...The North and South were very different by the 1860's. Several changes took place within the nation during this time from an onset of events happening after the 1820's. Inside of America, slavery became a major issue that tore the nation into two. Northerners favored equality for all, while contrarily Southerners supported the bondage of slaves to continue the labor of cotton productions, and ultimately, to ensure white supremacy. “After abolition in the North, slavery became the 'peculiar institution' of the of South – an institution unique to southern society” (417). This was also another large factor which shaped the regions. Overall, between the 1820's and 1860's, many economical, social, cultural and political changes happened which divided the nation into two. The occurrence of several events widened the differences between the North and the South. Despite the Northerners hopes that slavery would eventually die out and equality for all would regulate the nation, “the institution of slavery survived the crisis of the American Revolution and continued to rapidly expand westward” (417). The onset of divisions between these two regions first occurred from the establishment of the Mason-Dixon line, which was placed between Pennsylvania and Maryland and became the diving line between slavery and freedom. After this, the South's slave population remained strong and grew substantially during this time. The old South was the largest and most powerful...
Words: 1708 - Pages: 7
