Developments in technology began to transform life in the United States in the early 1800s. New methods of transporting and manu
facturing goods changed the way people lived and worked. The nation was set on a course of industrialization that would shape life for decades. The North and the South, however, developed in very different ways during this time period. Industrialization occurred mainly in the Northeast, where it changed the very structure of society. In the South, a boom in cotton production helped deepen the region’s commitment to slavery. What were some of the causes for the differences in how the North and the South developed during this time period?
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.
