Civil War - North vs. South Essay Example

In the early American colonies, the south and the north developed into two distinctly different colonies. Although their origins were both from Europe, their customs and living habits became so different that it would play a major role in America's history. There are many reasons why these differences occurred but only a few major reasons stand out. Religion, greed and the composition of the colonies are some of the major reasons why the north and south grew to be so different in the late 1600's. Different religions in specific colonies varied, but the people from the New England region were generally more devoted to their religious beliefs, whereas people from the south felt religion wasn't as important. Children from the north are taught from The Bible as soon as possible and this instills high moral values into the people. In the south only the wealthiest families could afford education, causing the common population to be ignorant and un-educated. The people of New England were willing to work together and help each other for the sake of the community because they felt that they were working under God's will. (Doc. A) The south on the other hand worked to better themselves through the Headright System, which ended up pitting the people against each other instead of working with each other. The people of Massachusetts agreed: "We whose names are underwritten, being by God's providence engaged together to make a plantation…" (Doc. D) This shows that religion greatly influenced the people of New England and the decisions they made. The South was influenced by greed and factors other than religion causing the values in the south to deteriorate. Differences in the way the colony members felt about religion is important in showing why the two regions became so diverse but it is not the only reason. Another reason why the two regions became so different was due to the greedy nature of the south and the generous nature of the north. The two were basically the