North And South Analysis

The North and South emerged as two distinct regions because of their various differences. The main contrasting features are included in the geography and climate, economy, and transportation of each territory. Using details from Chapters 8 and 9 of “Discovering Our Past: The American Journey” by Glencoe, this essay will explore those characteristics of the North and South. To start with, the North and South had drastically contrasting geography and climate. The source explains that in the northern areas of the United States, “...soil was poor, and farming was difficult.(p. 383)” The struggle to farm suggests that the climate was not beneficial to the growing of plants. This is supported when factories in the North are described, saying “In

The source describes the economy of the South, saying, “By 1860 the economies of the Deep South and the Upper South had developed in different ways. Both parts of the South were agricultural…(p.423)” This explains that, as a whole, the South focused on farming and selling crops to support the economy. It also says that cotton was very important. The source states, “Cotton was not the only crop grown in the South, but it was the crop that fueled the Southern economy.(p.423)” It became the main crop when the cotton gin was created. This machine was able to clean “...cotton fibers much more quickly than could be done by hand.(p.423)” As a result, this crop was in even higher demand. The farmers and plantation owners wanted to grow and sell more. To do this, they would need more workers to plant, harvest, and care for the plants. This led to the Southern economy depending on both the cotton and African Americans who were enslaved to farm it. On the other hand, the North did not have the geography in which farming could support the economy. Instead it had many rivers and streams. So, the Northerners depended on factories. It was in these factories that the cotton from the South could be developed. The factories contained machines run by the waterways that would perform tasks like “...cloth making, such as spinning.(p.383)” Workers were also needed to run the machines. But, since farming was so difficult with little suitable soil, many “...people were willing to leave their farms to find work elsewhere.(p.383)” In conclusion, the North and South had differences in the kind of work needed to maintain the