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The Transportation Revolution and Antebellum SectionalDisagreement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2016

John J. Binder
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Abstract

The transportation revolution had several important effects on the antebellumpolitical equilibrium. First, it caused western and southern political views todiffer by bringing more easterners and European immigrants into the West.Second, it reduced the costs of rerouting western exports to the non-South,which decreased the expected costs to the West of conflict with the South.Third, it greatly increased western population, which brought more free statesinto the Union and changed the balance in the Senate. Fourth, it increasednorthern numerical superiority over the South, giving the North a majoradvantage if an armed conflict did occur. These changes led the West to allywith the East and caused the South to secede.

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Social Science History , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , Spring 2011 , pp. 19 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © Social Science History Association 2011 

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