<span>This is of course somewhat of a subjective question, but in general most would agree that it was overall more beneficial since it kept out European invaders. </span>
There are many reason why the US civil rights movement gain new momentum after World War II, however one of the most prominent was because America was "distracted" with events overseas, and many people were upset that African American veterans were coming home to a place where they were not treated with equal rites.
In the North cold made farming difficult while in the South climate was ideal for agriculture.
Immigration created a huge population increase in the North while 1/3 of the southerners were slaves. Cities in the north developed as centers of trade whereas most southerners lived on farms.
The economy in the North was based on manufacturing differing from the agricultural South.
But the most significant development was transportation. Canals had been built and most of the railroads were in the North. However, the south still depended on steamships.
