Charleston's mid-1800s commercial prowess in relation to the United States as a whole is too much inflated by historians. In realty, during this period, Charelston had no direct foreign trade to speak of. All foriegn trade went directly through the ports of Boston and New York- ports like Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans were really local traders having to use the customs houses in the North with Europe. The federal monies used to improve ports, customs houses and warehouses were spent in the North, not the South. Charleston didn't even have a proper U.S. Customs House until after the Civil War.

Charleston's revenue collection was a fraction of what was collected in the Northern ports as given in the reports of 1854...

Totals.

New York- $13,767,000
Boston- $2,302,000
Philadelphia- $1,374,000
Baltimore- $325,000
Charleston- $99,000
New Orleans- $555,000
St. Louis- $260,000

Those extra troops in 1850-52 caused otherwise loyal Americans to distrust the Federal Government even more. Especially after interrupting Charlestons June 28th celebrations by blocking access to Fort Moultrie. Armed troops blocking access to city officials to harbor assets at Fort Sumter. Extra crime, etc.

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David Upton