North:
- The Northern economy was primarily industrial and commercial.
- Slavery was seen as inefficient and unnecessary for economic growth.
- Industrialization allowed for greater economic diversification, reducing the reliance on slave labor.
South:
- The Southern economy was heavily dependent on agriculture, particularly cotton production.
- Slavery was central to the plantation system and the wealth of the Southern elite.
- Cotton cultivation was labor-intensive, and enslaved African Americans provided a cheap and abundant labor force.
Social and Cultural Differences:
North:
- Northern society was more religiously diverse and socially progressive.
- Many Northerners were influenced by religious movements that condemned slavery as morally wrong.
- The presence of free Black communities and abolitionist activism contributed to growing anti-slavery sentiment.
South:
- Southern society was more hierarchical and conservative.
- The "Cult of Honor" and the plantation lifestyle deeply ingrained the defense of slavery.
- The institution of slavery was seen as a necessary social and economic order, and challenges to it were considered threats to the Southern way of life.
Political Power and States' Rights:
North:
- Northern states had more representation in Congress due to their larger populations.
- Many Northerners feared the growing influence of slave states and the extension of slavery into new territories.
- They advocated for federal policies to limit slavery's expansion and eventually abolish it.
South:
- Southern states felt threatened by the growing political power of the North.
- They asserted states' rights to maintain their own laws and institutions, including the institution of slavery.
- The doctrine of states' rights became a rallying point for Southern resistance against federal interference.
Territorial Expansion and the Issue of Balance:
North:
- Northerners were concerned about the admission of new slave states to the Union, fearing it would upset the balance of power between free and slave states.
- The Missouri Compromise (1820) temporarily resolved the issue by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, but it reopened the debate with the annexation of Texas (1845) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
South:
- The South sought to expand slavery into new territories acquired from Mexico to maintain its political influence and economic competitiveness.
- The Wilmot Proviso (1846), which proposed to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, further inflamed tensions between the North and South.
In summary, the primary reasons for the disagreement on slavery during the great contribution were rooted in economic interests, social and cultural differences, political power dynamics, and the issue of territorial expansion and the balance between free and slave states. These tensions eventually led to the American Civil War, which ultimately resulted in the abolition of slavery in the United States.