Term Paper on "Economic Developments in America, From Colonization"

Term Paper 6 pages (1945 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

economic developments in America, from colonization through the 1850s, contribute to growing divisions between the North and South

The period of the colonial America is widely considered to be one of the most important periods in the history of the U.S. It represented a time when the states identified their main political, economic, social, and cultural characteristics, which would later on influence the equilibrium that had to be established in the Union. However, due to historical experiences, natural resources, and more importantly, to the immigration flux that touched America as early as the 17th century, a certain differentiation between the North and the South states became increasingly visible. In the end, it was an important factor that triggered the start of the Civil War.

The economic development in both regions of the country manifested itself at all the levels of the society. Therefore, in order to have a proper view on the actual consequences of this economic separation, it is important to consider the levels at which it had an effect. However, first and foremost, the actual developments in the economic field were the ones that would determine the eventual split between the colonies.

There were various factors that played a role in the different evolution of the colonies. Firstly, there was the matter of the actual settlers that arrived in the first days of the colonial system. In this sense, the Northern part was populated with puritans from Britain who arrived from Britain in the early 17th century. A deeply religious group, their personal and moral beliefs helped them establish a particular economic practice that was based on economic individualism and self sufficiency. Consequently, this characteristic determined a certain pattern in terms of economic evolution of the area. Also, the natural conditions allowed them to have a limited use of the land as means of profit and oriented themselves towards sea related activities. As well, this practice enabled them to have a deeper sense of the future industrial perspective of the country.

On the other hand, the middle and south part of the American territory was dominated by colonists whose religious and moral practices enabled them to have a looser view on both economic development and life in general. In this sense, in the middle part of the colonies, the Quakers were a very responding colonial presence. Their religious beliefs advocated a free and cooperative spirit, an issue that would have an important role in the future development of states such as Delaware, New York, or Pennsylvania. The practices they considered to be suited for the natural characteristics of the land, taking into account the fact that it was relatively limited in terms of fertility, were more related to a combined economy, based more on a cooperative spirit and entrepreneurship, rather than well established plans or on the contrary, a non-functional system.

An important element must be taken into account however which is the great amount of immigrants that came to live in the middle parts of the country. More precisely, during the 17th and 18th century, Germans, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Welsh, and Swedes came to the U.S. And chose New York and Pennsylvania as a place for refuge. Indeed, the New York Harbor did represent the first gate to America, still, the tolerant nature of the Quakers, as well as the good economic conditions present in the region, made immigrants interested in the middle states and, through their presence, they contributed to the configuration of a local economic and social character.

The evolution of the south part of the colonial framework can be viewed as one of the most intriguing elements making up the future United States. The colonists that settled in these areas represented indeed an essential factor in determining the development of the states. In this sense, the Anglicans, although went through different changes and was at times split by various pressures of reformation, maintained the grip on the southern states and influenced greatly the degree in which the area would develop.

One of the first results of the evolution of the south was the institution of slavery. The natural conditions allowed dwellers in the region to achieve a high rate of profit from the agricultural sector. Still, the labor force was scarce in terms of cheap labor. The institution of slavery emerged as a natural consequence of the demand for free labor and in the light of the financial success it enjoyed, it became more the characteristic of the southern economy, rather than a means of achieving profit. In the end, the difference between the North economic practices and the Southern use of slavery would determine the burst of the Civil War.

One of the first consequences of the particular differences between the North and South states was the way in which the society came to be divided. In this sense, "the working class of colonial times consisted of three groups of Americans: indentured servants, enslaved workers, and free wage laborers" (Weinberg, 2002). The particular nature of the economy practiced in the North and Southern states greatly influenced the structure of the society and of the labor force. In this sense, for instance, the Northern states did not need an important labor force due to the fact that most economic practices were related to individual activities such as fishery, manufacturing, that did not require additional work input. Therefore, the northern society did not encourage slavery or low paid jobs, as "In New England, about one-third of the labor force in the early years of settlement were indentured servants" (Weinberg, 2002). By comparison, on the southern plantations, profit could not be achieved but through an increasing labor force which most often came from slaves or indentured servants. In this sense, figures show that "During 1630-1680, a half-century when tobacco-growing became the main occupation in the Chesapeake area, about 75,000 English immigrants arrived of whom up to 56,000 were indentured servants," therefore the ratio between the free people and the enslaved ones was far smaller than in the rest of the country (Weinberg, 2002).

Consequently, the characteristics between the Northern and Southern societies became somewhat opposed; while the former came to forcefully oppose slavery, the latter advocated the increase of slave trade and the slavery institution. This difference would eventually come to represent an essential point in the setting of the Civil War.

Another important consequence of the economic development of the North and South, through their own particular means, was the eventual evolution of the political scene (Jenkins, 1997). The colonial era was a time in which new political and philosophical ideas emerged relating to the freedom of the human being, the equality among men, and the essential importance of human rights and liberties. The American Revolution was a historical example of the significance these ideal had for the emergence of the United States. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Republicanism advocated the spiritual and humane connection between all men who are created equal, the establishment of slavery as a common practice in the South denied slaves and indentured servants the rights enshrined in the Constitution. More precisely, taking into account the fact that the North was reluctant to actually exploit the African-American groups, the South had the financial benefits to consider and therefore advocated for an unlimited slave trade. Even so, though this ominous practice, fail to take into consideration the rights and moral values the American democracy was considered to rely upon. Therefore the economic considerations allowed the North to have an enlightened view on the morality of democracy, while the South became entrenched in the perspective offered by the acute need for human exploitation.

One of the most important consequences of the different economic character between the North and the South in colonial America was the cultural aspect and more precisely at the level of education. The establishment of a different educational system in the two parts of the country was not necessarily a consequence of eventual financial differences between the North and the South. Both parts of the country enjoyed a certain sense of economic prosperity, but this profit was achieved through differing economic activities, an element which influenced to a large degree the actual evolution of the society as a whole. Concerning the cultural level in the society, the fact that the North was less influenced by an African-American element, the culture was not so much oriented towards a black component. Still, the Northern society's relative acceptance of the African-Americans allowed them to manifest themselves to a larger degree and even influence the way in which the issue of slavery was perceived in the North (Jenkins, 1997). Due to the fact that the North was more open minded and engaged in activities that involved individual labor, they were also more attached to education and culture in general. In this sense, the first universities came to be established in the Northern part of the country. Another issue that influenced the increase in education was the nature of the population. The puritans were… READ MORE

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