Untitled Flashcard Set

Northern Economy

Focused on factories, manufacturing, railroads, and small family farms; became more industrialized during the Industrial Revolution.

Southern Economy

Dependent on agriculture and cash crops, especially cotton; relied heavily on enslaved labor.

Interchangeable Parts

Manufacturing concept introduced by Eli Whitney; allowed for replacement and assembly of identical parts, revolutionizing production.

Protective Tariff

A tax on imported goods aimed at protecting American industries by making foreign products more expensive.

States’ Rights

The belief that state governments should have more power than the federal government, especially in making decisions about slavery.

Slavery and Political Power

A significant dividing issue; Southern economy depended on slavery while Northerners generally opposed it.

Republican Party

Political party formed in the 1850s aimed at stopping the spread of slavery into Western territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Legislation that allowed settlers to vote on whether to allow slavery in new territories, leading to conflict in 'Bleeding Kansas'.

Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney; revolutionized the cotton industry by significantly increasing cotton production and processing efficiency.

Geographic Differences

Land, climate, and resources shaped living conditions, economic development, and created tensions between the North and South.

Nullification Crisis

A conflict in which South Carolina attempted to ignore a federal tariff law, highlighting the tensions between state and federal authority.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at balancing free and slave states in the Senate to maintain peace.

Economic Policies and Tariffs

Disagreements between the North and South regarding taxes on imports, affecting Southern trade.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent events in the Kansas Territory over the decision to allow slavery, stemming from the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Vision for America

By 1860, the North envisioned an industrial nation while the South aimed to protect agriculture and slavery.