North and South Differences
NorthGeography: 4 seasons; soil had variations with rocky thin soil in New England and rich fertile soil in from Pennsylvania to Iowa; many rivers and forests; coastal plains and swampy lands; Tidewater Region to rolling hills and mountain hollows at foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
Economy: Manufacturing and business, many factories uses steam-powered machines operated by laborers from Germany and Ireland; farmers grow crops to sell in the marketplace (corn, oats, wheat, barley, and garden vegetables) Transportation: Developed due to manufacturing and large-populated cities; includes road systems, canals, steamboats, and 20,000 miles of railroads; canals and steamboats were needed to transport vast amounts of manufactured goods created and easy to develop due to vast waterways Society: Diverse due to large urban centers and and job opportunities, attracting immigrants from many countries; relied on free labor; free blacks populated Northern society due to the fact that by 1830 slavery had been abolished throughout the North; relied on free labor |
SouthGeography: Mild winters and hot humid summers; rich fertile soil
Economy: Agriculture is major focus, revolves around cash crops (cotton, indigo, rice, and tobacco); because of the large amount of labor required to operate the plantations, owners relied on slave labor, which is known as the plantation system Transportation: Less advanced; less than 10,000 miles of railroads, no canals, few roads and transportation systems were main method of transporting goods; Mississippi River was the most traveled waterway and many other slow moving rivers were easily navigated by steam-powered riverboats Society: Less diverse; rural; populated by small-scale farmers owning few to no slaves, plantation owners with large land-holdings and slaves; plantation owners held majority of economic, political, and social power; slaves had no standing in society and had no legal rights, very closely watched and limited on their free will; small number of free blacks held jobs as craftsmen and farmers, but has less freedom than the blacks in the North |
The differences in geography, economy, transportation and society led to conflicting views on many issues: sectionalism is developed and the North and South began living their lives separately.
Sectionalism: Loyalty toward a state or section instead of the whole country
Sectionalism: Loyalty toward a state or section instead of the whole country