The Northern and Southern sectors ofthe United States choose to develop along two different lines. The north wasfocused on being more industrialized whereas the south remained a predominantlyagrarian economy. By the 19th century the differences between thenorth and the south were so great that civilians of both the states felt theybelonged to two separate countries. Before brother fought brother the two stateswere different in terms of culture, economy, demographics, professionalprospects such as occupational opportunities, production choices, developmentand sociopolitical philosophies. Some differences became such an importantissue that people were willing to fight to defend their way of life. While theproblem of slavery was at the heart of the matter, the election of theanti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as the president of the nation in 1860 createdpolitical disputes that too led to the civil war which reached to a violentzenith.
The culture of the North region wasdetermined by the day to day life of the people in the city. The goal of thenorthern cities was to grow in a way where religion and education took vitalroles therefore both education and religion were systematized in the region.Most towns had churches and schools built in them and everyone was welcome inthe church whereas a few number of boys went to school and almost no girlattended school. Although the region had colleges, it was only affordable bythe wealthy. The population was culturally developed. The people in the northused to attend balls, operas and theatre plays as means of entertainment. Thenorth had large cities which were formed near rivers and bays and later theydeveloped as trading centers due to the industrial improvements going on in thenorthern states.
Whereas for the southern states their culture revolved aroundthe upper-class plantation owners and their family. Education was onlyaffordable by the children of the plantation owners and the farmers that workedin the plantation had little or no education. The day to day culture was typicallyfocused around the plantation life.
The south was an elegant society consistingof chivalrous men and southern belles. Entertainment was difficult for thepeople of the south because of the vast number of plantations and farms howeverthey used to make operas and plays in the plantation itself and host gardenparties. As for most southerners, they lived in farms and plantations as theywere able to supply all their needs such as food, shelter and income from livingin the plantations therefore the region consisted of very few large cities andthe plantations that were there became like small towns. The nation was not only culturallydivided but their economy varied as well. The growth in population, developmentof transportation and the industrial development with less emphasis onagriculture saw the north develop in a positive way whereas for the southernstates due to the fertile soil and the favorable warm climate which made itideal for large-scale farming they were based on agriculture mainly of cotton, rice,sugar cane and indigo which were sold as cash crops.
After the invention of thecotton gin by Ely Whitney cotton became the most important crop hence increasingthe need of slaves to pick the cotton which resulted slavery to become anessential to the economy of the southern states.The northern states were an anthillof activity which resulted in a population boom as industrialization attracted ahandful of immigrants from European nations who started producing goods for thepeople of the north in the factories.
