US History: North vs. South

Study Notes

Sectionalism

Sectionalism is when people focus on the needs of one section of the country, rather than the needs of the country as a whole.

North and South Differences

The North had an industry based on factories and manufacturing.
The North had more railroads, making it easier to trade goods.
The North had a larger population and more urbanized cities.
The South's industry focused on agriculture, with many plantations growing cotton.
The South relied heavily on slavery to maintain their plantations and economy.
Half of the South's population was made up of slaves.

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that could separate cotton from its seeds quickly.
The cotton gin made cotton production easier and increased the demand for slaves.

Abolitionists

An abolitionist is someone who opposes slavery and wants it abolished.
William Lloyd Garrison wrote the newspaper "The Liberator" and started petitions and protests against slavery.
Frederick Douglass was a former slave who wrote about his experiences and spoke out against slavery.
Harriet Tubman helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad and spoke about her experiences as a slave.
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin", which highlighted the horrors of slavery.

Causes of the Civil War

Tariff of Abominations

The Tariff of Abominations was a tax on imported goods that protected the North's industry.
The South opposed the tariff, as it hurt their economy and reliance on European trade.

Nullification Crisis

The Nullification Crisis was a dispute between the South and the government over the Tariff of Abominations and state power.
South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union if the tariff was not repealed.

John C. Calhoun

John C. Calhoun was a southern politician who threatened to secede if the tariff was not repealed.

Slavery

Free Soil

Free soilers opposed the spread of slavery to new states and territories, but did not want to remove slavery from existing states.

Popular Sovereignty

Popular sovereignty was the idea that new territories and states should decide whether to allow slavery through a popular vote.

Gag Rule

The Gag Rule was a law that tabled any legislation and petitions dealing with slavery, introduced due to the chaos and disputes caused by the petitions.

Compromises

Missouri Compromise

The Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
The compromise also established the 36°30' line, where states above the line were free and those below were slave states.

Henry Clay

Henry Clay was the "Great Compromiser" who created the Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850.

Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, outlawed the slave trade in Washington D.C., and established boundaries between Texas and Mexico.

Stephen Douglas

Stephen Douglas worked with Henry Clay to form the Compromise of 1850.
He argued for popular sovereignty and opposed Lincoln.

Fugitive Slave Act

The Fugitive Slave Act had three parts, including:
The act allowed for the capture and return of escaped slaves.
The act created a system of commissioners to handle fugitive slave cases.
The act imposed penalties on those who aided escaped slaves.

Description

Learn about the differences between the North and South in the United States, including their economies, infrastructure, and societies. Discover how sectionalism played a role in shaping their distinct identities.