U.S history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S history - Essay Example Brazil was the only exception – there slavery was abolished later than in the US. However, the period of independent existence of this country was much shorter. Severe nature of the Northern states provided appropriate conditions for the industrial development. The local model of economy required highly motivated and skilled workers. Of course, the quality of slave labor could not meet these requirements. On the other hand, plantation economy of the South was in need of mass low-qualified labor force. The institute of slavery seemed to be a perfect solution. The bigger the plantation was, the more slaves its owner needed. Thus, the economic advancement of the Southern states was rather fast-paced. Unpaid slave labor became its integral component. The economy has been especially profitable from the 1840s until the beginning of the Civil War. Cotton, its main export product, was one of the most important factors of its success. The demand for cotton was really high in European countries, especially in Great Britain. In addition, the prices for cotton tended to increase. People used to call cotton â€Å"the King†. Southern plantations supplied 75% of the worlds cotton by 1860 – it accounted almost 50% of the export of the US. The agrarian slave-owning South and the industrial North used to be independent economic regions in the early 19th century. Each state could pursue its own economic policy. Despite the constant population increase and economic development, the flow of integration processes was rather slow. The North required resources from the South, especially cotton. At the same time, the South was in need of machinery from the North. That is why the coexistence of these two regions had been peaceful and mutually profitable for a long time. However, a number of contradictions emerged soon. One of the most disputed issues related to the institute of slavery. It is possible to provide many examples. Fugitive slaves is one of them.