Industrial NorthThe North consisted of the Middle Atlantic States and New England. Transportation improvements in this region triggered massive economic growth. The industrial growth included textile factories, then other manufacturing, like agricultural and consumer goods. The cities in this region experienced a massive growth in population as a result of the industry development. The North suffered from overcrowding, disease, and an increase in crimes because of the very sudden expansion.
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Agricultural West (NW)The Northwest region consisted of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These cities were connected to the Northern region by railways and canals. The money made in this region came from grain farming of corn and wheat. The shipment of grains to the North helped create the growth of port cities like St. Louis, Cleveland, and Chicago.
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"King Cotton"/Plantations SouthThe South's economical earnings came mostly from plantations/cash crops.
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Eli Whitney's cotton gin
This invention made it easier and faster to remove the seeds from cotton. It made cotton the number one cash crop in the South. It also caused the need for more slaves because of the switch from growing tobacco to cotton.
"Peculiar Institutions" (Slavery)
Because of the high demand for labor, the number of Africans enslaved went from 1 million to about 4 million in just fifty years.
Black Codes/Slave Codes
Slave Codes were laws and regulations for enslaved Africans. It included the rights of slaves and acceptable ways they could be treated. Slave Codes were made because slave owners were scared of the possibility that slaves would revolt. They oppressed slaves and discouraged free blacks from living in the South.
Life In Slavery - What Was It Like?
Life for slaves differed from plantation to plantation. Some slaves were treated humanely by their owners, while some were beaten mercilessly. Families were almost always split, marriages were often forbidden or forced, and women were constantly under the threat of being raped by their owners. Slaves were also forbidden from being educated because owners would fear that they would revolt.
The Social Structure in The SouthMost European American Southerners didn't own slaves or only had one. They were called "white trash" by everyone else, so they quickly changed their view on slavery because they didn't want to be outcasts and looked down upon by the rest of the society. In the mountain areas, farmers and hill people called "hillbillies", did not adopt to the southern ways and agreed more with the people from the North.
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The Frontier in The WestNot a lot was known about the lands that laid beyond the Mississippi River. People only knew of it's dangers, so Americans either wanted to settle, or wanted to avoid it. Native Americans that were forced westward by Americans were mostly settled in the Great Plains, which was not liked by European American settlers who were moving west. Life was hard for those who went to this vast area. They had to build homes along bodies of water and lived off the land before farms were created. The West was a lot different from the East, for example, women and African Americans were given more opportunities.
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