During 1800-1850 the united states experienced a period of sectionalism. Sectionalism The United states were divided into the northeast, south and the west. There were many different reasons for this division of the states. In my paper I will point out a few points from each section that caused the period of sectionalism. I will first start off by talking about the North.
As a result of the Compromise of 1850, which defused the quarrel between the free Northern States and the slave Southern States, the territories acquired during the Mexican-American War were determined to be free, slave, or dependent upon the principle of popular sovereignty. California was admitted as a free state, the Utah and New Mexico territories were to be determined by popular sovereignty, the Texas-New Mexico boundary was solidified, and slave trade was terminated in Washington, D.C., making it easier for the South to recover fugitive slaves (Document A). As stated by an Anonymous Georgian in “Plain Words for the North,” everything the South could ask for was embodied in the Constitution, but two provisions were necessary to the South’s success – “the recognition of slavery where the people choose it and the remedy for fugitive slaves” (Document B). The North saw popular sovereignty and the remedy of fugitive slaves as deceptive encouragement of immoral and unconstitutional activity (Document C). But, southerners viewed the North’s assumption of ownership to be unconstitutional.
Joel has questioned in his book on whether or not Texas should have joined the United States. Texas at the time was causing issues because their political views were not on the same page as others. So, this caused political parties to split up. It led to sectionalism to arise more because Texas was firm on their political views. With just these instances, Texas added fuel to the fire when it came to the Civil War.
Thesis Both Nationalism and Sectionalism developed concurrently during the Era of Good Feelings. The two main reasons why nationalism increased was because of Henry Clay’s American System and Monroe’s policy to increase nationalism. Clay’s AS created a better national infrastructure that tightened America together. Monroe’s policy was to promote national unity and America’s power, which strengthens nationalism.
It was immensely difficult for southern and northern states to coexist in the 1800s. Their core economic and social beliefs were exceedingly different from each other. Western states would be neutral in picking sides between northern and southern states. Southern states believed in the oppression and genocide of Native Americans, unlike northern states.
The young(er) United States was burdened with a multitude of issues and rising growth of sectionalism; from the Louisiana Purchase to Tarrifs, the bridge partitioning the North and South was ever-growing. Divisions between slave and anti-slave culture were devastating, Northerners turned against Southerners, friend against friend; brother against brother. The Louisiana Purchase was the aquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France, specifically Napoleon, by Jefferson. It was sold for an estimated 15 million dollars and near-doubled the size of the United States. While the purchase was beneficial for the U.S, it also caused many problems in and among the citizens.
Imagine that you are working on a cotton plantation in the middle of Georgia. The sun is blazing hot and your hands are callused from separating cotton from cotton seeds. You are only able to clean about one pound of cotton a day. That isn't enough to satisfy the demands of textile factories in the North. If only there was a faster, more efficient way to clean cotton.
Sectionalism in the United States “A house divided against itself cannot stand”, said the president Abraham Lincoln. His words did not come out of nothing, but of the events happening in his lands during his term. One of the most efficacious episode in the history of the United States was the Civil War of 1861. As the 1800s went by, Nationalism seemed to emerge triumphant, meaning stronger sectional rivalries developed between two sections of the U.S. Historians conclude that the division between the North, known as the Free State, and the South, the slave states, had been adding up since the beginning of the eighteenth century, starting with small differences among the citizens.
Raining bullets, charging enemies, fear, hunger, and impending doom. Who would put themselves under so much pressure? Why would Texans fight in the Civil War? After President Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, many Southern states saw trouble brewing.
At the time of Texas’ entry into the U.S, slavery was a big issue throughout America. The north
Following Jackson’s election into office and the consequent overturn of an entire political party, his Democratic-Republicans could not build a loyal following. Opposition to the rival party, the Federalists, was the source of Democratic-Republican unity, and once the former faded, so did the latter. The Louisiana Purchase was a pivotal turn of events that contributed to sectionalism. Upon acquiring so much land, America was faced with the issue of how to purpose it. These frontier states were ravaged with land exhaustion, and planters continuously moved out west for more land to cultivate.
In the 19th century, the idea of the Manifest Destiny came to rise, which believed that America was destined to expand outwards. At the same time, as America grew westward, sectionalism and tension between states also grew. These two events are connected, as many aspects of westward expansion impacted the development of sectionalism, like the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, the Mexican-American War, and the annexation of Texas. The examination of these specific events reveals that the westward expansion affected the development of sectionalism from 1820 to 1850 in the North and South and the underlying theme of slavery.
For a society to work smoothly, people must work, pay taxes, and spend money. There are a wide range of ways to make money through working. This is where sectionalism occurs. The Northern states have factory jobs and mercantilistic economy. People depended on farmers for food and clothing.
There were disputes over territories. The main disagreement was over slavery. Slavery was legal in the south but had become banned by then states north of the Mason-Dixon line. The southerners feared that the slave ban would eventually lead to no slaveholding states, and which would give the control of the government to abolitionist. If this happened the institution of slavery would be outlawed completely.
A huge concern for the smaller states was of the representation and power of voice due to their size and the potential lack of representation would place dramatic and damaging affects to their future. Additionally, large parts of the population in the southern states during this time were made up of slaves while the northern states had a large population of free white men. During this time, slaves as well as women were not allowed to vote and did not have a voice when it came to making decisions about the government’s current and future stated. A major concern that placed huge risks with some of the slavery states was the fear that the northern states would take over and make their voice silent.
