North and South
There was a split between the between ca. 1800 and the civil war resulting to two different communities. Social and lifestyles changes between people living in the two areas were the main contributors to this separation. These included: wage labour, market revolution, social reforms, growing middle class and the improved transportation in the North. These were centrally to the deep-seated social hierarchies in the Southern part. The differences between the North and the South were peaceful and had existed long before but this changed to a hostility relationship between the two in 832. As a result, Southerners did not take any act by Northerners as friendly or as aimed at promoting humanity. Rather, they analyzed every act as an attack. U.S. In addition, the debates on expansion to the west and slave trade drove the two regions further apart. By the end of these debates, the two regions were completely divided in terms of culture, place, economy and social values.
Industrial economy in the North and slavery based economy were major causes of the differences. During this time slave trade was declared illegal. In my opinion, the south was threatened by this decision as its economy depended on the services provided by the slaves. Abolition of slavery would automatically result to poor economic performances. Southerners were completely dependant on slaves in their production of ‘king cotton’. Elites from the southern region argued that slavery had to extend westward if southerners’ culture was to be sustained (Athearn, 1988). Abolishing slavery was viewed to be suicidal to the southerners’ way of life. Southerners defined the anti-slavery debates by Northerners as an attack to them. People living in the Northern region criticized Southerners’ dependency on slaves to provide labour. Slave trade was cheap as the slaves had to work for long hours. When slave trade was abolished, there still existed cases of illegal importation of slaves as the Southerners felt threatened by the anti-slavery groups.
Abolitionist movement developed into a powerful social and political movement despite the Southerners’ voice in support of slavery. The abolitionist did not advocate for racial equality but rather resettlement of the slaves in Africa or gradual emancipation
U.S. experienced rapid industrial growth and international markets for its goods, a factor that supported the North whose population depended on industries for income. People living in the South and the North were more loyal to the state rather than the federal. Eli Whitney invented a cotton gin which resulted into a boom in manufacturing in the North (Athearn, 1988). Those that lived in the North came to a realization of the injustices of slave trade and thus sought to abolish it. However, the South relied highly ion slaves in their cotton based economy and the need for more slaves was growing. The Southerners argued that slavery was vital for the sustainability of its economy and the economic and social order.
The southerner and northerners debated on the expansion of slavery westward. This debate was political with Southerners supporting it and Northerners opposing it. Though the Northerners did not seek for political and social equality with the black, they stood against slavery. They were interested in emancipation. However, southerners still held the idea that slavery was necessary if it’s political and social order was to be achieved.
Market revolution experienced in the country also contributed to the divide between the North and the South. The economy changed from an agricultural based economy to one based on the exchange of services and goods and payment of wages. In the West, Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical mower-reaper which brought revolutionaries in the production of grain in this part of the country (Athearn, 1988). There were other forms of development especially in the transportation which resulted to a revolution in the market. The internal improvements included new modes of transport including railroad and the steamboat, Cumberland road and Erie Canal. These means of transportation made it easy to transport goods from the West where they were grown to the North where they were manufactured. The cost of transportation was lower than it was before hence the manufacturers were in a position to raise their profit margins. This resulted to a faster economic growth rate in the North and the improvement of the living standards of those people living in the North. Growth in manufacturing industries led to the need of more workers in the industries. These workers were paid under the wage system resulting to improvement in the living standards at individual level..
Urbanization in the American societies was drastic during this time. Most of the people living in U.S were farmers staying in the rural areas. After 1820, many people began to move to the cities in the search for jobs. German and Irish migrants moved to the North in search of jobs in the industries. This was due to political problems that were being experienced in Germany and the potato famine in Irish. More workers were needed in the industries creating vacancies for these people. The system of paying wages resulted to the development of the middle class in the Northern social stratification. The change in class stratification brought further differentiation between those in the South and those in the North. The middle class mainly composed of skilled workers and the white-collar workers. This group of workers brought about further reforms as they formed reform movements. They ganged up together to fight against slave trade, prostitution and consumption of alcohol. There were also reforms of improved education, improve insane asylums and improvement in the prisons. The reforms were important in ensuring improved living standards for all groups of people in the North.
During the antebellum period, major political struggles focused on state rights. Most of those people that advocated for stat rights were from the Southern. These people believed that constitution should be developed from the decisions made by individual states. They were influenced by John C. Calhoun to advocate for democracy. They held the opinion that the state created constitutional laws and thus had the right to abolish these laws. On the centrally, Chief justice John Marshall and President Andrew Jackson believed that the states were below federal government and thus laws could only be passed by federal government.
Religious revitalization had a great impact among all societies living in America. Most of the Americans believed that God required them to ensure the spread of Protestantism and democracy throughout the continent. As a result, most of them sold their land in the Eastern part of the country to settle in other parts. They settled in California Trails, Santa Fe, Oregon and Mormon. This gave the policy makers a ground to acquire Oregon and Florida on the basis of settlement. The policy makers then declared war against Mexico to seize California and Texas. Social reforms were experienced among the Northerners with most advocates for social reforms being women. Prisoners and those who were mentally disabled were being mistreated. These movements were against the harsh treatment of these people. They succeed in convincing state legislatures to develop and enact new legislation.
Those living in the Western and in the Southern regions were hungry for farming land especially in cotton farming to increase their production resulted to people moving westwards. This issue became political as politicians sought to acquire more land. James K. Pork depended on westward expansion to acquire power and became the president in 1844.
In conclusion, a combination of factors resulted to emergency of two completely different societies. The southern part lagged behind in development as it was isolated from modernization. The well developed transport system in the North and the industrialization ensured the fast growth experienced in the North. Since the economy in the North was continually growing, those in the south felt threatened the fight against slavery was Northerners’ way of ensuring that development was limited in South.
References
Athearn, G. (1988), American Heritage Illustrated History of the United States: The New World, New York: Choice Publishing, Inc.
