Compare and contrast the northern and southern United States between 1800 and 1850. Write three or four paragraphs about the similarities and differences between the two regions.
Overview
The institution of slavery was the fundamental divide between the North and the South – and the one most responsible for the Civil War. Slavery was nearly generally abolished in the North by the 1800s, but it was a cornerstone of Southern civilization. Many blacks were free in the North, and in places like Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio, 100 percent of the black population was free. In contrast, few blacks were free in Confederate states.
Even though Virginia had the largest ratio of free blacks to slaves, just 9 percent of the state’s black population was free. The Emancipation Proclamation would end slavery, but the subject divided the South and North during the first half of the century.
The slave economy in the South supported agriculture, but the free society in the North facilitated industrialisation. Only one-ninth of the United States’ industrial capability was located in the South at the start of the Civil War. Meanwhile, the North produced 97% of the country’s weapons and 93% of its pig iron.
The prospects of industrialisation drew European immigration, resulting in the construction of major cities in the North. By 1860, the North had a population of 23 million, while the South had a population of nine million. In contrast, in 1860, 80 percent of Southerners were working in agriculture, compared to 40 percent in the North.
The political affiliations of the North and South were drastically different before and after the Civil War. Many Northerners supported the Whig Party in the early 1800s, whereas Southerners supported the Democrats. The Whig Party had crumbled by the 1850s and beyond, and many more Northerners joined Republicans, while Southerners stayed faithful to the Democrats. Furthermore, prior to the war, abolitionism was far more widespread in the North, albeit it was still uncommon there.
