What were some key differences between the north and the south before the Civil War started?

Answer 1

There were key differences between the South and the North prior to the beginning of the US Civil War. Here are some of them:

* The North had a developed, ongoing Federal government, and the South had to build one basically from scratch;

* The North was a recognized nation throughout the world, while the South was trying to become one;

* The North had an industrialized economy plus farmlands . This enabled them to produce food and weapons for the war. The South's economy was based on agriculture. The number of its factories was very small in relation to those of the North;

* The difference in sizes of population were dramatic. The North had over 23 million people from which to draw forces for an army. In the South, the population was around 9 million with almost 4 million of them slaves; and

* Although the North's navy was small, the South had no official warships. Each would build navies, however, the North had safe shipyards to build vessels, while the South did not.