were most in the region, not wealthy in the southern economy, or the northern economy before the Civil War

Most people in the region were not wealthy in either the southern or northern economy before the Civil War. The majority of the population consisted of small farmers, laborers, and craftsmen who were struggling to make ends meet. The wealthy elite, including plantation owners in the South and industrialists in the North, held a disproportionate amount of wealth and power. Many people in both regions faced economic hardship and lived in poverty.