Social Studies Chapter 12 Causes of the Civil War Lesson 1: Worlds Apart

Slavery in the United States Although all 13 colonies allowed slavery, owning slaves were more common in the south than the north. After the Revolutionary War, several northern states passed laws against slavery; southern states chose not to. Some delegates at the Constitutional Convention tried to stop slavery in all states. They said it did not fit with the “principles of the Revolution”.

The Growth of Slavery George Mason, a slave owner from Virginia called slavery a “national sin”. Delegates at the Constitutional Congress were not successful with ending slavery. They hoped it would just die out. Changes in southern farming caused slavery to grow. After the invention of the cotton gin, southern farmers thought they needed more slaves to work their cotton field. The value of cotton rose in England, new mills in the north and Great Britain needed more cotton, the southern farmers wanted to grow more Cotton became the South’s most important crop. Plantation owners used their profits to buy more land and more slaves. Slavery grew rapidly in the South. In 1790, there were about 700,000 slaves-by 1860, there were nearly 4 million slaves.

Resistance to Slavery Some slaves fought against slave-owners. In Virginia, in 1831, a slave named Nat Turner led a rebellion against his owners. He and his followers killed 59 people before being stopped by the local militia. The southern states passed laws to control slaves and free blacks.

By 1850, slaves and free blacks had fewer rights than ever. Black ministers could not preach without a white person present. Slavery became a source of deep conflict between the North and the South. Southerners argued that slavery was important to their economy-farming. Northerners argued that slavery kept the country’s economy from growing faster and they believed it was unfair and wrong.

North and South The North and South had different economies. The South’s economy was agriculture-based on farming. Some farmers had large cotton plantations which used slaves. Many farmers had small farms which raised food crops such as corn; raised cattle and pigs; these farmers usually did not have slaves. Although the North did have some farms, their economy was growing quickly and they were building factories for textiles, shoes, tools, and other goods.

The Tariff a tax on imported goods. A tariff is The different economies in the North and South led to disagreements about tariffs. Congress passed high tariffs (taxes) on goods made outside the country. British textiles became very expensive. Most people could only afford cloth made in New England (Northern states). Tariffs were used for the Northern industry, but they did not help the South where there was less industry. Southerners had to pay the higher taxes for manufactured goods they wanted such as steel and cloth. When these prices went up, southerners blamed it on the tariffs of the North.

States’ Rights the idea that states, not the federal government, should make the final decisions about matters that affect them. States’ Rights is John C. Calhoun of South Carolina argued against the tariffs. Calhoun was Vice President in 1828. Calhoun argued for states’ rights. He believed that the constitution did not allow the federal government to create tariffs. He believed that the states had the right to veto the tariffs. States’ Rights became a popular idea in the South

Sectionalism is Disagreements over slavery, tariffs, and other economic issues increased sectionalism in the North and South. As conflicts grew, it seemed that many people cared more about their own section of the country than for the country as a whole. loyalty to one part of the country