The Antebellum period was a time in American history before the Civil War. It was a time of great change in the United States, with the country rapidly expanding in population and territory. The Antebellum period was marked by economic, social, and political developments that ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.
One of the most significant developments during the Antebellum period was the rise of industry and the growth of the market economy. The United States was transformed into a more industrialized and urbanized society. This led to the rise of a new class of industrial capitalists who wielded significant economic and political power. The North, where the industries were more developed, had a different economy from the South,
Slavery affected American culture and society in the Antebellum Period in several ways. One of the ways that slavery affected American culture and society in the Antebellum Period is by the creation of the rotary printing press. In 1843, Richard M. Hoe created the rotary printing that led to millions of copies of papers printed for a lower cost. Another way that slavery affected American culture in the Antebellum Period is the rise of canal- building. In 1817, construction began on the Erie Canal to link Lake Erie and the Hudson River.
Following the Civil War, the United States was made up of plentiful farms and few cities. In comparison to European countries, such as England, industrialization within the US was significantly slow, and the influx of Western settlers as well as the lack of available labor predicted the country would always stay rural. However, for the subsequent forty years, production and industrialization would surge, the labor force and population would increase, and the US would soon be known as the greatest industrial nation in the world. America’s huge industrial growth from 1860 to 1900 was a result of the Republican Party’s platform and the rise of efficient machinery.
During 1800-1848, the United States regions were shaped different due to technological and economic changes which changed labor relations in each region. The economy in the north was depended on manufacturing, whereas, the economy in the south was depended on agriculture. The northern and southern regions were significantly different from one another until the idea of cotton came into the picture. The two regions were shaped differently during this time period for various reasons.
After the Civil War, the United States had two distinct economies, which is quite significant. The Southern economy was completely damaged by the results of the Civil War. Southerners were forced to readjust their entire economy, because slaves needed to be liberated, leaving slave-owners with no workforce. Meanwhile, in the North, the need to supply Union armies with particularly daily supplies marked the start of an era of industrial development. Which giant corporations essentially emerged known as Big Business.
While states were busy governing only their people in the first years of the United States of America, the federal government couldn’t easily trade with countries for goods. Once the constitution united the states, American factories saw a boom in development with the fuel of the industrial revolution. During this time, the south profited from labor intensive crops such as tobacco, rice, and cotton. The southern states dramatically thrived with the new invention of the cotton gin. Farms were now able produce a significantly more of cotton in less time.
People were moving from the country side and into the growing cities for employment, middle class was re defined and working conditions were anything but promising. Many factory workers had to work and sleep at their place of employment and they were paid a very small wage for their production. With a growing economy and a demand for manufactured goods it would take an all hands approach to be successful and continue the successful independence of the country. The demand for workers to fill the factories to produce the goods increased the urbanization of America.
During the Antebellum period, the economy in the South and the North changed drastically. Eli Whitney had invented the cotton gin and the demand for slavery reached an all time high. Meanwhile, the North had begun to industrialize and stray away from slavery. This caused these two regions to have different views on slavery. The North started to be against slavery and the South continued to support it.
In era following the Civil War, numerous changes occurred in the South. The Southern region was transitioning from a plantation driven economy, to one dominated by small family farms and industry. Although the destruction that occurred during the Civil War made the transition difficult, Southern promoters aimed to imitate the industrial success of the North and West. In order to encourage economic growth, Southern promoters had to unite the South with the rest of the nation through railroad systems and industrialization. It was also a challenge to bring the people of the South together to create prosperity for the region itself, rather than allowing those in power to focus on personal gain.
Some historians argue that regional differences weren't the most significant part of the antebellum era (1800-1848). However, the North had a huge industrialization rise, the South had a huge demand for slaves with the invention of the cotton gin and there was continued expansion into the West and the settlers brought their cultures. Therefore, regional differences were extremely significant to the antebellum era as they caused growing sectionalism and tensions (especially over slavery) leading to the Civil War.
America gradually completed and established the rules of capitalism. After that, the Civil War broke out. It swept the obstacle of capitalism. The north won the war and the slavery, at the period the economy was singular and unified the domestic market. It had great facilitation for the economic development, but also
With every new age, advancements are made and problems arise as people adapt. The industrial revolution had many impacts on society as social reform movements began to gain momentum, slavery was being dealt with, expansionism brought up new ways of life, but the tension between the North and the South were also increased. From 1800 to 1860 new inventions improved life, but the differences between populations necessities simply kindled the fire that was already burning due to slavery. The travel system, factories, and overall wealth are a couple of ways industrial development factored in the relationship between the North and the South. At the start of America, horses, wagons, and feet were great ways to travel, as people explored more
Rebecca Hartman 7A Antebellum Essay ++ During the early 1800s, the North and South regions of America began to grow apart. This was known as the Antebellum Era, a period in US history from the early 1800s to 1861, which led up to the Civil War. Two of the main elements that differed significantly between the two regions were economy and society. The differences in economy and society between the North and South were significant, but only one region, either the North or South, was able to have an advantage in the Civil War.
Prior to the year 1890 the United States went through the era of industrialization. The era focused on manufacturing, and factory work which led to mass production. Industrialization caused the U.S cities and market economy to expand rapidly. Industrialization also shaped the development of a large working class, to provide work for the large industries. Workers experienced poor working conditions such as long hours, poor sanitation, and little pay.
Between the year of 1865 and the year of 1920, the United States moved towards becoming a more industrialized and developing society. With this change taking place, resulted in improvement with how people live with family and earned money differently. The three major aspects of industrialization during the 1865 and 1920 that influenced the politics, economy and society of the United States are: entrepreneurship, technology, as well as transport and communication network. Entrepreneurship: the period after the Civil War from 1865 to 1920 was characterized by fast economic growth in the country.
The Civil War allowed the United States to make the changes necessary to unify the country. In addition, it began one of the most transitional periods in the United States’ history. This period, the Reconstruction, brought about many political, social, and economic changes, which were both beneficial and disagreeable. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, the Panic of 1873, and the formation of the Ku Klux Klan are just a few examples of heavily impacting events for the United States. During the Reconstruction period there were numerous political transformations in the country.