Why was the division of loyalties in the Civil War not geographical?

Question:Why was the division of loyalties in the Civil War not geographical? .......

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Why was the division of loyalties in the Civil War not geographical? .......

Thank You,

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Because the origanal reason for the Civil War was about State Rights. As somebody said it was mostly a geographical split. But you did have the border states and others that didn't fit in with the states surrounding them.

Trix if you are going to answer someone's questions could you please get your facts at least sort of right. a) even now there are only 50 states in the US- I believe there were a few less during the Civil War (so I don't know where you get 100's of states), b) it was the southern (confederate) states who seccedded not the northern (union) states.

There were also many people who although coming from union or confederate states who fought for the other side.

um are you referring to those 100s of Northern States that seceded? or perhaps the industrial powerhouses of the South that didn't?

seems to me, most of the large agriculturally based places (ya know, the ones that used slaves to be profitable) went with being Confederate, and the areas that didn't relay on the free labor for money stayed with the Union

It was for the most part geographic. Northern states vs. southern states. There were three southern/slave states who did not seceed. They were border states, and the Lincoln administration attempted to provide them with incentives, mostly economic, to stay in the union. The border states allowed slavery but their economies were not dependent upon slave labor, unlike the deeper south states. It was an economic war.

They were primarily geographical, or at least, geography played a major role in the sectarian divisions that lead to the war. But, that is a generalization in some regards. There were individuals and communities in the geographical south that were very pro union. For instance, the people in the mountainous northwest region of Virginia broke off from their home state in 1863 and became West Virginia- on the side of the Union. Interestingly enough, the hilly back country of northern Georgia and Alabama was populated largely by small farmers (non slave holders) who were largely pro Union and considered seceding from the Confederacy, but ultimately did not. In the border States (Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland) which officially remained in the Union (with slavery) were very divided, with regiments of soldiers serving both the confederacy and the Union. This was a literal brother vs. brother situation in which neighbors and family members could find themselves on opposite sides.

Because people brought their cultures with them. For example, although people commonly think of Illinois and Indiana as Northern States (they were), their populace at the time of the Civil War was made up almost entirely of former citizens of eight different southern states. The northern areas of those states weren't heavily settled until after the Civil War. The southern areas of those states were culturally, agriculturally and ideologically very similar to the eight southern states from which those people emigrated. Illinois was a territory of Virginia for many years before it became a state. For more information on this read about Edward Coles, the second governor of Illinois.

Likewise, in Virginia, those in the western part of the state, "seceded" from Virginia two years after the war started, and in 1963 became West Virginia. Why? They held nothing in common with the wealthy planters of Eastern Virginia and were supportive of the Union, versus the Confederacy on ideological and religious grounds.

It appears that it was geographical, but only because it coincided with economics. The exports from the south (cotton) were important for the Union; but these exports were extremely labor intensive, and required cheap labor.

Britain, which needed the cotton for its highly industrialized fabric industry, was a very big influence. It therefore favored the Southern States.

The northerners were generally Presbyterian or members of other churches that hated slavery, and didn't enjoy British influence. Once industrialization began, the Northern States got the upper hand, and finally were able to enforce the Constitution's Bill of Rights with guns, railroads, telegraphy and blood.

Many fine men died.