Industrialized Large cities were established By 1860, one quarter of all

Northerners lived in urban areas Between 1800 and 1860, the

percentage of laborers working in agricultural pursuits dropped drastically from 70% to only 40%

Slavery had died out, replaced in the cities and factories by immigrant labor from Europe. seven out of every eight immigrants were settling in the North rather than the South

Transportation was easier in the North, which boasted more than two-thirds of the railroad tracks in the country and the economy was on an upswing

The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco & cotton – so why industrialize?

80% of the labor force worked on farms By 1860 slavery was inextricably tied

to the region's economy and culture South 4 million blacks vs. 5.5 million

whites

New Orleans only large city – most cities located on rivers & coasts as shipping ports to send agricultural produce to European or Northern destinations

10% of Southerners lived in urban areas transportation between cities was

difficult, except by water - only 35% of the nation's train tracks were located in the South

When the North American continent was first colonized by Europeans the land was vast, the work was harsh, and there was a severe shortage of labor.

White bondservants, paying their passage across the ocean from Europe through indentured labor worked plantations but more labour was needed

Early in the seventeenth century, a Dutch ship loaded with African slaves introduced slavery to the United States

Slaves were most economical on large farms where labor-intensive cash crops, such as tobacco, could be grown.

By the end of the American Revolution, slavery had proven unprofitable in the North and was dying out.

In the South the institution was becoming less useful to farmers as tobacco prices fluctuated and began to drop.

In 1793 Northerner Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin; this device made it possible for textile mills to use the type of cotton most easily grown in the South.

Cotton replaced tobacco as the South’s main cash crop and slavery became profitable again

As the North moved away from Slavery more and more people in the North opposed the idea of slaves – abolitionists

Nat Turner leads a rebellion of slaves against white landowners in Virginia on August 21st, 1831

Dred Scott sued for his freedom but the Supreme Court that slaves were subhuman property with no rights of citizenship; they had no legal means of protesting the way they were treated

Harriet Tubman establishes the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape the South

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe refuting the Southern myth that blacks were happy as slaves

On October 16, 1859, the radical abolitionist John Brown led a small group of followers in a raid on the armoury at Harper’s Ferry.

Brown hoped to use the captured weapons to initiate a slave uprising throughout the South.

He and his men were pinned down by local citizens and militia, and forced to take refuge.

On October 18, U.S. Marines were sent via train to Harpers Ferry under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee

Brown was captured and was tried for treason by the State of Virginia

He was convicted and hanged in nearby Charles Town.

The failed raid was a major catalyst in accelerating the slide to Civil War.

After the Mexican-American War, the issue of slavery in the new territories led to the Compromise of 1850.

While the Compromise of 1850 averted an immediate political crisis, it did not permanently resolve the issue of the power of slaveholders in national politics.

Many Northerners, especially leaders of the new Republican Party, considered slavery a great national evil.

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT 1854

organized 2 new federal territories – Kansas and Nebraska

What was controversial was the provision that stipulated that each territory would separately decide whether to allow slavery within its borders.

This provision repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had prohibited slavery in any new states to be created north of latitude 36°30' since Kansas and Nebraska would be north of that line and could now choose to allow slavery.

prohibiting slavery in states/territories north of 36º 30’ latitude

people decide (popular sovereignty)

As the election of 1860 approached, the Democrats split over the issue of slavery in the territories

The party split on the issue and the result say three candidates run for the Presidency

This division opened the door for the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln

The Republicans believed that slavery should be left undisturbed where it was already in place but should not be allowed in the new territories

The immediate result of the election was the secession of seven southern states to form their own country (the Confederate States of America)

These States included: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas

They based their right to secede on the idea that the free states had denied the Southern States equal rights in the union

They drafted their own constitution and named their new alliance the Confederate States of America

As the Southern States Seceded they seized United States arsenal, mints and fortresses within their borders

Fort Sumter was still under federal control In April of 1861, the fort was running short on

supplies so Lincoln sent orders out to restock it Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy sent

the order to take the fort before it could be resupplied

While there was no life lost in the attack, news of the incident stirred nationalism in the North and Lincoln had no trouble filling his military’s ranks with able bodied men

Faced with the prospect of fighting their neighbours four more states seceded from the union

These states included: Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee

The North had a material advantage in many aspects regarding a potential war

Larger Population Larger railroad

connections More farm industry Industrialization ($) –

more than 80% of manufacturing plants

The Leadership of Abraham Lincoln

Forts in the South

Have to attack the South in the South

Military leaders are less experienced

Cannot expect help from Europe

Advantages Disadvantages

Defending instead of attacking – just had to hold out against attacks

Better military leaders – Robert E. Lee

Ports that can be used for support from Europe

Smaller Population Fewer railroad

connections Industrialization ($)

– more than 80% of manufacturing plants

Advantages Disadvantages