Why were westerners more in agreement with Northerners?

Westerners were generally more in agreement with Northerners due to shared economic interests and social values that aligned with industrialization and free labor. Many Western states were emerging as agricultural and industrial hubs, favoring policies that promoted infrastructure development and access to markets, which aligned with Northern priorities. Additionally, the Western territories often opposed the expansion of slavery, viewing it as a threat to their own economic opportunities and the ideals of free labor. This common ground fostered a political and ideological alliance between the West and the North during the antebellum period.