Growing Tensions Between
North and South
Chapter 15 Section 1
The North and the South take different
paths.
North
Factory System
South
In the North, industry and trade were important
factors in the economy. Immigrants provided
cheap labor for factories.
Factory System
Many Northeasterners did not support slavery.
They were afraid that one day the factory
owners would start using slavery. Perhaps they
would be slaves.
Factory System
In the South the system of slavery provided the
large labor force needed to produce cotton.
Plantation Slavery
If only the large plantation owners got rich, and
most poor whites could not afford slaves, then
why did poor whites support slavery?
Plantation Slavery
Many whites were racist during this time. Whites
honestly believed that Africans were not as smart at
white people. They thought if Africans were free and
had power, they would ruin the country
Wilmot Proviso-Bill written to outlaw
slavery in any territory the U.S. might
acquire from the War with Mexico.
Mexican
Cession
Slave holders claimed that the Wilmot
Proviso was unconstitutional. The
constitution gives property rights to all
citizens. Slaves were considered property.
Wilmot
Proviso
In March 1850, California was
admitted into the Union as a free
state. This upset the balance between
Free states and Slave states.
The south would only agree to allowing
California in as a free state if congress
agreed to do 2 things. This was known as
the Compromise of 1850.
1. Congress would not pass laws
regarding slavery for the rest of the
territories won from Mexico.
2. Congress would pass a stronger
law to help slaveholders recapture
runaway slaves.
The job of getting
the compromise to
pass fell on
Stephen A.
Douglas. Douglas
did not support
slavery but he felt
the people in each
territory should
have the right to
choose if they
wanted slavery or
not.
Do you think the Compromise of
1850 brought peace to the country
between the north and the south?
To be continued!