167k views
1 vote
What did the North and South produce?

1 Answer

0 votes

Final answer:

The North was industrially advanced, with a large population, numerous factories, and an extensive rail system, producing a variety of goods and war materials. The South was agriculturally focused, heavily reliant on cotton production through slave labor, and producing few industrial goods compared to the North. Southern economy was intertwined with global markets, notably British textile manufacturing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The North and the South produced different types of goods due to their varying economic structures. The North, with a population of about 22 million people and 1.3 million factory workers, produced a wide range of industrial goods, nearly nine times as many as the South. Northern factories and a well-developed rail system were critical to the Union's success during the Civil War, supplying the military and efficiently moving troops.

In contrast, the South had a population of 9 million with only about 110,000 individuals working in factories. It relied heavily on agriculture, producing the bulk of the world's supply of cotton through the institution of slavery. Other Southern products included rice, indigo, turpentine, and tar. While the South became more connected to the American and world markets and had its textile industry grow, post-Civil War expansions saw more rail built and textiles produced but often under the control of Northern interests.

The industrial and transportation revolutions transformed the North into an industrial powerhouse, able to supply its citizens and troops with abundant food and war materials. Meanwhile, the South remained largely agrarian, reliant on its cotton production, which was entrenched in the global market, particularly the British Empire's textile industry. This reliance made the South economically dependent on other countries and regions for food and manufactured goods.

User Hadiyah
by
8.8k points