Final answer:
The industrial North and agricultural South diverged greatly due to the factory system, reinforcing the South's reliance on slavery and plantations, which widened economic and cultural gaps and heightened sectional tensions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of the factory system in the North and the reliance on agriculture in the South contributed to a widening cultural and economic gap between the two regions. In the South, the emphasis remained on plantation-style agriculture with a race-based class system. The lack of a significant industrial base meant fewer opportunities for a middle class to emerge, contributing to a conservative political philosophy to maintain the status quo. Moreover, the predominance of the cotton economy supported the institution of slavery, which in turn restricted social mobility and economic development.
The increasing divide was exacerbated by northern criticisms of the South's lack of social mobility and free labor, leading to heightened sectional tensions. Southerners, on the other hand, felt that the North's demands for higher tariffs were attempts to undermine their economy and promote an antislavery agenda. During the Civil War, these tensions manifested as economic problems, such as inflation and shortages, plagued both regions, albeit in different ways. After the war, there were efforts to reconstruct the South economically, but significant damage and the remaining shadow of the war complicated recovery efforts.