The Great Divide
As a student of history, and I must say I am definitely a student and not a teacher, I am compelled at how things today seem no different from 300
years ago. I'll get right to the point here.
Colonial Days
In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, there were no thoughts of rebellion. People were happy. The South was slowly becoming a slave
society, and the North was working its way to becoming industrial. That is, until the French and Indian War occurred.
It was actually a great victory for Britain and the colonies. It served two purposes:
- It showed dominance over the natives.
- It took land west of the Appalachians from the French.
However, it was an expensive war. It took major tolls on the British treasury, and forced more taxation upon the colonies. Really, when looking
back, this was probably the greatest catalyst for war against Britain.
Also, with the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade the colonies from expanding past the Appalachians, the colonies began to stir about "rights" and
"freedom". Still, most didn't find cause for war, especially in the southern region.
After the Boston Tea Party and the passing of the Coercive Acts, the colonies were able to unite, as best they could, and defeat the British for
freedom.
But, did the colonies really unite? John Adams is often quoted as saying that the colonies were divided into three separate groups: one-third
loyalist, one-third patriot, and one-third were apathetic to the cause.
How true does that hold today? 1/3 of our country today votes Republican, 1/3 votes Democrat, and 1/3 doesn't vote at all. Things don't change.
Furthermore, much of this divide occurred between the North and South. The North was far more industrial than the South, and so it was hit by these
taxes and Acts much harder. They were forced to trade with only Britain, and because of this, the taxes hurt their economy.
Meanwhile, down south, everything was normal. There was no reason for war, and nobody cared. In fact, already the divide was occurring during the
Declaration of Independence's creation. The North wanted to include slavery as a grievance against the King. It was their contention that the
British were responsible for slavery in the U.S., however, the South obviously was not happy with that clause, and it was eventually removed.
The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
The Articles of Confederation were weak federally. This is the prime reason that the entire thing was sacked. However, the Articles were actually
responsible for helping keep slavery out of westward expansion with the NW Territory Act - furthering the divide between North and South.
The drawing up of the Constitution was made especially difficult due to the growing divide of the North and South. Slavery was an issue, of course,
which had to be resolved. One of the only goals accomplished was that after 20 years of signing the Constitution, all states would agree to no longer
import slaves. This was a big step, but further divided the North and South.
Next came the big issue of representation. How could this be worked out so that all the states were represented fairly? If it was done by state, the
large states would suffer because their large population would be canceled out by smaller states. If it was done by population, the smaller states
would have virtually no say.
This is how the idea of the House of Representatives and the Senate were formed. Thus, each state was fairly represented. However, this left another
problem for the southern states:
Slaves comprised a large portion of the population. With more slaves than the North, people were represented less in the South than the North.
From this, came the 3/5th compromise, in which 3 out of 5 slaves were counted for taxation and representation.
A short-term fix, that again, furthers the divide between the North and South.
The War of 1812
Yes, a great war that really sealed the deal for freedom of the U.S. from Britain. The United States had defended itself against multiple enemies
without the help of any foreign nation.
However, were the states truly united? Of course not. The roles reversed in this war, with the South pushing for war and the North wanting to
negotiate.
The South, being patriotic like it is, was extremely offended when its ships were impressed by the French and British navies. The North, caring about
its economy and trade, wanted to negotiate and not instigate a costly war (also knowing that much of it would be fought on its territory).
Also, the South was extremely interested in the options of expansion. The states had not really begun to advance westward since the Proclamation of
1763, and this was a chance to finally remove the French from those areas. Moreover, directly below them were the Spaniards in Florida - which had
actually kept Georgia slave free for a while as a buffer zone in case of war.
Without going into too much more detail, one can see the divide, AGAIN.
The Civil War and the Years Leading Up To It
The Civil War didn't just happen, there were many factors that caused the fire to spark - slavery, of course, being a major reason.
The South still advocated state rights and feared a strong, central government. Many believe this is mostly due to their fear of the abolishment of
slavery. The North was offended by the Fugitive Slave Law, which required them to return slaves to their southern owners if caught. The North prided
itself on due process, and was at odds with the idea of being forced to return slaves.
The North was slowly becoming more urban and industrialized. By this time, the textile revolution had hit America, and also other revolutions. The
transportation revolution with trains, roads, steamboats, and canals had made an impact on the country.
The South continued to expand with the purchase of land and more slaves, while the North focused on industry and production. One could easily say
that the North was an industrial society, and the south was a slave society.
This very fact alone is enough to cause a visible rift between the two territories. Not only were their ideals different, but their way of life in
general. Families were different sizes, married for different reasons, and lived in different conditions.
Cont...
[edit on 18-11-2008 by Irish M1ck]
