NorthAs it is well known, the northern part of the United States is not a very good place to grow crops.
The climate is fairly cold. Many plants in this climate would not live very long, and would not thrive easily. The soil is thin and rocky, making it hard to plant crops. This sort of geography led to small family farms, which didn't need many slaves. And though farmers did have slaves, the owners worked alongside the slaves. Since the North was not entirely suited for farming alone, the people had to think of something else to make money. They started trading with Europe and Canada. This lack of farming capability also made way for industry. The North had much more access to industry and the start of industry than the South. It was closer to a country willing to trade, and since their economy was already about buying and selling, they were used to trading. |
SouthAs it is well known, the southern part of the United States is very good for growing multiple types of crops.
The climate is temperate, but can get hot. However, the amount of sun was beneficial for crops. The soil was rich, and thus easy to plant crops in. This geography made cash crops possible, which led to plantations. These plantations led to the high demand for slavery. The South, due to its crop-friendly geography, grew several crops. These include sweet potatoes, cotton, corn, and beans. |