The Cotton Gin and The Civil War

The Economic Differences between the North and South

In the mid-19th century, the United States was undergoing an era of significant growth. However, a fundamental economic difference emerged between the south and north regions. In the Northern part, industry and manufacturing were well considerably established, and agricultural production was carried out by small-scale farmers (Schoen, 2009). On the other hand, the economy of the south was primarily anchored on the system of large-scale farming which depended on labor supplied by the black slaves to cultivate some crops such as tobacco and cotton.

The Impact of Abolitionist Campaigns on the South

Moreover, the growing abolitionist campaigns in the North led to several southerners to fear that slavery which was the backbone of their economy was under threat. In 1954, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act that gave impetus to slavery. There were anti and pro-slavery forces that struggled violently while resistance to the Act in the North necessitated the formation of the Republican Party that opposed slavery. The 1857 Supreme Court ruling regarding the Dred Scott case affirming that slave trade was legal and John Brown’s attack on Ferry convinced the southerners that their neighbors were out to destroy them (Schoen, 2009). This paper argues that the invention of the cotton gin caused the Civil War in three distinct ways discussed herein.

The Aspects of the Cotton Gin and the Civil War

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney as an economic factor made the Civil War be inevitable. During this time, the economic victory was considered to be in the hands of the modern northerners who saw slaves as unproductive. In other words, if the economy further declined then there would be the end to slavery without bloodshed. However, the invention of the cotton gin exacerbated slavery and the slave trade among the southerners because it resulted in huge profits again. As a result, the southerners resorted to defending this practice militarily (Rasmussen, 1962). The southerners decided to vacate the union in order to preserve their economic system. However, the core belief of the Northerners that the union was eternal led to a revolution that the south was avoiding. Moreover, President Lincoln stressed that despite the fact that he was against slavery, he would not interfere with it. President Lincoln used anti-slavery sentiment to win support from the Northerners but later abandoned the calls from abolitionists.

The Impact on the Political Landscape

The invention of the cotton gin led to the development of an economic proposal that overturned the Missouri Compromise. In 1854, Douglas proposed an economic system based on a trans-continental railroad which altered the political landscape. Additionally, the Kansas-Nebraska Act placed much pressure on the North to push for the abolition of slavery (Rasmussen, 1962). The ’bleeding Kansas’ incident contributed to heightened tensions between the North and South leading to economic conflicts which could not be addressed by the politics of that time. The two sides had resolved to apply arms to address their differences but it was just a matter of time when this would happen (Schoen, 2009). The different economic structures in the south and north were a significant division hence made the conflict to be inevitable. For instance, the northerners needed tariffs to protect their industries which the southerners were opposed to this economic arrangement. Consequently, the failure by both sides to reach a compromise over protectionism issue was a paramount issue in the development of sectionalism which prompted the conflict.

The Ideological Differences

The invention of the cotton gin was instrumental in fostering the ideological differences between the southerners and the northerners. The agitation by the abolitionists provoked a negative reaction from the southerners (Schoen, 2009). Consequently, the abolitionists were considered to be extremists and not the opinion of the majority in the North. In this regard, there was little difference between the north and the south in terms of white supremacy. However, it can be argued that the divergent economic ideology facilitated the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States. The two geographical sides adopted beliefs which were diametrically different from one another (Rasmussen, 1962). The southerners saw the invention of cotton gin as an opportunity to gain more productivity from slavery. On the other hand, the northerners deemed slaves to be unproductive hence the need to stop the practice.

Conclusion

The Civil War was fought on the basis of ideological differences between the southerners and the northerners. In the mid-19th century, the United States of America was experiencing considerable economic growth. In the south region, slaves were the main economic drivers as opposed to the northern side where slaves were considered to be unproductive (Schoen, 2009). However, the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney changed the socio-economic and political landscape when the southerners got the impetus to recruit more slaves to work in their cotton plantations and factories. Moreover, the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowing for continued slavery overturned political compromise that existed between the two sides (Rasmussen, 1962). Consequently, this paper observes that the invention of the cotton gin fundamentally caused the Civil War in the U.S.

References

Rasmussen, W. D. (1962). The impact of technological change on American agriculture, 1862–1962. The Journal of Economic History, 22(4), 578-591.

Schoen, B. (2009). The Fragile Fabric of Union: Cotton, Federal Politics, and the Global Origins of the Civil War. JHU Press.