Economic Differences Between The North And South In The 1800s

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'

Both areas had many farmers, but the south was successful with big plantations. The southern economy depended on agriculture while the North was based on technological advancement. The North successful developed many industries, while the south improved their farming methods (Roark, 7). The south farmers established huge plantations for cash crop production especially cotton. In addition, slavery became an important factor that provided

One of the most striking differences between the North and the South was the climate and geography. The North’s climate was full of warm summers and cold winters; the terrain was rocky and hilly, which wasn’t good for farming. But the North did have little farms. Most of the forest was used for shipbuilding, and cities were used for trading centers. The rivers were fast and shallow which made it hard to navigate. Also in the North people used waterpower to run factories, because it was a cheap source of energy. The South was somewhat different; the climate was generally warm and sunny. The summers were long and hot, and the winters were pretty mild. Due to the South’s climate they were able to grow different crops in large amounts, unlike the North. The south had large farms, called plantations. In the South cities developed near rivers, because of rich soil which made it easier for them to farm.

The first half of the nineteenth century in the United States of America was a time of tremendous change for the nation. Firstly, change began as Thomas Jefferson was elected president, which meant the beginning of the Democratic-Republicans reign in office. But this development of the modern United States led not to a unified nation, yet it led to one divided. The expansion and development of ideas and land exposed great regional differences in the United States between 1800 and 1848. Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase had not only provided the country with land to farm, but it had doubled the size of the United States. Decisions over what to do with the new land separated the country. This is clearly seen in disputes concerning the United States’

In the early 1800s, America changed in a lot of ways in a short amount of time. The change that occurred was, for the most part, the result of the industrial development. The industrial advancements in the early 1800s had a huge amount of consequences, both positive and negative. But the industrial development from 1800 to 1860 affected the North and the South in hugely different ways. The prominent differences eventually caused an amazing amount of tension between the two regions as they moved in completely separate directions. Mainly, the North and the South differentiated when it came to cultures, economies, and political views.

In the time just before the Civil War, the United States was one of the most successful nations in the world. The United States had become the world’s leading cotton producing country and had developed industry, which would in the future, surpass that of Great Britain. Also, the United States possessed an advanced railroad and transportation system. However, despite its successes, the United States was becoming increasingly divided. The North and the South had many distinct differences in terms of their social, cultural, and economic characteristics that brought about sectionalism and, eventually, the Civil War.

One of them was a result of Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin. The cotton gin made it easier and less time consuming to pick the seeds from the cotton. This made the cotton crop very profitable. This invention caused many plantations to switch from other crops to cotton. This shift to the cotton crop caused the South’s economy to become a one crop economy. The shift also meant for a greater need for cheap labor, and this where the large amounts of slaves came into play. The North was based in industry and not agriculture. The North purchased the raw cotton and used it to make finished goods. This variation between the North and South created a large difference in

As a result of the different climates and soil types, the two regions of the United States had to differ in economic routes. The South focused on agriculture, due to its rich soil and suitable climate for farming. One piece of textual evidence states, “The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco and cotton. Because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development. Eighty percent of the labor

The first category is geography. In the North, they had warm and sunny summers with brutal winters and hard snowfall. In the spring, they also received little rain. These climate conditions made it hard to farm so they relied on trade and business. In the South, however, they had hot and humid summers and the winters were cold

The Northern part of the United States went to war with the Southern part in the year 1861. These were the differences in both societies that lead the Union to have a war within itself. Before the war people had many different beliefs and this is where society comes in. What leads to society’s beliefs would have been the economy types which were affected by the geography. Each section of the United States had very different land in broad terms the North was very rocky with a lot of hills, while the South was very flat with wide rivers. All of these factors allowed different types of economies and societies to form and allowed certain types of transportation in each area . In the North there were

The economic differences between the North and South were clearly defined and distinctly divided the two regions ideologically. As shown by the various maps in Document 1, the amount of railroads in the North in 1860 far surpassed the number of those in the South, while slave density and cotton production in approximately the same year were concentrated heavily in the South. From this information it can be inferred that the North’s economy relied primarily on industry, and thus manufacturing, as opposed to the Southern economy of commercial cotton production. It can also be inferred from the maps that the South relied much more heavily on slave labor than the North, which was a major point of conflict between the two regions and significantly contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. (Doc 1).

The 1800’s revolutionized the county that we know today. With states splitting opinions on slaves and being free, the north and south had drastically divided styles of workforces. The demand for more manufactured goods skyrocketed resulting in an explosion of factories and mills. Products of the north and south required supplies and shipping routes, transportation infrastructure was carved through the countryside to meet these demands. The country had entered a new mindset, and a new era.

How was life in the North different from the South Life was very different for the North and the South in the 1800s. One area was transportation. Another area they were different was their economy. The last way they were different was they both different in societies. The reason was the South had a wealthy class and the North had only a middle class.

Meanwhile in the North they were an economy based on agriculture. The North was using raw cotton and turning it into finish goods. This would cause a rift in the economy of the north and the south. This change meant the evolution of the North would bring many different races and classes having to work together to accomplish their new way of life. With the south stuck in their antiquated ways they would fall behind in infrastructure and technology.

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.