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Compare and Contrast Economic, Social, and Political Developments in the North and South Between 1800-1860.

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Compare and contrast economic, social, and political developments in the North and South between 1800-1860. How do you account for the divergence between the two sections? During 1880 to 1860, The United States of America went through social, political and economic changes, which affected the North and South in different ways. The economy of the South depended primarily on slaves. Its settlers had plantations of cotton, which was very profitable at that time, but they needed a cheap labour force to work their lands (slaves). Living in the South meant either having a lot of money to invest on lands (for crop plantations) or working in the only available jobs, which were done by slaves. Since not everyone was able to afford high …show more content…

Transportation networks took longer to develop in the South since they used canals and waterways to transport their crops. However, the North needed routes and transports for they were many and the kind of jobs available there were different and versified. The fact that the North was more urbanized and industrialized, and the South more rural, also meant that the way of life was rather different. People in the North lived in cities or towns, which had recreational spaces. Different urban sports were done in the North, which were not common in the South for slaves were not given free time. Women were treated differently than men in each region. In the South, slaves had the same demands regarding their work and the same hours (from sun to sun, that is long hours and large work), no matter their sex. However, in the North, women had less demanding jobs and also worked less hours than men. During this time, both regions wanted to enlarge their lands, though they had different motivations. The South wanted to expand fast and take slaves with them for the growth of cotton since it was profitable. In other words, they wanted to protect the survival of cotton crops and to go on with the system of slaves in new territories. The North, however, wanted to

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