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The northern states began to produce new technology, and his production allowed them to trade and influence the rest of the world more than ever before. Prior to the Industrial Revolution homes all over the British colonies were almost entirely self-sufficient. They were mostly small farms that could survive with little help from others. Neighbors were few and far between, so there was rarely anyone to call on for help. However, during the Industrial Revolution, people began to move into the cities faster than ever before.
The population of cities grew rapidly and the average home became less and less elf-sufficient This was because it is impossible to have a farm in the middle of a city and people were so close together that they could easily help one another. This forced those living in the city to buy their food from farms located outside of the cities. Since the South maintained its agricultural identity, the South began to make more and more money by selling their crops to the city-dwellers in the North. It was the North, however, that benefited from technological advancements.
Before the Civil War, the majority of the railroads were located in the North. This proved to give the North an advantage because the Northern troops could be respelled more quickly than the soldiers fighting in the South. Also, the South was still entirely dependent on slaves, while the North was increasingly dependent on technology and the farms in the South. The technological gap between the North and South continued to increase. There was a downside to the North’s advancements, though. When the Civil War broke out, the North was still dependent on the South for the majority of its food supply.
This dependence caused the price of food in the North to shoot p. Also the cities were growing faster than medical advancements could support. This caused the average lifestyle and lifespan to deteriorate significantly. One of the most important differences, was global influence. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the Thirteen Colonies had little influence over the rest of the world. As the Industrial Revolution progressed and new technologies were being created in the United States, the United States gained a significant edge. This edge allowed the United States to become a larger player in world affairs.