The north and south labour systems and effect on American Civil War - Essay Example

? The North and South Labor Systems and Effect on American Civil War The North and South Labor Systems and Effect on American Civil War In his book, Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of Civil War Bruce Levine captures the events that led to the civil war in the United States of America. The book looks at the United States of America as it began to widen and eventually separated towards two opposing poles. The country was no longer united, as the name suggests but divided apart by the principles and practices set by the north and south. Levine argues that the main cause of the civil war was because of slavery. In his own words, Levine states that, “The distinctive ways in which North and South organized their labor systems left their mark on all aspects of regional life.” (Levine, 2005, p. 14)Eventually the "…sharpening clash of outlooks and interests…" (Levine, 2005) led to the American Civil War. The two labor systems brought about an opposing set of outlooks and interests that could not be reconciled in a peaceful way. According to Levine (2005), southern secession happened because they wanted to fight for the maintenance of the slavery institution in the United States of America. This is because their economy largely depended on the labor that was provided mainly by slaves. The northern part had grown economically because of the increased immigration from Europe. Therefore, they had enough labor for their production activities. There were many industries in the north and people enjoyed liberty and freedom that was characterized by the availability of land for everyone. On the other hand, the south depended on bonded labor for production. Few people owned large parcels of land in the south with many people owning small pieces of land. Many others were slaves and had to work on the large farms owned by few (Levine, 2005). In the years before the start of the civil war, Americans in the North and Northern west had different economic interests with the Americans living in the South and Southwest America. Despite the fact that the civil war in America was caused by a combination of other factors, the divergent economic interests contributed to the animosity that existed between the North and the South. They contributed to the establishment of the confederacy and the victory achieved by the union. The United States of America was an agricultural hub before, during and just after the civil war. Three quarters of the population in America lived in rural areas. The rural areas comprised of farms and small towns (Levine, 2005). Despite the fact that factories were established in the North and South, the establishment of industries and industrial manufacturing activities took place in the North. In 1860, the South had an estimated 25 percent of free population but only accounted for 10 percent of the capital of the country. The development of industries in the North was five times more that of the South. The number of factory workers in the North exceeded that of the South by ten times. Ninety percent of the skilled labor in the United States of America was in the North (Levine, 2005). The above information shows that the labor characteristics in the North and South were remarkably different. Labor in the North was expensive and laborers were not tied to a particular station. Workers were very active and mobile. The competition in the labor market was intensified by the immigration from Europe and Asia. This influenced the rising of wages in the sense that wages remained relatively constant (Levine, 2005). The economy of the south was founded on the labor provided by African Americans who worked as slaves. They were exploited, oppressed and forced to provide cheap labor. Most white families did not own slaves. Out of 1.6 million families, about 384,000 owned slaves. Most of the families who owned slaves had about 20 slaves or less. However, those who owned many slaves were about 10,000 and owned large plantations. When Eli Whitney invented cotton gin, southern planters and farmers took up this horticultural farming and utilized slave labor to cut costs on production. Southern farmers bought manufactured products from the North and other items like foodstuff, clothes and furniture from the west and England. The labor systems in the North in the south influenced and changed all aspects of regional life in the two sections. This led to a clash in interests, outlooks and ways of doing things. In the north, a diversified, modern economy and manufacturing sector developed with a prosperous commercial life. A range of urban activities and services developed and shaped the life of people in the North. The North and Northwest developed close cultural and economic ties. The South on the other hand felt a sense of isolation and being left behind. It also grew dependent on the North for manufactured goods, commercial services and other essential necessities of life (Levine, 2005). The establishment of the tariff system on imported goods also intensified the differences between the North and the South. This favored the North because their goods would be cheap and it would attract more customers. However, it was disadvantageous to the South because they imported almost all manufactured goods. This meant that it would be expensive for them. In fact, their European trading partners would raise the price of their products imported by Southerners to have a profit on trade. The southerners felt abandoned by the congress because their interests were not adequately addressed. Bitter debates on slave status were signs that Southerners were losing their catch. This led to secession and the establishment of the confederacy. However, the existence of slavery in the South and the fear of the failure of the Confederate victory made foreign governments unwilling to give money to the Confederacy. The Confederacy had to find money by borrowing from its citizens and offered them Confederate bonds. The failure of this system led to the war that began in 1862. By the end of the war, South America had been destroyed economically, many people had died and massive destruction of property had been done. This led to extreme poverty (Levine, 2005). In conclusion, Levine’s thesis is true. The labor systems of the North and South contributed to the division of the North and South and in turn led to the civil war. The economic tension contributed to the political tensions between the North and the South. Despite the fact that the tensions and conflicts remained, the end of the civil war marked the beginning of a new era of economical, political and social development in the United States of America. Reference Levine, B. C. ( 2005). Half slave and half free: the roots of civil war: revised, illustrated. New York: Hill and Wang. Read More