NorthThe Northern economy was mainly comprised of shopping, buying, selling, etc. The natural conditions of the North were not very well suited to farming. They could grow certain things, but not all year, and very little.
There were some farmers, but it was not a big, booming franchise like it was in the South. Instead, people turned to crafts (such as building boats or weapons) and becoming merchants. In the North, a successful merchant was very wealthy. Everyone in the North had to go to the local marketplace to get groceries and supplies and such. Eventually, the North began to industrialize. They started building bigger and better boats, and trains and railroads. They built factories, which used human labor to make huge steps in the way of technology. Due to this industrialization, the North's economy began to evolve in its own way, creating a new path for America, one that didn't rely as much on slavery or crops. The North, since it had many people building crafts like boats and telegraph lines, had relatively quick communication and travel systems. |
SouthThe Southern economy was mainly comprised of farming, planting, plantations, etc. Due to the natural conditions, which were perfect for farming, Southern farmers were able to farm many things.
Some farmers started growing cash crops, like cotton and tobacco. These were crops grown to be sold and bought. Cash crops became wildly successful, and so did most Southern farmers. Due to this success with farming, plantations were made. With the labor from slaves, plantations were very good for the growing of cash crops. Most plantations were large, which meant more space for more crops which meant more money. Since Southern farmers had such success with plantations and farming, they usually grew their own food, and their wives made their clothes, and thus they had little need for merchants or shops. Becaause there was reliance on family owned plantations and small farms, their structure collapsed when the men were fighting in the Civil War, creating economic chaos. The South had limited travel and communication access. They did not have the boatbuilders like the North did, and thus had less access to rivers and the ocean. They could not fight on the water like the North, or send mail quicker. |