From colonial times there were differences in geography that gave rise to variations in culture and economy in the United States. Due to the differing characteristics, a sectional economy molded the United States into two distinct regions: the north and the south. The north, a commercial society, which supported industry and commerce while the south, an agrarian civilization, flourished in the production of raw materials with use of slaves. The two economies were both self-supporting and capable to create a stronger, more productive nation. The regional differences sought to build America, in turn threatened to destroy it. Many Historians believe that the Civil War was constructed over the issue of slavery. However, the concerns of states' rights versus federal rights and the unfair legislation representation were the principal causes of the Civil War. The United States during the 1800s supported the two distinct economies of the north and the south. Both north and south economies had many similarities and a several differences. The northern economy was built on a commercial platform of trade-dependent, industrial society. During the 1800s, the north experienced an Industrial Revolution. Many factories sprung up in prominent cities such as New York, leading to an increase unskilled labor. Population sizes grew due to the swell in job opportunities, urbanization, and immigration. There were also, intricate railway systems and numerous waterways that allowed for simple trade and shipping among major cities. While the north experienced dramatic economic change, the south remained relatively unchanged from the 1800s to the 1850s. The southern economy was a slave-based, agrarian society. The south's main resource of production w... ... middle of paper ... ...ile the southerners disliked the tariff because it raised the cost on manufactured goods and they believed it was an unfair taxation, thereby naming it the "Tariff of Abominations". The south's disapproval of the high tariff led to the nullification crisis, led by John C. Calhoun. This group claimed that the tariff of 1828 was unconstitutional and called for the tariff to be nullified. The regional differences in the United States that served to build the nation, threatened to destroy it. As the two societies of the north and south diverged and sought to be a strong nation, many differences and a few similarities arose. The north pushed for industrial production while the south worked to produce raw materials. These two economies created a sectional nation that one day would become a battle ground over states' rights versus federal rights and unfair representation.
In the 1850's the North was more populous and urban, due to all the Irish and German immigrants that traveled to the states. By1860, 9 out of the 10 biggest cities were in the North. The North also had 70% of the railroads, and more telegraph lines to send messages instantly. The North had a lot more industry also, with its 10,000 factories that brought in $1.5 billion dollars in goods compared to the South's 20,000 that brought in $155 million.(Source 1) The
The North was known for being industrial due to the numerous big cities, perfect for factories. According to Benjamin T. Arrington and the National Park Service, “By 1860, 90 percent of the nation 's manufacturing output
The economies of each region (North and South) at the time where really only similar in the way they were expanding and growing stronger. One way the two regions differed in economics was in the base of the economy. For example, the South’s economy was based on cotton farming, while the North’s economy was based on manufacturing. Because the South did not manufacture goods, they were forced to purchase finished products from the North- thus adding to the North’s economy. With the South’s money they would acquire cotton from the southern states. Also, in the South, there were little job opportunities for whites since slaves had the jobs in the field, unlike the North where jobs were abundant in factories for the unskilled workers. Many...
A rift between the north and the south had been present since the late eighteenth centaury. It began with the industrial revolution, which saw the northern states prosper. The north changed industries from fa...
In the north, machines, interchangeable parts, and mass production were fast becoming a way of life. Northerners began building factories for mass production. These first factories were used for making textiles and later evolved to manufacturing a wide variety of goods. This created several opportunities for jobs. And with immigrants flooding in from Europe, finding employment was no problem. The factory system was efficient and inexpensive for the north to employ a large work force.
As the North and South grew they began taking on two different roles. The North focusing on industry and making materials to use and the South growing crops for them to eat. The different roles played by each region caused the economies to grow and be entirely different from one another. The different economies were just one of many ways the two regions grew apart from one another and focused more on that specific region than the country as a whole.
The Southern and Northern states varied on many issues, which eventually led them to the Civil War. There were deep economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. These differences stemmed from the interpretation of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, all of these disagreements about the rights of states led to the Civil War. There were reasons other than slavery for the South?s secession. The manifestations of division in America were many: utopian communities, conflicts over public space, backlash against immigrants, urban riots, black protest, and Indian resistance (Norton 234). America was a divided land in need reform with the South in the most need. The South relied heavily on agriculture, as opposed to the North, which was highly populated and an industrialized society. The South grew cotton, which was its main cash crop and many Southerners knew that heavy reliance on slave labor would hurt the South eventually, but their warnings were not heeded. The South was based on a totalitarian system.
During the American Revolution and the civil war, the North and the South experienced development of different socio-political and cultural environmental conditions. The North became an industrial and manufacturing powerhouse as a result of rise of movements like abolitionism and women’s right while the South became a cotton kingdom whose labor was sourced from slavery (Spark notes, 2011).
Later, these conflicting results between the North and the South had shortly begun the Civil War. These arising conflicts were similar to the Nullification Crisis during Andrew Jackson’s presidency in 1832. During this time period, South Carolina had nullified the Tariff of Abominations because they had believed it was unconstitutional. John C. Calhoun, vice president of the state, had argued that the national legislation had operated unequally and lacked fairness to every state. Calhoun had also argued for slavery and claimed that it played a part with states’ rights. The Nullification Crisis was just the beginning of the predicaments of the oncoming Civil War.
Sectionalism was one of the main causes of the Civil War. The Southern states believed in state's rights and believed that a law not stated in the Constitution belonged to their state government and not the national government. Northerners thought that the national government should pass laws for all the people in the country and only the Court could remove it. The Kansas-Nebraska Act widened the differences between the North and South by saying states could decide to be a free or slave state. This angered the Northerners because they felt it stripped the national government of power. The Fugitive Slave Law required all citizens of the United States of America to catch runaway slaves. The North hated this because if they didn't catch the slaves they could be impisoned and face fines. (Wise) Sectionalism caused the North and South to have division due to the government and the power they should or should not have over states. Sectionalism divided the North and South ...
Railroads opened new areas as settlement and stimulated the mining and manufacture. At the same time, the telegraph appeared. It brought uniform price of the country. Because of these improvements, many people migrated to west. The market revolution and westward expansion heightened the nation’s sectional divisions. The most dynamic feature of the American economy in the beginning of the nineteenth century was the rise of the Cotton Kingdom. But the increasing demand of cotton lead to larger number of slaves. For white people, westward expansion was a chance to get more freedom, but for black people, it means that they would have less freedom and their families will be broken. In the north, Market Revolution turned it to commercial system. Farmers focus on producing crops and livestocks. In some industries, the factory superseded traditional craft production. Both men and women could earn money by taking jobs from factories. Market Revolution changed the time concept of Americans. In cities, time of work and relax is divided clearly. Early New England textile mills largely relied on female and child labor.
The North and South were forming completely different economies, and therefore completely different geographies, from one another during the period of the Industrial Revolution and right before the Civil War. The North’s economy was based mainly upon industrialization from the formation of the American System, which was producing large quantities of goods in factories. The North was becoming much more urbanized due to factories being located in cities, near the major railroad systems for transportation of the goods, along with the movement of large groups of factory workers to the cities to be closer to their jobs. With the North’s increased rate of job opportunities, many different people of different ethnic groups and classes ended up working together. This ignited the demise of the North’s social order. The South was not as rapidly urbanizing as the North, and therefore social order was still in existence; the South’s economy was based upon the production of cotton after Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin. Large cotton plantations’ production made up the bulk of America’s...
With the economic system, the south had a very hard time producing their main source “cotton and tobacco”. “Cotton became commercially significant in the 1790’s after the invention of a new cotton gin by Eli Whitney. (PG 314)” Let alone, if they had a hard time producing goods, the gains would be extremely unprofitable. While in the North, “In 1837, John Deere patented a strong, smooth steel plow that sliced through prairie soil so cleanly that farmers called it the “singing plow.” (PG 281).” Deere’s company became the leading source to saving time and energy for farming as it breaks much more ground to plant more crops. As well as mechanical reapers, which then could harvest twelve acres a day can double the corn and wheat. The North was becoming more advanced by the second. Many moved in the cities where they would work in factories, which contributed to the nation’s economic growth because factory workers actually produced twice as much of labor as agricultural workers. Steam engines would be a source of energy and while coal was cutting prices in half actually created more factories, railroads for transportation, and ships which also gave a rise in agricultural productivity.
The South opposed industrialization, so therefore they manufactured very little. Much of the manufactured supplies had to be traded in. Southerners therefore opposed high tariffs. The manufacturing financial system of the North, insisted high tariffs to defend its goods from inexpensive overseas competition.
Early America was a time where many events and things brought them either, to come together or separate. Nationalism and sectionalism are two words with the opposite meanings.Nationalism is when a Nation comes together and thinks about the profits for the whole country and its people. Sectionalism is when a nation is separated into different parts and go on their own. The North and the South disagreed on what should be done about slavery. The North is against the idea of owning African slaves. The south, on the other hand, believed that Africans were born to be slaves and were meant to work for them. During the Industrial Revolution in the North, the nation began to create machines that made work easier, but also brought problems and more people to the North due to the offers about the payments. At the same time in the South, more slaves were being purchased because of fo the increasing production of cotton. While the North offered to pay jobs and even opened up to the idea of working women, the south took away freedom from Africans so they could work as slaves. Early America was a time of Sectionalism because of slavery in the South, and the Industries in the North.