic dependence on slavery fueled a sense of sectionalism and a desire to protect and preserve the institution of slavery in the South.