Good Essay About History 202
In spite of economic interconnection between the New South, the American West and the Industrial North, tensions prevailed in the three regions due to various differences. The agricultural revolution in the South displaced mush of its population to the North and West of the US increasing the rates of poverty and crime. The tariff issue created nuisance in the American politics and exacerbated tensions between the North and the South. While the northerners supported the tariff as a means of expanding the economy, the southerners refused it as an undeserved and unfair advantage. The currency issue also heated up tensions among the three regions. The difference in values between the people of the North and the South also led to tensions between the two regions. While the northerners gave importance to values, such as faith, individualism and materialism, the southerners gave much importance to loyalty, honor and tradition.
Stereotypes labeled the North as dynamic and the South as static since the development in the North was rapid when compared to that of the South. Both the North and the South utilized the American West as a mode of trade and transport. The construction of railroads made it easier to transport raw materials from the South and finished goods from the North to the West. When compared to the North, the South shared much similarity with the West and hence the master class of the South moved West in greater numbers to make profits. The expanding economy of the West offered equal opportunities for the entrepreneurs of both the North and the South; however, the racial differences in the South slowed the opportunity to expand its market economy all over the country. Opposing viewpoints towards slavery also created tensions among the three regions.
The aristocratic values of the South, such as privilege, pride and lineage could not match with those of the West and the North, which led to several tensions in the three regions. The southerners’ dominance of cotton influenced the relations among the regions as the southerners wanted to claim monopoly over the other two regions. The immigrants in the North were an added advantage to expand their trade, while the South could not attract as much immigrants as the North. Canals and railroads helped both the North and the South to seek opportunities in the West and maintain peaceful trade in the country; however, the American politics instilled differences in the attitudes of the people and created tensions in terms of both politics as well as economy.
While the cities of the North grew rapidly, the South could not grow at a faster pace. On the other hand, the West was in the phase of expansion with a very little growth. Hence, the extent of opportunities available for the North was more when compared to that of the West and the South. The ethnic tensions led to scarce employment opportunities and lower wages in the South, which was an added advantage to the North to establish their settlements in the West. The northerners’ commercial culture created a competition between the North and the South. The growing political power of the South and the West in the twentieth century created tensions for the North in terms of economy. Thus, there were several reasons for the tensions among the New South, the American West and the Industrial North due to differences in spite of the economic interconnections.
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