The Worlds of North
and South
8th Grade History
Mrs. Jamieson
How did the north and south
differ and how did these
differences set the stage for
conflict?
Introduction
As American citizens, Northerners and Southerners
shared a fierce pride in their country and a faith in
democracy. Yet their outlooks and attitudes about
many things were quite different. The two areas also
differed in their economies, transportation systems,
and societies. Between 1800 and 1850, these
differences led to sharply conflicting views on many
national issues - so much so that, at times,
Northerners and Southerners seemed to be living in
two separate worlds.
north: geography
The New England coast had hundreds of bays that
were perfect for use as harbors. Shipbuilding, fishing,
and commerce flourished in this area.
Inland lay flat plains with rocky soil. Farming was not
easy. Many New Englanders found that they could
make money by harvesting timber (wood) that was
used for shipbuilding and trade.
In the southern part of the North, people could
support themselves by farming as rivers like the
Hudson and Delaware had deposited rich soil.
south: Geography
Compared to the North, the Southern states enjoyed
mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. Plentiful
rainfall and a long growing season made this the
perfect place for raising crops that would not survive in
the North. Most people in the South were farmers.
Southern states thrived on cash crops such as indigo,
rice, sugarcane, tobacco, and corn. Towns flourished
along its many broad rivers.
North: economy
When the Industrial Revolution hit the United States
in the early 1800s, the economy of the North
expanded rapidly. New inventions and manufacturing
methods made goods cheaper and more plentiful,
allowing northern industrialists to grow very wealthy.
Factory owners tended to favor a strong national
government that could promote improvements in
manufacturing, trade, and transportation.
south: economy
Southern agrarians, however, looked down on the
newly rich industrialists and the laborers who worked
for them, calling them “wage slaves”. They also
worried that Northern interests might grow too
powerful and threaten the South’s way of life.
Southerners favored a way of life based on farming,
especially large plantation owners who did not have
to do the work themselves. With the invention of the
cotton gin, cotton became the South’s greatest cash
crop, earning more than all other U.S. exports
combined.
north:
transportation
Factory owners in the North needed fast, inexpensive
ways to ship their goods to distant customers.
Smooth roads were built to connect eastern and
western states. However, even with better roads,
river travel was still faster and cheaper.
Steamboats - although dangerous - were widely used.
Inspired by their success, inventors developed steampowered locomotives. Soon, the North’s biggest
business would be laying railroads to connect
factories to cities hundreds of miles away.
South:
Transportation
In the South, people and goods continued to move on
rivers. The slow current and broad channels of
Southern rivers, especially the Mississippi River, made
water travel easy and relatively cheap. New Orleans,
being located at the mouth of the Mississippi,
became one of the South’s few big cities.
Some railroads were built to connect the North and
South but most southerners opposed the use of
federal funds to build railroads because they thought
it would benefit the North far more than the South.
north: society
By the mid-1800s, more and more Northerners were
living in big cities. They often lacked sewers and paved
streets. In dirty and crowded neighborhoods, disease
spread rapidly.
Although blacks in the North were free (Northern
states had taken steps to end slavery following the
Revolution), they were not treated as equal to whites.
In most states, they could not vote, hold office, serve
on juries, or attend white churches and schools.
Because few employers would give blacks high paying
jobs, most worked as laborers or servants.
North: society
Blacks were not the only Americans facing
resentment or mistreatment in the North. Four
million immigrants - most from Ireland and Germany had swelled the North’s population. Some immigrants
had enough money to buy land but most settled in
cities where they found jobs in factories.
Because immigrants would accept low wages, they
were thought to be taking away jobs from nativeborn Americans. They were also resented if they were
not Protestant like most New Englanders.
South: society
Many Southerners measured wealth in terms of land
and slaves. As a result, there was a rigid class
structure with a few rich plantation owners at the
top, white farmers and workers in the middle, and
blacks - mostly enslaved - at the bottom.
As long as the slave economy would be preserved,
the South had little incentive to make progress
culturally. Even religion was affected as Southern
churches defended slavery. Northern churches called
the practice “un-Christian”.
South: society
The South’s wealthy enjoyed a leisurely way of life
filled with parties and social visits. Sons often went
off to college while daughters were brought up to be
wives and hostesses. Public schools were limited and
often inferior to those in the North.
A small minority of African Americans in the South
were free. They were often forced to wear special
badges, pay extra taxes, and live separately from
whites. The great majority of Southern blacks were
slaves who worked as servants in the home or as
laborers in the fields.
How did the north and south
differ and how did these
differences set the stage for
conflict?
The North and South differed in that ____________.
This may have set the stage for conflict because
__________________________________________.