Sectionalism
What were the political, economic,
and socail factors that divided the
United States of America in the
Antebellum Era?
Sectionalism
Devotion to
a section or
region of a
country
rather than to
the country
as a whole.
The North
Climate & Geography
Warm hunid summers; cold
snowy winters
Hocky, hilly, infertile land
With short growing season
= hard to farm
Clear, fast rivers ran to
Atlantic Ocean
Coastline had sheltered
bays
Cities were trading centers
Waterfalls cheap source of
energy
Population
1800-1860 rapid
population growth.
5 million to 31
million
Increase due to
massive immigration.
1830-1850 2 million
Irish, German, and
other Europeans
immigrated.
Cities
Cities thrived as centers of
commerce.
Trade between North & Europe
Along Atlantic coastline
Manufactured textiles
Population in ciities
1800 5%
1850 15%
Increased trade and
manufactuing drew laborers to
town.
Became centers of art, culture,
education, and recreation.
Crowded and dirty
1830s
Public works
started (police,
education,
sanitation)
Economy
Based on different
industries
Shipping
Textiles
Lumber
Furs
Mining
Farming was only
used for subsistence.
To protect industries,
the North favored
high tariffs
Culture
 Change brought by transportation, trade,
manufacturing, and population.
 Growing class of merchants, business
owners, wage earners.
 Protestant
 Religion & education were organized
 Public school system grew after 1830s
Transportation
By 1860 88,000 miles
of RR
1840s system of
3,000 canals
transported goods
from NE to W
The South
Climate and Geography
Warm and sunny;
long hot, humid
summers, mild
winters, and heavy
rainfall.
Ideal for agriculture.
Long, broad, slow
moving rivers
Excellent farm land.
Population
Made up of Europeans &
enslaved Africans.
1860, 12 million people.
1/3 were slaves
Mostly farmers
¼ of population owned
slaves.
Rest of population
were independent
farmers, laborers, or
frontier families
Cities
Most Southerners lived on
farms
 Planter on coastal plains
 Small farmers in
backcountry
Industries in town
developed at a slower
pace
Small towns along rivers
and coasts.
Only a few large cities
developed as trading
centers.
Economy
 Based on agriculture.
 Cotton, rice, tobacco, sugar,
indigo
 Plantations= large farms
 Cotton gin invention caused
cotton to take over economy—
”King Cotton”
 1860 made up 2/3 of
American exports.
 Slavery essential to prosperity
of S. economy.
 Wanted cheap imports (no
manufacturing)
 Against high tariffs.
Culture
Planters = upper class.
Ran political &
economic life.
Distance made
plantations their own
communities.
Hospitality important.
few schools
Planters had best
Small farmers had little
to none.
Transportation
Long-distance
transportation benefited
the South.
By 1860, 10,000 miles of
RR
Steamboats moved crops
to the North & European
markets.
Directions
Using the given outline,
illustrate the differences
between the North and
South.
Must include
Population
Cities
Economy
Transportation
 Due tomorrow.
*Remember, if people
don’t do their homework,
there will be no movie
W-F! 