The Union North had superior political, social, and economic factors that contributed to its victory over the Confederate South during the American Civil War. The Industrial Revolution began in America in the 1850s. The North adapted to become a more industrial and urban economy while the South was more reluctant towards technological improvement and remained an agricultural economy. The North has invested in technology that has made the production and transport of goods more efficient. The South, because of its agricultural economy, continued to purchase slaves for its workforce. Due to the lack of investment, transportation in the South was very difficult, which would have major repercussions in the future. In Congress, the Whig and Democratic parties dominated politics, and each party had different philosophies. However, together they passed the Fugitive Slave Law which required citizens of free soil states to return fugitive slaves to their owners. The act was popular among Southern slave owners while Northern abolitionists were enraged. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Hostilities between abolitionists and slave supporters would increase greatly after the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 which allowed Kansas territories to vote on whether or not to allow slavery, this was called popular sovereignty. This act was very unpopular among abolitionists and Whig politicians, especially a young man named Abraham Lincoln. He hated slavery and thought the slaves should be sent back to Africa, but he had no economically feasible plan to do so. The consequences of the act led to the collapse of the Whig party, the former members created the Republican party. The Bleeding Kansas event occurred in a large social context, resulting in increased North-South tensions and economic costs; the United States had to pay compensation of $150,000. Lincoln joined the Republican Party and ran for president in 1860. Because of his views on slavery, Lincoln was very unpopular in the South to the point that his name did not even appear on ballots. The South supported John Breckinridge, who would later join the Confederate Army, however Lincoln won the Electoral College vote. Lincoln's election victory led Southern states to secede from the Union fearing that Lincoln would abolish slavery. Fearing that more states would leave the Union, Congress proposed the Crittenden Compromise which would ensure the continued existence of slavery in slave states and included a clause to prevent its repeal or modification. Southern Democrats favored the compromise, but Republicans disliked and opposed it. After the Compromise was rejected, other Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederacy. The idea of forming a new nation was very popular among Southern citizens, and many white men volunteered for the army. However there was one big problem, the Confederate Army had no supplies to fully support their army, so some volunteers had to be sent home while most of the Confederate soldiers wore their own clothes and used their own weapons. After the attack on Fort Sumter, Lincoln appealed to state governors for troops while Union General Winfield Scott proposed blockading Southern ports and forcing submission to the Confederacy. His plan was criticized by Northern citizens who preferred a more offensive approach. The blockade of Southern ports greatly affected the Confederate economy along with Gran".
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