Identify the major reasons for why the need of slave labor was so great in the American South during the Antebellum period.

The Antebellum period is generally considered the time between the War of 1812 and the Civil. As slavery was not yet considered a crime in young America (on the contrary, it was considered a common and necessary practice) many southern plantations utilized the "free labor" of slaves.

(NOTE: Some things I am about to say may be misinterpreted as if I support slavery and I DO NOT. I do, however, acknowledge the many occurrences of slavery throughout history, believe they need to be talked about and understood, and see the (albeit very incorrect and immoral) reasoning these people used to excuse their actions. Now on with the answer!)

The cotton and tobacco industry was booming back in England and the plantations were not about to pass up this opportunity. This rose a new need, the plantations were too large to work alone so plantation owners started to look for an alternative. They needed something that was cheap, there need to be an abundance of them, efficient, and, again, cost efficient. Now slave traders also saw an opportunity and so began slavery in the Southern US.

The dependency on slaves in the south grew with the southern economy.