How Did The Government Policies Affect The Economy Of The United States

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The economy in the United States was very different throughout the regions of the United States between 1800 to 1848. Government policies and laws about slavery, taxes, and transportation greatly affected the economies in the North, the South, and the West in different ways and led to different results.

Government policies concerning slavery affected the regions of the United States differently. In the begining January 1808, the previously voted issue of the international slave trade was banned throughout the United States and this agreement altered the South the most because the South had previously been importing slaves from countries in Africa. The ban on the slave trade their South their economy by limiting the amount of slaves they …show more content…

Trade between the United States, Great Britain and France came to an end after the Non-Intercourse Act prohibited commercial trade between the three countries drastically changing the North’s economy by changing the trade system and making them find other countries to trade with. The Non-Intercourse did not affect the South and the West as much as it did the North, but they were still affected. The South was affected because they produced the raw materials that were then sent to the North to manufacture and trade and when the North stopped trading with France and Great Britain the South’s economy dropped as well. After the War of 1812 the United States government passed the Tariff of 1816 which imposed a high tax on imported goods to protect the American industry the North, South, and West were all affected because the high tax forced the majority of Americans to buy American made products. This act circulated more money into the American economy and stopped Great Britain from gaining the U.S’ money. The North was more affected because they were the ones manufacturing the products to be sold which meant the North received a higher percentage of the money. Another tariff passed in 1828 increased the tax on imported manufactured goods again to stop Americans spending money on imported goods even more. This tariff also affected the North the most for the same …show more content…

In 1830 the first steam engine was invented by Peter Cooper which helped start the railroad industry advancing the economy and the country. The North had a lot of transportation advancements that the government helped create and fund like the Erie Canal and the transcontinental railroad which helped the North access other parts of the United States, making manufacturing, production, and trade much easier which led to expansion of the Economy. The South did not have a lot of transportation, compared to the North, which led to the low rate of industrialization and advancement throughout the South and a less thriving. Government funding of explorers like Lewis and Clark helped the West become better understood allowing more people to migrate to the West and advance the nation's economy and