Compare and contrast how the United States developed both national and regional identities between 1776 and 1860.

Views on Race and Labor

Westward Expansion

Industrial North vs Agricultural South

Party politics

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Both North and South held African Americans as the inferior race, creating a racial hierarchy

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Regional Identity- While everyone desired to expand westward, the North and South were divided on how to do it. The biggest debate was whether the new territories should be free or slave states. ex) Missouri Compromise, 36/30 line

National Identity- Westward expansion was something all Americans desired. They wanted to spread American ideals and increase the country's power.
ex) Manifest Destiny

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Freehling: Party divisions were really prevalent

Rep vs Dem:

England noted this in response to ideas of America winning the "moral war"

International Trade

Second Great Awakening, America as a "Christian nation"

Differing approaches to labor and slavery

Split in ideals (political parties). Political divisiveness a part of the country

Industrial-dependent North and Agricultural(slave)-dependent South

Embargo act

South- agriculture, importation to drive down price, immediate

North- domestic industries, factory labor, long-term

Civil War

Dominant industry was manufactured goods for the North and raw materials for the South

Growing American economic independence

Stunted industry in America - ideal of independent farmers temporarily achieved

International- profit/low production cost wanted by all, balance of import/domestic

America as a free nation

Demographic Identity

Regional Identity

National Identity

North had a lot more immigrants in comparison to the South, the South had more African American slaves. This demographic contributed to southern and northern identities of an agrarian lifestyle and an industrial lifestyle, respectively.

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Different regions had different political views. Democratic South and the Republican North

North has a more localized economic system

Border, Middle, and Lower South had different amounts of slavery with its different composition on black and white belts

Border South was mainly neutral in the Civil War.

North developed more advanced railroads than the South