Final answer:
The conflicts between the North and South arose from Northern attempts to establish high tariffs on imported goods, which protected Northern industries but harmed Southern export competitiveness. This division was intensified by the market revolution following the War of 1812, which bolstered Northern manufacturing at the expense of the agricultural South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conflicts between the North and the South in the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War were complex and multifaceted. One major source of conflict resulted from Northern attempts to establish high tariff rates on imported goods. These tariffs were designed to protect burgeoning Northern industries against foreign competition. In response to increased tariffs, European countries imposed their own tariffs, which negatively affected Southern exports such as cotton and tobacco. Consequently, Northern and Southern economic interests diverged significantly, with the North developing a strong industrial base and the South remaining largely agricultural and reliant on exports. The Commerce Compromise attempted to navigate these tensions by allowing tariffs only on imports, not exports.
The need for protective tariffs was underscored by the economic changes following the War of 1812, which sparked the American market revolution. This revolution marked a shift from the United States relying heavily on exports of raw materials to becoming more self-sufficient with its own manufactured goods. As historically, the North became the nation's manufacturing center, with factories powered by water and steam, the imposition of tariffs became an increasingly contentious issue. Southerners felt the tariffs were unfair as they raised the prices of manufactured goods they relied on from the North and decreased the competitiveness of Southern exports abroad.
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