Why were all of the slave states in the south?

Answer 1

There was some slavery in the North. However, it was not the important part of life as in the South because of the different types of people who settled in each area. The North was founded by small time farmers and hard working Puritans who had rebelled against the English and the English way of life. Their church, family and community were important and closely knit.

The people who settled in the South wanted to set up income producing estates like the ones they came from in England. Because of the custom of primogeniture the eldest sons inherited the estates in England. The younger sons had to make their own way and many came to America and set up plantations. Since they didn't have enough cash on hand to purchase the land and set up income producing plantations with paid laborers they turned to unpaid slave labor. They used the backbreaking toil of slaves to enrich themselves and to reproduce the fine lifestyle they had enjoyed in England with slaves instead of paid servants.

There is also a substantial climate-related element which helped create the north-south split. The climate in the northern states gives a very short growing season. Most of the crops of the north are planted and harvested at very specific times. If slaves had been used, they would have had no work to do most of the year. But slaves have to be fed, housed, clothed, and guarded all year round. Slavery simply was not economical in the north. The south has longer growing seasons and slaves could be worked most of the year.

There was a religious divide as well. The Quakers were extremely important in Pennsylvania and Quaker thought had a large impact on that state and on the neighboring states of New York and Ohio. The Quakers were firmly opposed to slavery and helped abolish it throughout the northern states.