The industrial revolution changed the north completely. Towns grew into cities and the patterns of labour changed, from being largely rural to an urbanised working population. The north benefited greatly, the new industries provided employment for thousands of people, many coming from Ireland to help build the canals and later the railways. This new, urban, population whilst being exploited and sufferring harsh living and working conditions would also benefit from some enlightened factory owners, who provided libraries, concert halls and laid out public parks for their workers.
Poeple also benefited from the railwyas bringing in cheap manufactured goods and food from the countryside, and from the communications provided by the railways and later the telegraph.
Although what I have written about refers to the North of England - where the Industrial Revolution happened, it also applies to the North of the USA, when it too industrialised.
