After the independence of the United States, why did the North and South economies differ?

After the independence of the United States, the economic gap between the North and the South led to different development paths.

Because the economic ties between the north and Europe are closer and the industrial base in the north is stronger, the capitalists in the north hope to have more free people. We all know that to develop capitalism, we must first have a large machinery industry and a labor force. The economic base of the south is slavery, and the main export to Europe is cotton.

At that time, the annual output value of North China was US$ 654.38 +0.5 billion, and the population was 22.34 million. However, there were only 6.5438+0.3 million railway employees in Wan Li. The annual output value of South China is US$ 6.5438+0.55 million, with a population of more than 9 million, railways are only 9,000 miles, workers are only 6.5438+0.65438+0 million, and slaves are more than 4 million, accounting for almost half of the population.

This shows that the north needs a large number of workers but no one, and the economy is basically unified. Because the south is a plantation economy, the economies are independent of each other, as can be seen from the railway figures. Therefore, the northern economy requires the south to liberate slaves.

Extended data:

The civil war destroyed slavery. Civil War is the second bourgeois revolution in American history, but it solved the problem of farmers' land well, safeguarded national unity, cleared the way for the accelerated development of American capitalism, and laid the foundation for the United States to rank among the world powers.

During the civil war, the industrial revolution brought great military progress. The two sides used metal shells and heavy rifles to fight, used railways and steam boats to realize rapid maneuvering and assembly of troops, and used steam armored warships to conduct naval battles. Mechanical rifles were put into actual combat for the first time, especially the production mode of manufacturing standardized parts and assembling weapons was developed in the north, which greatly improved the industrial production efficiency and promoted the progress of American history.

In the history since the founding of the United States, the civil war is the only civil war. After this war, the United States was truly unified. Although the direct purpose of this war was not to safeguard the freedom of blacks, in the process of civil war, black slavery eventually collapsed.

Since then, the United States has established a relatively consistent economic structure, clearing the way for further economic development. After the implementation of the Homestead Law, the United States further accelerated the development of land resources in the west.

By the end of 19, the United States has become the most advanced industrial and agricultural capitalist country in the world. In the reconstruction period after the civil war, although blacks were still discriminated against in many aspects and exploited by plantation owners, they gradually gained civil rights and voting rights in politics and were liberated from slavery. Therefore, this war is of great significance in American history and world human rights history.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Civil War