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Thinking back to previous chapters, fully explain how the forces of the market revolution heightened the tension between freedom and slavery.
On Jul 04, 2024
The forces of the market revolution heightened the tension between freedom and slavery in several ways.
First, the market revolution led to the expansion of the cotton and textile industries in the South, which increased the demand for slave labor. This expansion of the cotton industry led to the growth of the plantation economy and the need for more slaves to work the fields. As a result, the institution of slavery became even more entrenched in the Southern economy, making it increasingly difficult to abolish.
Second, the market revolution also led to the growth of the Northern industrial economy, which relied on wage labor. This created a stark contrast between the free labor system in the North and the slave labor system in the South, further highlighting the tension between freedom and slavery.
Additionally, the market revolution brought about advancements in transportation and communication, which facilitated the spread of ideas and information about the abolitionist movement. This led to increased tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery, as abolitionist sentiments grew stronger in the North while the South sought to protect and expand the institution of slavery.
Furthermore, the market revolution also led to the expansion of westward settlement, which intensified the debate over whether new territories would be free or slave states. This further heightened the tension between freedom and slavery, as both the North and South sought to gain political and economic power in these new territories.
In conclusion, the forces of the market revolution heightened the tension between freedom and slavery by deepening the reliance on slave labor in the South, creating a contrast between free and slave labor systems, spreading abolitionist ideas, and intensifying the debate over the expansion of slavery into new territories. These factors ultimately contributed to the growing divide between the North and South and the outbreak of the Civil War.