Sunday, November 13, 2011

Northern and Southern Differences in the 1800's

This is an article about how the North and South had altering views durring the 1800's...


Northern and Southern Differences in the 1800’s

               Although the United States was proud of the strong union they had formed, between 1800 and 1850, the North and the South did have quite a few differences that still needed to be attended to. During these years, as the economies of the North and South grew stronger, these differences become more and more dangerous for our union, but also became harder and harder to change. Agreements were hard to come to in a nation that seemed to have been split right in the middle. As the nation started to greatly expand, many wondered what would become of the two sides of our nation. Some of the most apparent differences one could see between the North and South included the economy, social structure and attitudes, as well as daily life. Whether the next generation of settlers would side with the North or South could change our nation for all of time.

               The Economy of Northern and Sothern states could be considered the source of some of the biggest differences between the two sides. In the North, there were lots of small farmers, but the North was also becoming more and more industrialized. Taking a look back at the 1800’s we start to see factory’s manufacturing many things that previously had been unavailable, and many employed individuals working hard to create products to fit the growing demand in the nation. On the other half of America, the Southerners were much more set on farming as the soul income. Plantations were starting to grow across this land, perfect for growing all kinds of things. In particular, the Southern economy was mostly rooted on cotton. By the mid 1800’s somewhere around 5 million bales of cotton were being produced each year. To take advantage of such a great cash crop, wealthy individuals were setting up large farms and working the land to the max. It was hard to find people willing to work as hard as Southern plantation owners wanted, and once they started forcing slaves to do the labor for them, slavery became a prominent part of the South’s economy. In the 1800’s, Almost one third of southern population was forced to working the fields each day, without pay, and without proper nourishment. Almost one third of the southern population lived with the whip lashing at their backs, and chains around their necks, as their separated from their families. Almost one third of the southern population was slaves. Southern plantations were filled with terror. On the other hand, Northern states didn’t base their economy on slavery. This doesn’t mean work was fun, or the wages were excellent for the Northern citizens, but the factory workers at least had freedom, unlike the slaves of the South.

               Social structure and attitudes was another difference that split the Northern and Southern people. America at the time had huge numbers of foreign immigrants coming to the new nation in hopes of finding work. Some of these individuals were able to jump right in with the economy and become wealthy, but many others lived with little income. In attempt to find work at the factories immigrants often settled in the industrious north. The social structure of the north was more of a free for all. Many could come settle into the growing cities, and start making a living. Although some individuals had much more wealth and power than other people, there was a hope for each person that they could achieve greatness no matter where their beginnings were. Southern plantations weren’t nearly as inviting for new workers. The social structure had a very set hierarchy, and it wasn’t easy to jump in on top. This was because it was the wealthy that ran the economy. They would constantly be getting more and more money, which made it hard for individual starting from ground zero to jump in. For both the North and South, it was clear that white people, especially males, were on top of the social ladder. However, in the North, slavery wasn’t present like it was in southern states, and African Americans had more freedom. All in all, the North seemed to have a much more inviting social structure for most individuals, and that’s why cities popped up, and many people came to this area.

               One last, and obvious result with all these differences, was the contrasting daily life for those who live in the North and South. As previously stated, the North was home to the many cities rooted along the major waterways of the area. These cities however, often times lead to terrible lives for many. The bustling city also had overcrowding which lead to crime and other dreadful things. Some poor immigrants had to spend their days homeless in the streets and begging. Others had to spend nights in crowded and dangerous apartments. On the other hand daily life for people of the south was much different. Whether you were a wealthy plantation owner, or a worker in the fields, depended a lot on how you were treated. Slaves were forced from little on to work day by day, and suffer from terrible heat, sickness, and beatings. From sun up to late into the night, these slaves labored constantly with almost no breaks. The slave owners didn’t live a life nearly as difficult. Instead, they would either hire someone, or go out in the fields themselves, forcing the slaves to work harder and faster. Slavery was a terrible system that became so firmly rooted; it was hard to break away from. Heading up to the factories in the North, people also had to work long and hard. They were paid little considering each and every day they worked extremely long hours. Both men and women worked in these factories, and suffered low pay, long hours, and dangerous conditions. However, they were given one thing that kept them going, freedom. During the 1800’s, work was hard for majority of the lower class in both the South and North.

               Despite all these differences, the North and South were still common with one thing, their union. They were both part of the United States, had a common government, and had to come to a single agreement for many situations. During the 1800’s, America was growing. The United States was no longer a small nation, barely making it by, the economy and people were growing bigger and stronger each day. As people became more crowded with the increase in population, looking west was on the minds of many Americans. It was hard to predict what will come of the Northern and Southern ways of life, as the country expands to the west. If I had lived during the 1800’s, I would have predicted that the Northern values would be carried west more than those of the South. The North was filled with more opportunity for the newcomers to make a living, and I believe as these newcomers move west, they will keep the values they saw on the Northern soil. This is not to say that the south will also expand greatly. The southern farmers will likely set up large plantations filled with slaves, but as for the majority, I believe the north will extend farther west. Only time could tell of what was to happen with the new land.

7 comments:

  1. This was really well written and it helped tremendously with an assignment I'm currently working on. :)

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  2. thank you, i was looking for some economy differences for an assignment im doing. thank you so very much for making this, saved me 6 hours of research.

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  3. thank you for the assistance. the=is is a five star rated work

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