Northern Economy Vs Civil War

Words: 1817
Pages: 8

The United States has come a long way from their ways of remaining neutral in foreign affairs in the early 19th century. However, the United States has stuck to the idea of practical self-interest, and what the Presidential administration at the given time thinks is best for the country. That is the key point; the given administration at the time may do what he thinks is best for the country in foreign affairs, but in reality is not good for the country as a whole, or at all. Although, the United States seems to always have a hand in other countries’ politics and issues, modern day foreign policy is not all necessarily bad however. When there are natural disasters, terror attacks and other worldly disasters, the United States always provides …show more content…
The southern economy depended upon slavery. The south’s main industry was cotton. In order to maintain and make a profit off of this industry, the south reverted to slavery as a means of manual labor. While the majority of southern whites did not own slaves, they all still shared the same racist mindset. The northern economy was largely industrialized, and the majority of northerners were employed and worked in factories. The northern economy had no need for forced manual labor. Politically, the south believed in a small federal government, and more power for the states. This was because of their strong belief in slavery, and they did not want the federal government intruding on their traditional way of life. The north’s political standpoint focused more on the belief in a large, powerful federal government, and less on states’ rights. The northerners did not feel threatened by a large government, because the individual states did not have contradicting beliefs like their southern counterparts. Perhaps the biggest differences between the north and the south lie in their cultural values. Southern culture was a traditional, ‘set in their ways’ kind of lifestyle. The culture of the south was heavily influenced by racism and slavery. They were set in their beliefs, and no one was going to convince them otherwise. Southern people were very proud of their traditions, and the way in which they lived their lives. Northern culture was very different from that of the south. While some northerners did have a racist mindset and ideology, they did not practice slavery. The northern culture represented a modern, industrialized way of life. They believed in the importance of education, and this exposed to to new beliefs, ideas, and cultural values, ultimately causing northern people to be more open-minded. The northern culture