American Cultural History: Cultural Influences of the Condeferate and Union States

While the lack of healthcare and the long cold winters were still largely an issue for Northerners, there was hope with the continued investment in factories and machinery. The South omitted from investing in machinery and continued to invest in manual labor. This decision alone would shape the culture of the Union and the Confederacy. The initiation of factories highly influenced the unionistic point of view. The North had learned how to invest and import, providing greater wealth and self-sufficiency. Those in the South were dependent upon the Northerners for financial assistance during hardships. The establishment of factories also allowed African Americans to join the workforce and earn respect. They were seen less as people needing someone to aid their race and were meriting value and equality. The North became a land of opportunity for all.

The impact of the Puritan work ethic would establish the work ethic of the North. Southerners did not have to adopt the strict and strategic planning diligence and the Northerners due to the mild winters in the South. The culture of the South was not as investment oriented as the Yankees of the North. The long-term goals were varied between the different cultures. The Northerners adopted the American Dream for Upward Mobility, believing in self-sufficiency. [1] The dream for upward mobility also lived in the South; however the South chose to invest in other men to work for them as slaves, rather than doing the work themselves. The dream impacted the two regions very differently and continued to weave through areas of life such as the conception of factories and industrialization.

Cotton Factory in New York during the Civil War

With the establishment of factories and other investments, the Northern culture had incorporated a small amount of middle class into its culture slowly decreasing the elitism and power separation between the classes. In the North, “people were investing in labor saving machinery -- advancing technology in order to reduce manual labor or labor costs”[2] further eliminating the need and support of slavery. The culture in the South desired the power that owning slaves offered. Those that could not afford slaves would envy slave owners. Southerners even believed that “adds to its refinement, allows more time to cultivate the mind, exalts the standards in morals, manners and intellectual endowments.”[3] The presence of power and exclusivity remained in the South and influenced the culture the Reconstruction era that become hostile and aggressive towards African Americans.

Citizens divided during the Reconstruction Era

Education was also more favored and appreciated in the North. Southerners had a greater amount of illiteracy with education being reserved for the privileged. Since agriculture dictated the school schedules, children in the South had to work their schooling around the agriculture calendar. This accommodation eventually influenced our cultural practice of summer breaks for schools. [4] Those in the North also had to accommodate scheduling around school, however invested in the education of more than the elite, which also supported the growth of the middle class.

When the time came for men to enlist in the War, African Americans remembered the opportunities granted with the ability to learn and work and become equal and therefore they were more willing to serve for the cause of the Civil War. African Americans made up 10% of the Union soldiers initially and the numbers continued to grow reaching over 180,000 men who enlisted. The following video describes the contribution that African Americans provided to the Union frontier: http://www.5min.com/Video/African-Americans-in-the-American-Civil-War-300994331