Essay Example: United States Economy Transition From the Events Before Eve of the Civil War

On the eve of the civil war, the American economy is observed to portray significant changes in its properties. During this period of the early 1800s, America had established a majorly agricultural-based economy. The eve of the civil war is then identified as the major point of transition to the United States’ development into one of the most influential industrial nations in the 1900s. There are, however, the differences in progress that are observed in various regions of America with regard to industrialization. It is considering the various existing factors that then limited average constant progress to all regions. The Mason-Dixon line is a basis for the determination of areas with minimal progress. The region South of this line was observed to lag with the revolution.

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As such, in 1860, areas of the South were still more of agriculturally based societies and were mostly dependent on that. It is considered that trading on staples was the primary source of income for most households and the identified contributors to the world market. The United States, during this period, a significant source to identified agricultural products like cotton. During this period, the Northern American States had established as more industrial-based economies. The banking platforms in the South were also not well established. It is related to the less sophisticated financial framework then existing in the South.

Consequently, despite the Southern states being more agricultural-based than the Northern States, farmers from the Northern States experience better levels of agricultural output. It is from the adaptation of related machinery into selected farming procedures. It is also considered that the more manufacturing economy established in the North would be a more significant addition to the war. It was offering an opportunity to advancement in war equipment and the provision of an abundance of needed resources. More of the finished products by 1860 came from the northern states.

Both the Northern and Southern states then initiated appropriated advances that would effectively assure their mobilization towards the war. During this period, a more precise understanding of both strengths and weaknesses that both these regions possessed economically was established. The northern was more of a free market while the southern sourced most of its labor from slaves. The most significant aspect was determining whether these regions could sustain themselves with the actualization of the civil war. As such, the North concentrated more on materializing on the positive impacts that more aggressive industrialization would relay to assuring the sustainability of the northern region during the war period.

Mobilization of the South was observed to be more difficult considering the economic properties of the region. Poor transport networks are related to the lesser level of industrialization in the region. It is also considered that most of the South’s economic activities entirely relied on the slave workforce. At this time, however, cotton and other agricultural products had their prices at the highest on the eve of the civil war. It provided an opportunity for collaboration with some well-established European Nations. In particular, England and France had established industries that largely relied on raw materials like cotton. It was offering a better chance for Southern states to acquire the machinery necessary to improve on their levels of production and war capabilities. Machinery was available that would enable a single farmer to perform relatively all farming processes from planting to harvesting and the finale of processing of all of their products in a single unit. Such increased the pace to which these activities we’re previously done by human labor. Such equipment eliminated the need for more labor-based farming to more profitable machinery production.

In the North, transport systems were better established during this period. The free state allowed for immigration, and more Europeans moved in. Other industries were similarly benefiting from these from the ability to assure timely delivery of both raw materials and final products. The situation was different in the South as most farmers we’re unable to deliver their products—it due to the not-so-developed transport network.

Major Aspects of the Change

During this period, there is the identification of several significant economic aspects that were presented. The concept of industrialization significantly arises in any particular situation that has been studied. There is progress within society, establishing as the primary factor determining the levels of economic development between the Northern and Southern states. The North observed to progress more with regards to industrialization due to the free state nature prominently established theirs. The South is similarly observed to be forced to move away from slavery. It is considering the noticeable advantages of the adaptation of farming machinery relayed to an increase in production. Banking in the South was not dominantly established. There then raised the need for better establishment of their banking systems from the then increase in production and related income.

Reference

Dunaway, W.A. (1996). The first American frontier: Transition to capitalism in Southern Appalachia, 1700-1860. University of North Carolina Press.