The result of the lack of agriculture in the Northern region gave the Southern some advantages and caused an increased need for trade. They sustained trade with Africa and Indians which is known as “The Triangular Trade”. The South had more of a one-crop-economy which caused a lack of stability in their area since this was directly affected by supply, demand and climate.
The Northern region was mainly prosperous, educated, and overall healthy in most cases. This was mainly due to the government that was put in place and the main focus of production and material items. The South did not have the same opportunities as the schooling was limited due to the spread out locations of the people and lack of funding for more schools. Education is the back bone of success in the US.
It is quite evident that having two completely opposite ways of life and thinking can lead to a direct influence to how each region viewed the political side of life. The Northern region had the anti-slavery expansion activists known as the Republican party. This group opposed the Southern states which had a dominant group as well known as the Democrats. Both of these parties exist today and are still very opposite in their concepts and methods.
I have witnessed the contrast between states myself. An example would be
References: Sen. Miller. (2003). Washington Times. In How Democrats lost the South. Retrieved 03/21/2012, from washingtonpost.com.