NorthGeography: Had four distinct seasons, rocky thin soil in the New England area and rich fertile soil from Pennsylvania. There is also many fast moving rivers and large forested area.
Economy: The economy of the North was based on manufacturing and business. Factories and arming were also a important factor to the economy, farmers grew surplus food crops to sell in the marketplace-(corn, oats, wheat, barley, and garden vegetables). Transportation: Developed due to the manufacturing and large populated cities that developed in the North. Including road systems, canals, steamboats and 20,000 miles of railroads. Society: It was very diverse due to the large urban centers and job opportunities that attracted immigrants from many countries. Many Free blacks populated the society due to the fact that by 1830 slavery had been abolished throughout the North. The free labor system allowed free blacks to legally restrained from full participation as legal citizens and were often forced to remain in poverty and separated from white society. |
SouthGeography: The South had mild winters and hot humid summers. Most area of the South, the soil was rich and fertile.
Economy: Cash crop grown was cotton and the non- food crops included indigo, rice, and tobacco. Plantation owners found slave labor economically effective due to a large amount of labor required to operate these plantation, known as the plantation system . Transportation: Transportation in the South were least advanced with less than 10,000 miles of railroads, there were no canals, few roads and water transportation was the main method to transport goods. Society: Society was less diverse. Much of the South was rural, populated mainly by small scale farmers who owned few to no slaves, plantatio n owners with large land holding and slaves. Plantation owners held a majority of the economic, political, and social power. slaves had no standing in the society, yet they made up most of the population in the South with no legal rights, were watched closely and were very limited in what they could do on their own. |
Q: Predict how these differences might contribute to sectionalism.
Sectionalism means that the placing of the needs of one section of the nation over the needs of the whole nation. The differences between the North and South might contribute because with the differences, both nations have different opinions which separates the whole nation from succeeding, which was also the cause to the Civil War.