The Economies of The South and North

Manufacturing and Agriculture were major factors in the economic growth in America during the first half of the 19th century. Manufacturing allowed cheap raw materials to be turned into profitable manufactured goods while Agriculture was a stable economic source and provided raw materials needed for Manufacturing. However, manufacturing and agriculture alone could not have achieved the Industrial economy that America was striving for. Transportation had to be incorporated to produce a prosperous economy. Therefore, developments in transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing were the necessary factors that sparked American economic growth.

Americans realized the need for a good transportation system to create a stable economy. Transportation would allow goods to travel to far away places, especially raw materials and food. The Northeast was able to gain food much faster as the transportation system in America developed, this meant the small farmers in the Northeast were no longer needed and the small farmers could join the factories. America ensured their strong economy by developing turnpikes, canals, and railroads. Canals were an effective form of transportation for some time because it was much cheaper then transporting items across land. Railroads lessened “the dependence of the West on the Mississippi, the railroads also helped further the connection between the Northwest and the South” (Brinkley 256).

The South was dominantly agrarian, and contributed to most of Americas Agricultural goods. With the developments of the cotton gin and the reaper, the Southern farmers were able to produce their goods very efficiently. The Southern agricultural products contributed to most of the Southern economy, and also created raw materials that could be used by manufacturers to the North. An example of an abundant raw material the South or the Northwest farmers created was cotton, which was very useful for the Northeast textile industry. This saved America money because it did not have to travel further distances for the raw material it needed to allow its manufacturing industry to expand. Also, a lot of Agricultural goods could be exported to Europe for more markets producing a lot of income for many American citizens.

Manufacturing though dominated mostly by the Northeast, was minimally present in other regions of America. With the abundant supply of raw materials in America, and the great advancements in transportation, manufacturing was able to flourish. Manufacturing allowed the abundant cheap raw materials to transform into lucrative manufactured goods. These lucrative manufactured goods allowed America to become more independent, because it wouldn’t have to require the assistance of European countries anymore. Thus, it would save money from not having to transport the good from across the Atlantic ocean, and it could sell it to the European countries at a high cost.

Conclusively, the developments in manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation aided in the development of a prosperous American economy. Transportation allowed for the efficient travel of manufactured goods and raw materials. It also allowed for the development of manufacturing and helped agriculture become more prosperous. Agriculture, created a stable source of income for Americans, and its products were a good source of raw material for manufacturing especially cotton. Manufacturing allowed America to create a massive amount of wealth because it allowed mass production. Not to mention, its manufactured goods made America less dependent on its European