To explain the "no west" comment, in 1812 the American "west" only reached as far as the Mississippi River.
The northern states were heavily involved in international trade, having the ports and ship building yards. The men who sailed on those ships were likewise mostly from the north and were the ones being impressed into the British navy. The agrarian south's interests lay entirely in the production of tobacco, cotton, sugar, sorghum and a few other large cash crops. The commerce was mostly within America and they had little interest in shipping issues.
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The California Gold Rush brought some 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States. Hope this helps!
