When we think of the 1800s in the United States, we most often think of the Civil War, and the chaos that it brought. However, it is not enough to talk about the war, as we also need to be able to understand the context in which it developed and the reasons that made it possible.
It is true that during the 1800s, two very different societies developed in the North and the South of the country. In the case of the North, an industrial society developed. The economy relied on factories and merchants, and certain industries, such as shipbuilding, thrived. This created a society that was more diverse, more diversified, but also more egalitarian. In the case of the South, the economy was mostly based on agriculture. This made plantations essential to the wealth of the South. In turn, it made slaves a vital part of such an arrangement. The existence of slaves and the accumulation of land in the form of plantations created a very unequal society in the South.
The economic differences between the two areas led to growing differences in culture and identity, bringing people further and further apart. It is often argued that these growing differences made the breakup of the Union and the Civil War unavoidable.
