How Did the Indsutrial Development Unite or Divide the North and the South Essay

During the Civil War, the advances of the Industrial Revolution introduced great changes in the industrial and technological development. Both the North and the South created many advances in railroad and water transportation. The Union, however, was far more advanced technologically than the Confederate states . Consequently, the North made greater and more effective use of progress in weapons, communication, transportation and medicine than South . Although the industrial development made the nation very widely known, both the south and the north were divided because their differences. The Civil War was the first modern war that helped strengthen the technology and industrial system. But their industry and technology distinguished the two sides, which represented different economic conditions. The North had developed a strong economy that was becoming day-by-day more industrialized. By the nineteenth century, large factories and organizations sprang up throughout the north. Also, the population of the country was increasing and immigrants from all over Europe came along. The North was becoming a huge success but the South was falling behind. The North was rising in a higher success rate than the South. The Union flourished more factories and more transportation. Canals were being handmade, there was an increase of labor force and there it was becoming more adequate to transport product through trains . Inventions were also becoming to life. For example, the Telegraph was becoming a extremely useful. Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse, the Telegraph was inexpensive to make and was ideal for long distance communication. The north had more advantages in growing the economy because it had twice as big as the population from the south. It had much greater man power and it had a better work force. Many factories from the north built war material to supply to the Union. However, slavery was decreasing around the 1860’s and factories were pouring in by the immigrants from Europe. In fact, seven out of every eight immigrants that traveled to the U. S. settled in the North rather than the South. The economy in the North was also increasing therefore immigrants settled there to establish their own business. Northerners were far more likely to have careers in business, medicine, or education . Also, children were slightly more prone to attend school than Southern children. As for the South, the warm climate and the fertile soil made it ideal for farmers to grow significant amounts of crops. There were more abundant natural resources in the south and because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development . There were no large cities aside from a few known places. Most of the known cities existed near shipping ports to send agricultural produce to Northern destinations. However, the South had difficulty with transportation and most products were sent by water. Only a few train tracks were located in the South. In the other hand, Southern children tended to spend less time in school and most Southern families based their teachings in gravitating toward military careers as well as agriculture . The first half of the nineteenth century was a time of expansion and improvement of transportation systems. States in the North and the Midwest chartered and built overland roads and turnpikes. The Turnpike Era† (1790-1820) consisted of Americans relying on roads for internal transportation. Canals, such as the Erie Canal, tied New York City to the Great Lakes. Steamboats and railroads improved the movement of goods and people, forging ties that served both sides well during the Civil War. The first federal charter corporation that created the dream of the transcontinental railroad was the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Central Pacific Company . Both of these companies gathered many immigrants, at low pay, to work massive hours to construct the railroad. However, better transportation fostered an upgrade on trade within the country and dispersed new civilization to the west. The industrial revolution created many social problems. Poverty became a growing concern, especially the fact that factory wages were scarcely adequate for family survival . Most residents experienced hunger and destitution. Among the poor, child labor was very common. Most parents forced their children to look for jobs instead of going to school for survival. Southerners often cited these factors as crimes whenever the North challenged its institution of slavery. The Industrial Revolution brought Southern landowners an invention that they adopted and embraced: The Cotton Gin. Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin made slavery profitable and made cotton the nation’s number one export . The South also adopted the steam engine, mainly to aid the cotton gin and to use on steamships to transport cotton. Ironically, the success of the cotton gin, by fostering slavery, helped to separate the two sides of the country and bring about the Civil War. The pace of immigration also stimulated economic growth while increasing differences between North nd South. Immigrants, mostly from Europe at this time, were supplied with low-cost labor. Most immigrants lived in the North where jobs were constantly available but had no respect to the workers. The use of standard, interchangeable parts, especially the manufacturing of guns, clocks, and sewing machines , allowed the nation to advance technologically by using unskilled workers. During the Civil War, with Southern representatives of Congress gone and the Republican Party controlling the house of Congress and the presidency, â€Å"the government set about to aid business and technology†. In 1862, the Department of Agriculture was founded. It provided a national center to coordinate agricultural development and promote scientific farming. â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. † This quotation was from Abraham Lincoln in 1858. Abraham Lincoln did not want the North and South to separate but for the Industry to grow bigger . In the first part of the quotation, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand†, portrays that the United States needs to be UNITED not divided. A house needs to stand tall and not let anything else break it down. It is true that the â€Å"government cannot endue permanently half-slave and half-free† because this needs to be a united country not a haft this haft that country. Lincoln convinced others that the United States could not be this way. It had to bet glued together again and it had to abolish anything that was not right. However, throughout time, The Divided States of America was soon becoming the United States of America. After Lincoln’s death, three amendments were ratified that help America put back to place. The 13th amendment concluded that slavery was officially abolished . The 14th amendment granted â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States, â€Å"to be citizens which included former slaves that were freed . The 15th amendment granted African Americans the right to vote . These three amendment helped bit by bit to repair the United States. Even though today there is still a difference in the North and South, our nation will always be together. The United States grew tremendously during the Industrial Revolution. Inventions were made, transportation was spread out, new jobs were increasing and more knowledge was diffusing. Throughout time, our population was growing and our nation got to spread out to the west to expand our land and culture. Even though our presidents may have made mistakes, we get to learn what we have done wrong and use that in our future. Our nation may have been divided for awhile but we can always retain it back. Back where it always was, united.