ginal thirteen colonies fought for their independence almost 100 years earlier, the Southern States felt a growing need for freedom from the central Federal authority in Washington D.C. They felt that each State should make its own laws. The North also wanted internal improvements sponsored by the federal government such as roads, railroads, and canals. Contrary to the Northern views, the South did not want these projects to be done at all. Northerners wanted to develop a tariff that would serve as a protective shield for Northern manufacturers. It was controversial in the South because a high tariff would prevent Southerners from trading their cotton and tobacco for foreign goods. It angered the Southern people to have to pay more for the goods they wanted from Europe or pay more to get goods from the North. In addition, The North wanted a good banking and currency system and federal subsidies for shipping and internal improvements. However, the South felt that these views were discriminatory and that they favored Northern commercial interests. While numerous problems had clearly been prevalent in the United States, the war could have been averted if a settlement had been reached on the issue of slavery. The abolitionist of the time had strongly opposed the concept, but a large number of Northern residents had remained pacifistic on the subject. The South had developed slavery to such an extent that without it, their economy would suffer enormous setbacks. This was the issue that overshadowed all others. At this time the labor force in the South had about four million slaves. These slaves were very valuable to the slave-holding class much in the same way that land was. The South especially needed more slaves at the time because they were now growing more cotton then ever because of the invention of the cotton gin. New machinery was changing the textile industry in New England and Britain. These mills needed more and more cotton, cr...
