What Is The Difference Between The North And South

The American Revolution and the time before the Revolution occurred in the Seventeenth Century was the start of building America as an independent nation away from outside influences and control. The Thirteen Colonies had been divided into the North and South. Even though both the North and South were experiencing and working on becoming independent from outside influences like the British, there were changes that not both were existing in their colonies but there were some changes that were occurring in both. For example, economics, religion, government, and politics shared some similarities but also some differences did occur as well.
Economically the North and the South were similar in a few ways. “Squatting was a way of life among the
impoverished Scottish-Irish of Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and the governments of these and several other colonies came in time to recognize this practice by law.” Squatting was when one occupies land that is not owned yet unlawfully. Not every person had the money during this time period to support themselves as to buy land to work, own, and harvest on. This is when squatting took place because there was a surplus of land that had not yet been occupied by any person. Most people, especially Christians did not see this as being right or useful. This became a very popular method for people with limited or no money. This shows that in both areas, there was a desire for land even for the poor. Mercantilism was also a similarity between the two areas. Where New England was located geographically made it useful to the mother country to use its men and the southern countries really based itself on mercantilism which make the two areas similar. Mercantilism is when smaller countries or colonies strive to help the mother country. In this case, the mother country was England and was using the thirteen colonies of America to help benefit itself. The south was more for mercantilism and strived its economy on shipping off goods to help England, while the North was trying to benefit themselves and be involved in other trades. They both did indeed have mercantilism within themselves but just the extremes at which they served differed a little. The North and South's economies were similar because of squatters and mercantilism.
The economy for the North and South also had some differences.
For example the economy for the North is commerce as quoted: “The key economic fact about colonial New England was that it was an area fitted by nature for commerce rather than agriculture.” While the economy for the South the opposite: “Plantations dominated the economy of the tidewaters; small farms flourished in the back country of Virginia and the Carolinas.” This meaning that the North’s economy did not run through agriculture, rather it ran through commerce which was the exact opposite of the Souths plantations based economy. Just the geographic location alone with the North not being as suited for agriculture as the South is separates the economy of which both regions are capable of. The type of food and products that were exported from each area was also different. The North had corn, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, sheep, horses cattle, and swine while the South had naval stores, wheat, corn, furs, deerskin, flax, hemp, fruit, livestock, iron, and lumber. Both the North and South used these items to be involved in trade and grow their economies but they had different products that they were trading. Due just to the geographical location and climate differences aloud each area to have different items they were able to obtain and sell to make money for a better economy. The economic purpose and use of the land was the difference in economy between the North and
South.
Their Religion was similar is multiple ways. “It should therefore occasion no surprise to learn that nine of the thirteen colonies a state church was established and maintained in the colonial period.” Within those colonies there was Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Some of these colonies are in the North and some in the South which shows that even though they are in separate areas, they still shared a religions ideal that the state and church should be together as one. Most people were not happy with this and thought that it should be separate which took action later on. There later was the separation of church and state and religion was no longer involved in what the state was doing and vice versa. There also was the similarity it what is known as toleration among the Quakers. Toleration instead of separation was a goal the Quakers had in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia. This became a step in these few states that allowed more religious freedom. Even though it wasn't a huge step, it was still a progression in both northern and southern states that allowed the people to have more freedom. The North and South had similar religious belfire by the union between church and state and toleration instead of separation.