Aspects of the question to be examined:
• The extent to which there were meaningful differences between why the respective Northern and Southern segments of the United States wanted to abolish slavery
• For purposes of answering the question, the ‘The North’ of the United States is synonymous with the Union states and likewise ‘The South’ is defined as those states which comprised the Confederate States of America
• The significance of slavery in Southern society and whether it was comparable to that of pre-abolition North
• The role played by the contrasting institutions of the North and South in hastening or hindering the abolitionist movement
Historical debates:
• One group of scholars stress the role of morality and personal values. Leon F. Litwack says that it was the public adoption of ‘principles used to justify the American Revolution’ which ultimately doomed slavery in the North. Eugene Genovese also rejects the notion of ‘dollars and cents’ being the motivation towards maintaining slavery in the South. Stephen Haynes and James Stewart underscore the importance that religion
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Christopher Olsen and John Majewski contend that the Southern economy was largely centred on slave labour whereas the North was strongly aligned to the principles of a competitive labour market. According to Ronald Seavoy, this effect was reinforced as the South maintained its highly agrarian based economy. Joshua Leavitt wrote prolifically during the 19th century about the economic ills of slavery, which has been referenced by some contemporary scholars as evidence that economics was a significant ‘wedge issue’ between the North and South. Finally, James McPherson suggests that one of the reasons why pro-slavery ideology was popular amongst Southerners is because it was common for lower class white individuals to have aspirations of becoming wealthy through owning