The Economics of North and South

1. The Economics of North and South SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south divisions and westward expansion. a. Explain how slavery became a significant issue in American politics; include the slave rebellion of Nat Turner and the rise of abolitionism SSUSH9 The student will identify key events, issues, and individuals relating to the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. f. Explain the importance of the growing economic disparity between the North and the South through an examination of population, functioning railroads, and industrial output.

2. Although people were still farming in the North, many in mid-19th Century Northern United States were working in factories • People lived in urban areas and worked in factories that produced carpet, bricks, shoes, textiles, ships, lumber, iron, leather, glass • Young men and women lived in cheap, run-down housing known as tenements • Cities were unable to handle police protection, sewage systems, and fresh water Industry in the North

4. early factories wanted to make a profit, usually at the expense of their workers • workers began to resent that their bosses were getting rich while they were working long hours for low wages • the only recourse the workers had was to strike (work stoppage) • labor unions were organized to protect the interests of workers – they usually negotiated to resolve issues concerning wages, hiring practices, and working conditions Labor Unions

5. “King Cotton” – cotton was the biggest cash crop for southern farmers • both large plantation owners and smaller family farmers used slave labor to produce cotton and other crops • tobacco, sugar, and rice were also popular crops • cities in the south grew slowly – only 8 percent of white southerners lived in towns of more than 4,000 people Farming in the South

6. by 1804, all the northern states had outlawed slavery • in 1808, Congress banned all further importation of slaves to the United States • however, those already enslaved were reproducing rapidly – making more slaves to work • slaves were viewed as extremely valuable property • because they were valuable, their owners generally kept their slaves healthy enough to work, but gave them little else System of Slavery

7. few slaves escaped to freedom and rebellion had little chance of success • Nat Turner led Turner’s Rebellion in August 1831 • Turner led raids on white families in Virginia • White families became increasingly frightened of slave riots – in many cases they were outnumbered by the slaves Slave Revolts

8. John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that he was sent by God to end slavery • On October 16, 1859, Brown led a band of 21 men, black and white, in a raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) • The aim was to seize the federal arsenal there and then distribute the weapons to slaves so they could start an uprising • No slaves joined the insurrection and eventually Brown and his men were captured by a detachment of Marines, led by Robert E. Lee 8 men were killed in the process • Brown was convicted and hanged for treason – becoming a martyr for his cause for some John Brown’s Raid