When comparing the North and the South in the pre-war period, you need to consider the differences in major areas: climate, geography, population, cities, economy, culture, and transportation. The south has a generally warm and sunny climate, with long, hot and humid summers and mild winters, with heavy rain. Additionally, the soil is plentiful, rich, and full of nutrients. These characteristics make the southern climate ideal for large-scale agriculture and the ability to grow many different crops in large quantities. Geographically, the Southeast borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and has many wide, slow-moving, navigable rivers. Cities developed along these rivers and as ports (for ships) along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Atlantic Coastal Plain is an area of ​​fertile, rich soil and marshes. West of the Atlantic Coast Plain is Piedmont, another area full of good farmland and forest. The population of the South was made up of Europeans (mostly of English and Scots-Irish origin) and enslaved Africans. By 1860 there were 4 million slaves in the American South, making the United States the largest slave-holding republic in the world. In other words, the total population of the South reached 12 million, a third of whom were slaves. The South was a predominantly agricultural region, made up mostly of farmers. Most farmers lived inland (far from large towns or cities) on medium-sized farms, while a small number of cultivators operated large farms or plantations. Only a quarter of the South's population owned slaves, and most of these were planters who owned only a small number of slaves. The remainder of the population consisted of independent (non-slaveholding) white farmers, tenant farmers (who rented land and paid landowners in crops or money), workers, or frontier families who moved into the region for inexpensive land. As noted, most Southerners lived on farms scattered along the coastal plains (near the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico), as well as small farmers further inland. Because the economy was based on agriculture, industries and cities developed at a slower pace than in the North. There were many small towns along the river banks and coasts. Only a few large cities developed as commercial centers in the South (New Orleans, for example), but they were fewer and smaller than in the North. The plantations were so large and so far apart that they became almost self-sufficient, like small towns. Because the Southern economy was based on agriculture, crops such as cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cane, and indigo (a type of dye) were grown in large quantities. These crops were known as “cash crops” and were grown not for use by the farmer, but to be sold or exported for profit. They were raised in large numbers on large farms, known as plantations, which were supported by slave labor. After Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became “king” of the Southern economy. The cotton gin was a machine that separated the seed from the cotton fiber much faster than could be done manually. This increased the value of each individual slave and made slavery more profitable. To clear land and grow cotton, Southerners increasingly began using slave labor. Slavery was essential to the prosperity of the Southern economy. Therefore, both slavery and the industry ofCotton began to develop rapidly, spreading to many parts of the South. In 1793, Southern farmers produced about 10,000 bales of cotton, but by 1835, thanks to the cotton gin and the increasing use of slaves, they were growing over 1,000,000 bales. By the mid-1800s, cotton exports made up two-thirds of the total value of American exports. Because the South had little production of its own, Southerners wanted imports or cheap goods from abroad. Likewise, since they themselves exported most of their cotton and tobacco overseas, most Southerners believed that high tariffs, or taxes on imported goods, would scare away foreign markets that purchased their crops. For these reasons the South was against the tariffs. Culture and life in the South revolved around the small, wealthy planter class and the agricultural system they controlled. The planters were the aristocracy, or upper class, of the South. They lived as country gentlemen of England and managed the political and economic life of the South. Plantations were far apart and developed their own communities, just like small towns. Recreational activities included such things as fox hunting, dancing, horse racing, and watching dog or chicken fights. In the South there were few schools and churches, as neither education nor religion was very organized. The best educated were often the sons of wealthy planters. On plantations there were sometimes small schools, and planters often hired private tutors for each of their children until they were sent to private schools. Small farmers had little or no education. Long-distance transportation methods, such as steamships and railroads, affected the South because using them products could be more easily sold to more distant markets. By 1860 approximately 10,000 miles of railroad stretched across the Southern states. While this was enough to more easily sell the South's crops, the railroad system was still not as extensive as that of the North. Meanwhile, hundreds of steamboats moved Southern crops to the North and to European markets. When comparing the North and the South in the pre-war period, it is necessary to consider the differences in the main areas: climate, geography, population, cities, economy, culture and transportation. The North has a climate of hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Geographically the terrain is rocky, hilly, making the land poor for agriculture. These conditions, along with a short growing season, made farming difficult. As a result, most Northern farms were “subsistence” farms, or personal farms where farmers grew food or supplies for themselves or their families. Most of the forest consisted of trees that would be used for shipbuilding. There are many sheltered bays and inlets on the Atlantic coast. Settlers found that ships could navigate wide rivers in many of these bays. Most rivers are fast, shallow and difficult to navigate. At one point, called the Fall Line, a plateau on which eastward-flowing rivers fell into the western plains, the numerous waterfalls of most of the rivers made them no longer navigable. At the Fall Line many ships unloaded their cargo. In these places cities arose that served as commercial centers. Soon people realized that the waterfalls were a cheap source of energy, and the power of the water began to be used to run factories. The period between 1800 and 1860 brought rapid population growth throughout the United States. In the North the overall population has increased from around 5 million 15%.