Essay: Economic, Political and Social differences between the North and the

South that led to the Civil War

Between 1800 and 1860, sectional differences between the North and the South of the
United States expand. These are due to economic, political and social contrasts that kept the
North and the South at near constant opposition to one another on the major issue of
slavery. They evolve with the development of the economy, the spreading of slavery, and
the differences of views between states and the federal government. All these sectional
differences led to the Civil War, triggered by many opposite beliefs of the Northern and
Southern States, mostly but not solely about their agreement in abolishing or not slavery.
Firstly, economic difference between North and the South are the primary cause of the
Civil War. As a first example, Document 1 compares the northern and southern economy,
which shows that the northern economy relied on manufacturing, free states and a lot of
railroads whereas southern economy depended on agriculture, the production of cotton,
and they were mostly composed of states employing enslaved people. The unbalance of
wealth and the different ways of producing wealth between the North and the South are
important factors that will guide therefore to the Civil War. In addition, in Document 6, that
explains the divided union, the rise of the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 demonstrates the power
of northerners in collecting high tariffs revenue and therefore shows that the southerners
protest of unfairness and illegality of “Tariff of Abominations”, and that South Carolinians
called a convention to nullify tariff acts of 1828 and 1832. If the tariffs decreased, it would
avert and avoid succession and a possible Civil War, if not, a war could be declared. As
another example, the northern market was domestic, and they produced and consumed
their products in their territory, while southerners grew their cotton and agricultural
productions and exported them in the North and elsewhere. This shows that the South is
dependent on the North and that if the North stops buying their products, they would go
bankrupt, and this would cause a possible civil war. All these examples prove that the
different economic affluences could cause a Civil war.
Secondly, political differences between the North and the South could also cause a
possible war. In Document 4, one can see that northerners, like in Massachusetts, opposed
the Mexican War and so the extension of slavery and the strengthening of their powers,
while in document 2b, Thomas R. Dew defended slavery in the Virginia legislature in 1832.
This contrast of opposing slavery in the North and supporting it in the South is the main
cause of the Civil War. Also, in Document 7, one can see the different views of the Union, the
North believing that life of Union was essential to life of liberty and that this powerful union
could not be divided while on the contrary, the South wanted independence and freedom
and did not want to collect taxes and be part of the Union. These differences in the vision of
the Union and the independence of State caused this conflict. As another example, as
Abraham Lincoln was elected 16th President of the United States, he wanted to abolish
slavery and warned the southerners that if they would not accept this prohibition, this will
lead to Civil War. However, Southern States could not live without slavery. All these support
that political differences led to a Civil War.
 Finally, social differences and beliefs between the North and the South led to a civil war.
In document 2a, one can see different views on slavery; the North believed that slavery
should be abolished and is contrary to their principles of religion, morality and humanity,
while the South truly supports slavery and views that slavery provided upper class a chance
to innovate and develop the society. These ideas of radically opposed societies therefore led
to Civil War. Furthermore, in Document 5, a selected Proposals for the Compromise of 1850,
one can analyze that Northern States support the prohibition of slavery in District of
Columbia and that however, Southern States support for continuation of slavery in the
District of Columbia. This also led to the Civil War because of their different views on slavery
and slave trade.
Clearly, these three sectional differences, economic, political and social put Northern
States and Southern States in radical opposition to each other and led to a Civil War.
Economically, the North was based on manufacturing and the South on slaves, agriculture
and the production of cotton. Politically, their different visions and beliefs of the Union place
them in conflict. Socially, their different perspective of the abolition of slavery caused and
created this serious conflict.