Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

... Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address In the early days of the United States, loyalty to one's state often took precedence over loyalty to one's country. The Union was considered a "voluntary compact entered into by independent, sovereign states" for as long as it served their purpose to be so joined (Encarta). Neither the North nor South had any strong sense permanence of the Union. As patterns of living diverged between North and South, their political ideas also developed marked differences. The North needed a central government to build an infrastructure of roads and railways, protect its complex trading and financial interests and control the national currency. The South depended much less on industrialization and federal government than other regions did and therefore felt no need to strengthen it. In addition, Southern patriots feared that a strong central government might interfere with slavery. One of the largest disputes between North and South

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