Economic Differences Between North & South (2024)

Economic Differences Between North & South

The north had a much more industrial revolutionized approach toward their lifestyle, while the south was more inclined with slave -labor. The north made a living from industrial lifestyles rapidly producing many products like textiles, sewing machines, farm equipment, and guns. Factories and railroads were very common in the north. In fact, more than 20,000 miles of track were laid down in the 1850s. There were many European immigrants flooding to the north at the time looking for industrial work. A majority of voters in the north opposed slavery because they feared slave labor would threaten the status of free white workers and would compete with free labor.
The south was a lot more rural than the north making a living from plantations and small farms. Most of the south's economy relied on cotton. Only one third of the whole nation's population lived in the south in 1850. There were not many factories or industrial businesses in the south. In fact, the south produced under 10% of the nation's manufactured goods. Because the south was predominant to slave-labor, there were not many immigrants coming to the south looking for work. Even though editorials and newspapers being produced in the south were in favor of universal voting rights and freedom for slaves, the south remained predominant. Free white slave owners in the south feared that if slavery was restricted, it would lead to a social and economic revolution.

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