Regional Differences in the 1800’s

Daniela Avila

Mr. Holmes

APUS History

5 December 2015

Regional differences in the 1800’s

As many historians have said before, regional differences in America through 1800-1848 had increased significantly. In the 1800’s, America was a young country, still not an industrialized nation. However, since the creation of The United States, the different regions in America have had different values in politics and economy. The south has always supported the idea of slavery, most importantly, the Chesapeake region in which the slave trade was spread further south. During this era, this idea had began to enter into politics and caused a dispute between the North and the South. By 1848, the North had become an industrialized region and new advancement in technology had begun. As this improved the economy in the North, the South did not agree with many of the tariffs placed upon goods. Because of this, sectional differences significantly increased in the United States between 1800 and 1848 due to economic reasons and different views on slavery.

Economic differences during this period began to increase more and more. As the North began to industrialize more, the south was also affected. Because of booming textile industrialization in the North (Lowell mills in Massachusetts) the American government placed tariffs for textile products from England, which cost the South because the South thrived on making raw goods to be exported to England. They had been creating the finished products that they themselves imported and be taxed on them. This placed the South in a hostile environment with the North and the government. The South needed to prevent more tariffs from being placed upon them. The state of South Carolina nullified the tariff (Nullification Crisis). Seeing no response to the economic downfall from the government, the South spoke against the Tariff of 1828 declaring it unconstitutional and threatened to secede from the union. These increased tensions even more. The Market Revolution also favored the North as an industrialized region. The new machinery and transportation did not fully help the South develop as the North did. All theses events led to the South to discover that the North was receiving road, canals from the federal government. The East was given protective tariffs from the West, while the South did not receive anything. Meanwhile, the South noticed this was not helping them economically, causing economic conflicts between the North.

Now, one of the greatest issues concerning both regions was slavery, especially the South’s economy. The North did not agree with idea of slavery as immigrants from other countries began to immigrate to America. For the South, slavery was crucial for its economy. Slaves were cheap labor and became property of the plantation owner meaning they would be a profitable income. The discussion about slavery came into politics as in 1800’s the idea of westward expansion began to bloom. In the 1820’s, every state north of Virginia and Kentucky was a free state. Many northerners were deeply against the institution of slavery, either for moral reasons (Liberty Party), or for reasons that could hurt white people economically (Free Soil Party). The south viewed slavery as a “positive good,” and conflict arose when westward expansion was spoken about. Slave states and free states became a big issue for the North and South (Missouri compromise). When the Wilmot Proviso (Bill proposed after the Mexican War that stated that slavery would not exist in any territory gained from Mexico) was not passed, it divided the North and South, which also divided the Democratic Party. The end of slavery would not allow the South to have the amount of laborers to perform the agricultural needs in plantations. Meaning the South’s main income of money from the plantation would be low. Different views on slavery and different regional views began to occur and develop during this time. One economy region was affected as the other was left intact caused more conflicts between the south and the north.