Essay Sample on The Northerners Versus The Southerners

The economic, political and cultural differences between the North and the South led to the rise of different population in the region which had different visions and values for the future. The civil war which intensified in the nation between 1861 and 1865 concluded the violence that existed in several decades when the nation was divided. At the beginning of the 19th century, the two regions developed distinctively. The two regions had several things in common which later changed, and the two regions began doing things differently.

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The North

The climate in the Northern part was favorable for small-scale farming rather than the big plantations. The industries in the region developed due to the availability of natural resources. This led to the establishment of several cities in comparison with the south. One of the cities that developed during that time was New York. At the beginning of 1860, about 25% of all the Northerners were living in urban areas an indication of the econ0mic development of the region. Beginning 1800 to 1860, the workers in the agricultural field reduced from more than 70% to a maximum of 40%. During the same period, slavery reduced significantly, and the slaves were replaced by the immigrants who had come from Europe. Equally, in comparison with the South, the North had a very well-developed transport system whereby more than 70% of the railroads were in the north. The economy of the North was ever on the upswing. Most of the people who came from the north were staunch members of the Republican Party, and they were likely to get careers in medicine, engineering, business, and education. Generally, the North was more developed economically, and they were aligned to the Republican Party in contrast to the Southerners who were Democrats. Regarding culture, the Northerners were more cosmopolitan than the Southerners because their region was more urbanized than the south.

The South

The main economic activity in the south was plantation farming. This was made possible because of the warm climate and the soils which were fertile. Due to the profitability nature of agriculture, the Southerners did not see the need to engage in industrial development. Majority of the Southerners did not own slaves. The strange thing about the south was that the number of blacks who either salves or free was almost equal to the number of whites. In the whole of 1860, the South with its peculiar institution was anchored to the culture and economy of the region. The other difference was that unlike in the North where there were large, vibrant cities, the south there were no major big cities and the ones which existed were located to the coast and on rivers. The location was necessary because the coast was where ports were located for sending agricultural produce to the Northern and European destinations (DeRouen & Heo, 2007). The transportation system was underdeveloped except for water transport. In general, the Northern Economy was doing well and booming while the south was struggling economically. Most of the Southerners while illiterate in comparison with the Northerners and they gravitated towards the Democratic Party, unlike the Northerners who were Republicans.

Conclusion

The Northerners and the Southerners differed significantly on several issues. Firstly, the Northerners were inclined toward the Republican Party while the Southerners gravitated toward the Democratic Party. Secondly, the Southerners were agriculturalists while the Northerners were industrialists. Thirdly the Northern economy was more advanced and vibrant than the South One. Finally, the southerners were more diverse culturally and had few slaves while the Northerners have thousands of slaves and were not culturally diverse.

References

DeRouen, K. R., & Heo, U. (Eds.). (2007). Civil wars of the world: major conflicts since World War II (Vol. 1). ABC-CLIO.