The Worlds of North and South

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the differences between the North and South before the Civil War.

Cotton Gin

A hand-operated machine that cleans seeds and other unwanted material from cotton, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793.

Agrarian

A person who favors an agricultural way of life and government policies that support agricultural interests.

Plantation

A large area of privately owned land where crops are grown through the labor of workers, usually slaves, who lived on the land.

Industrial Revolution

The dramatic change in economies brought about by the use of machines to do work formerly done by hand.

Industrialist

A person whose wealth comes from the ownership of industrial businesses and who favors government policies that support industry.

Deforestation

The clearing away of forests.

King Cotton

A phrase used to indicate the economic dominance of cotton in the South after the invention of the cotton gin.

Wage Slaves

A derogatory term used by proud southerners to refer to factory workers in the North.

Cyrus McCormick

An inventor who built a working model of the reaper, which could cut 28 times more grain than a man using a scythe.

Clipper Ships

Sleek sailing ships introduced in the 1840s that cut ocean travel time in half, spurring northern trade.

Internal Improvements

Projects aimed at building infrastructure, such as roads and canals, to promote trade and connectivity.

Eli Whitney

The inventor of the cotton gin and key figure in the Industrial Revolution in America.

Social Structure

The organization of society, characterized in the South by a few wealthy plantation owners at the top and slaves at the bottom.

Immigrant

A person who moves from one country to another. Such a movement is called immigration.

Fast Ships

Ships that improved transportation abilities for trade, especially in the North, through innovations like steam engines.

Transportation Systems

The various methods and networks used for transporting goods and people, differing significantly between North and South.