North and South

Information About the North | Information About the South |

Climate and Geography

• Warm, humid summers and cold snowy winters

• Short growing season plus cold made farming difficult.

• Clear, fast rivers

• Coastline full of bays.

• Cities develop near rivers and bays.

• Cities develop as trading centers.

• People begin to use waterpower to run factories. | Climate and Geography

• Warm and sunny with long summers, mild winters. Lots of rain.

• Climate ideal for agriculture.

• Fertile soil ideal for growing crops. |

Population

• Huge population increase in the North between 1800 and 1860, mostly through immigration.

• Irish, German, and other Europeans mostly settle in North. | Population

• Population of the South made up of Europeans (mostly from England and Scotland) and enslaved Africans.

• 1/3 of the population were slaves.

• Most southerners lived on small farms.

• Only 1/4 of farmers owned slaves.

• Large farms called plantations were owned by the wealthy few who owned most of the slaves. |

Cities

• Cities develop in North as centers of trade.

• Factories were set up making textiles (cloth goods)

• Increase in factory work brought more people to live in the cities.

• Cities were crowded and dirty.

• Public education begun in cities for first time.

• Cities became important centers of art, culture, and education. Many city newspapers begun. | Cities

• Most southerners lived on farms.

• There were very few large cities.

• Plantations were self-sufficient and became like small towns. 

(Self-sufficient means being able to supply all of your needs.) |

Economy

• The economy of the North was based on manufacturing.

• Many immigrants from Europe began working in factories and producing goods used by people in the North.

• Many factories began producing textiles (cloth) with the cotton grown in the South. | Economy

• The economy of the South was based on agriculture.

• Cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cane, and indigo (a plant that...