Just before the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 Union states had approximately five times as many factories as the Confederacy, and ten times the amount of factory workers. This level of industrialization is reflective of the economies at the time, with the Confederate and Border states depending more heavily on agriculture for their economic output, whereas the more industrialized cities of the northern states had many more factories. This also ties in with the issue of slavery at the time, which was arguably the most influential factor in the cessation of the southern states. The rural farm owners of the south depended on slave labor to maintain their output, and did not have large concentrations of population to pull workers from, whereas the factory owners of the north had a large supply of workers from more urbanized areas.
Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region
(in 1,000s)
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National Park Service. (May 6, 2015). Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/
National Park Service. "Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region (in 1,000s)." Chart. May 6, 2015. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/
National Park Service. (2015). Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/
National Park Service. "Number of Factories and Factory Workers in The United States in 1861, by Region (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 6 May 2015, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/
National Park Service, Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Number of factories and factory workers in the United States in 1861, by region (in 1,000s) [Graph], National Park Service, May 6, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010518/industrialization-capacity-home-fronts-1861/