How did mechanization affect agriculture?
Mechanization of farming allowed a single farmer growing crops such as corn or wheat to plant, harvest, and process much more than was possible when hand and animal power were the only available tools . (By 1860, a threshing machine could thresh 12 times as much grain per hour as could six men.) This mechanization became even more important as many farmers left home to enlist in the Union military. Those remaining behind could continue to manage the farm through the use of labor-saving devices like reapers and horse-drawn planters.
What was the most important export in the South in 1860?
In 1860, the South was still predominantly agricultural, highly dependent upon the sale of staples to a world market. By 1815, cotton was the most valuable export in the United States; by 1840, it was worth more than all other exports combined.
What were the advantages of the Union during the Civil War?
As the war dragged on, the Union's advantages in factories, railroads, and manpower put the Confederacy at a great disadvantage. New technologies showing America's emerging industrial greatness were refined the Civil War: the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, and the steam-powered printing press. Library of Congress.
What did Sherman do to the Georgia countryside?
In the western theater of the war, William T. Sherman's Union troops laid waste to much of the Georgia countryside during the Atlanta Campaign and the subsequent "March to the Sea.". Sherman's campaigns inflicted massive damage to Southern industry, agriculture and infrastructure.
How many firearms did the North produce?
The North produced 3,200 firearms to every 100 produced in the South. Only about 40 percent of the Northern population was still engaged in agriculture by 1860, ...
What was the result of the 1860s?
As a result, in 1860, the Northern states produced half of the nation's corn, four-fifths of its wheat, and seven-eighths of its oats.
What did the Northern states produce in 1860?
As a result, in 1860, the Northern states produced half of the nation's corn, four-fifths of its wheat, and seven-eighths of its oats.
How did the South get its wealth?
In fact, here, wealth was frequently measured by how much land and how many slaves you owned. Plantations, or large farms, boasted hundreds of acres of land on which to grow cash crops, or plants grown that could be sold for cash. Mainly, plantation owners focused on growing cotton, indigo plants (plants used for their blue dye), and tobacco, which they could sell quickly and easily. Southerners just focused on selling their crops instead of creating and selling goods with the crops they grew.
Why were slaves important to the South?
While many people in the North did not agree with slavery, slaves were an important part of the South's economy. However, based on the cruel treatment of slaves in the South, you would have never known how much Southern plantation owners needed them.
What did the Southerners prefer to sell to?
Southerners would have preferred to sell to Europe, who paid more for the materials, but without multiple railroads, they found it difficult to move materials to seaports for shipment overseas. The North, on the other hand, was able to purchase crops and materials from the South, produce goods with those materials, and then sell the finished products to Europe and even back to those in the South.
What was the difference between the North and South?
The North had an industrial economy, an economy focused on manufacturing, while the South had an agricultural economy, an economy focused on farming. Slaves worked on Southern plantations to farm crops, and Northerners would buy these crops to produce goods that they could sell.
Why did the North need the South?
Since the North had an industrial economy focused on manufacturing, it needed the crops grown in the South to produce goods. For instance, a northern textile factory would need cotton from the South to develop its fabrics. Therefore, many of the materials grown in the South were sold to northern industry owners.
Why did slaves rebel against their owners?
Slaves were overworked, often to death, and could be bought and sold and separated from their family without notice. Because of the poor treatment , many slaves rebelled against their owners. A common form of rebellion was to run away from the plantation. Some slaves escaped and came back to help others do the same. Slaves would also riot against owners and destroy their cash crops.
Why were slaves needed?
Slaves were needed to plant and harvest the cash crops.
How many slaves were there in the plantations?
Slaves were concentrated on the large plantations of about 10,000 big planters, on which 50-100 or more slaves worked. About 3,000 of these planters owned more than 100 slaves, and 14 of them owned over 1,000 slaves.
What was the cotton industry?
Since Eli Whitney's 1793 invention of the cotton 'gin, the cotton industry became a lucrative field for Southern planters and farmers. Utilizing slave labor, cotton planters and farmers could cut costs as they produced cotton for sale to other regions and for export to England.
Why were high tariffs viewed favorably in the North?
In the North, however, high tariffs were viewed favorably because such tariffs would make imported goods more expensive. That way, goods produced in the North would seem relatively cheap, and Americans would want to buy American goods instead of European items.
What was the South's economic impact on the war?
By the end of the war, the South was economically devastated, having experienced extensive loss of human life and destruction of property. Poverty was widespread, and many resented the many Northerners and Southerners who took advantage of the needy in the South as the war came to an end.
How many miles of railroad were built in the North during the Civil War?
In the South, disputes between states prevented the construction of interstate railroad systems. In all, the North had 20,000 miles of railroad compared to the South's 9,000 miles.
What was the threat of national abolition?
In addition, in the minds of secessionists, the threat of national abolition not only had the potential of reducing the wealth of many prominent Southerners, but also interfered with the "property" rights of Southern Whites. Thus, secession seemed to be the only way of preserving those rights.
How were labor forces in the South and North different?
The labor forces in the South and North were fundamentally different, as well. In the North, labor was expensive, and workers were mobile and active. The influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia provided competition in the labor market, however, keeping wages from growing very quickly.
Why did the South have a large agricultural economy?
The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco and cotton. Because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development. Eighty percent of the labor force worked on the farm. Although two-thirds of Southerners owned no slaves at all, by 1860 the South's "peculiar institution" was inextricably tied to the region's economy and culture. In fact, there were almost as many blacks - but slaves and free - in the South as there were whites (4 million blacks and 5.5 million whites). There were no large cities aside from New Orleans, and most of the ones that did exist were located on rivers and coasts as shipping ports to send agricultural produce to European or Northern destinations.
What was the South's economy like in 1860?
Also, in 1860, the South's agricultural economy was beginning to stall while the Northern manufacturers were experiencing a boom. A slightly smaller percentage of white Southerners were literate than their Northern counterparts, and Southern children tended to spend less time in school.
Why was the plantation important to the South?
South. In contrast to the factory, the plantation was a central feature of Southern life. (Library of Congress) The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco and cotton. Because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development.
What was the largest city in the United States in 1860?
Industry flourished, fueled by more abundant natural resources than in the South, and many large cities were established (New York was the largest city with more than 800,000 inhabitants). By 1860, one quarter of all Northerners lived in urban areas.
What were the economic differences between the North and South?
North and South. The economic differences between the North and South contributed to the rise of regional populations with contrasting values and visions for the future. The Civil War that raged across the nation from 1861 to 1865 was the violent conclusion to decades of diversification.
Which political party did the Northerners belong to?
Far more Northerners than Southerners belonged to the Whig/Republican political party and they were far more likely to have careers in business, medicine, or education. In fact, an engineer was six times as likely to be from the North as from the South. Northern children were slightly more prone to attend school than Southern children.
Did slavery die out?
Slavery had died out, replaced in the cities and factories by immigrant labor from Europe. In fact an overwhelming majority of immigrants, seven out of every eight, settled in the North rather than the South.
