1. The Sectional Divide
United States History

3. An Economic and Social Revolution
Massive jump in America’s population, along with advancements in transportation, led to the creation of a national market economy in the United States between 1820 and 1860
The development of national roads, canals, steamboats, and railroads all helped bring people, raw materials, and manufactured goods to all corners of the country
As a result of this transportation revolution, each region in the nation specialized in a particular type of economic activity
The South grew cotton for export; the West grew grains and livestock to feed eastern factory workers; and the East made machines and textiles for the South and West
Politically, regional divisions created difficulties that would soon become the early stages of sectionalism (loyalty to a particular region)
East and west more closely connected than the South, a geographic division that would create growing tension between the North and the South politically and economically throughout the 1850s

4. The Industrial North & Agricultural Northwest
The ‘Industrial North’ of the United States included New England and the Mid-Atlantic States
Improvements in transportation spurred massive economic growth, linked the populous region together
Textile factories led the way in industrial growth, followed distantly by other manufacturing such as agricultural and consumer goods
Region’s cities experienced massive growth – suffered from overcrowding, poor housing and sanitation, disease and rising crime rates
The ’Old Northwest’ (OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, and MN) was closely tied to the industrial North by national roads, canals, and rail lines
Regionalization in this area consisted of grain farming of corn and wheat in addition to livestock that would be shipped to northern cities of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia

5. King Cotton and the Agrarian South
Regional specialty of the South planted long before regionalization of the 1820s
Plantation/cash crop economy synonymous with southern culture was extended with the invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793
Made process of removing seed from raw cotton faster and easier, making cotton the number one cash crop of the region
Plantation owners switched from growing tobacco, rice, and indigo to supply growing demand from domestic and overseas markets
Led to rapid increase in the demand for slaves to work the fields (the “peculiar institution” of slavery increases from 1 million to 4 million in approximately 50 years)

7. Southern Social Pyramid
Planter Aristocracy
Yeoman Farmers
Poor Whites
Mountain People
Free Blacks
Slaves
Social structure transplanted from England in the 1620s and continued into the 19th century.

8. Images of Slave System
C. Giroux, “Cotton Plantation” (1850)

9. Images of Slave System
Eyre Crowe, “After the Sale” (1853)

10. George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All!
Who was George Fitzhugh? What is his theory in defense of slavery?
What “rights” do you think Fitzhugh believed belonged to slaves that did not belong to free workers? Why does Fitzhugh think that workers in a free society are even more enslaved than African-Americans in the South?
Why does Fitzhugh repudiate the fundamental doctrine of the Declaration of Independence? What does he think is the source of political authority?