Final answer:
The surge in slaveholding from 1840 to 1860 was predominantly due to the escalating demand for cotton production in the South, leading to an expansion of the slave population.
Explanation:
The increase in slaveholding between 1840 and 1860 was primarily driven by the high demand for cotton production in the South. This demand led to a need for a large workforce to cultivate and harvest cotton, resulting in the expansion of the slave population to meet labor requirements. The domestic slave trade and the economic reliance of the Southern states on slave labor further fueled the growth in slaveholding during this period.
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