The Difference Between The North And South In The 1800s

During the early 1800s America was dealing with a cultural divide. The North and South were slowly becoming two different ways of life. As time went on certain events happened that aided to the beginning of the Civil War. After the disputes on slavery, the Missouri Compromise, and the presidential election of 1860 the war between the North and South was inevitable. The biggest difference between the North and South would be slavery. The South’s economy thrived off the cotton and tobacco trade system. Southerners were successful because of African American slaves. The slaves worked in horrible conditions so that their owners could gain a nice profit. In the South, the ownership of slaves was a sign of wealth. The social standing was determined

As people moved westward and more states were beginning to form and the question arouse whether they would allow slavery or be a free state. Abolitionists fought to have slavery abolished from the new territories. While those who were pro-slavery feared that if the new states were slave free then the anti-slavery states would have power over the pro-slavery states. If the anti-slavery states had the political numbers there was a chance that they could outlaw slavery throughout the country. The fear came to perspective when Missouri applied for state ship. Missourians wanted to be a slave state but couldn’t get the votes unless they outlawed slavery. In 1820, two years after Missouri applied for state ship, Henry Clay came up with the Missouri Compromise. The compromise stated that Missouri could enter the Union as a slave state if Maine enters as a free state. This allowed the number of free and slave states two continue to be equal. Then the Southern and Northern states agreed that all states that joined the Union would be free if they were north of the latitude 36o 30’ except for Missouri. With the Missouri Compromise line drawn America had officially begun to

By this time, the separation of the North and South was inevitable. The Northern and Southern states had two totally different candidates for president, and which ever president won would shape America during a critical time. The Democratic Party was split when it came time to nominate a candidate. The Southern states wanted Jefferson Davis as the Democratic candidate but the Northern Democrats shot it down and nominated Stephan A. Douglas, a senator from Illinois. The Southern Democrats met again and nominated the current vice president, John C. Breckinridge as their candidate. Since the Democratic Party was split in their voting the Republicans sensed that they would win the election. The Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln as their candidate. Lincoln was nominated for his moderate take on slavery and how he related to farmers with small amounts of land, wage earners, and the midwestern voters. Although Breckinridge won the Souths vote he came up short. Lincoln won every northern and western state except for New Jersey. Abraham Lincoln won the presidential race becoming the sixteenth president of the United States. When Lincoln was named president, the Southern states were scared he would abolish slavery. South Carolina was the first state to make a move. In December of 1860, the state convention voted unanimously to dissolve the union between South Carolina and the other States. South