The North had always been busier, and more in tune with
entrepreneurism.The economy of New England, and the upper middle states,
were up to this period, dominated by overseas shipping and agriculture.
Now they were moving towards manufacturing, and "empire building" at
home. They created the Erie Canal, from the ocean to the great lakes and with this deep
into the Northwest.
New York became the trading hub of a huge expanse territory and was soon named the
"Empire State".
There was also, in the North, a distinct shift in the structure of society. The
original "New Englanders" had been different from the southern colonists.
Religion for instance was an important issue. In New England people were urged to study
the Bible and read religious writings. A high value was put onto learning to read and
write.
In the Jacksonian North, the old patriarchal system, in which the family name and
a mystique of power and honor played a big role, was yielding to another power such as
money and manufacturing assets. Wealth did not have to be shown openly and often was
quietly locked into bankvaults or kept in portfolios.
Northerners were less willing to settle disputes with a gun than men from the
South. To evalidate themselves Northern men were less often than the southerners seeking
pleasure in winning fights. To break dependents in order to gain complete control
over such unfortunates, a common "gentlemen sport" in the South was frowned upon
by the Northerners.
The North began to see the South as an uncivilized, unchristian part of the Union.
