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. What Lincoln meant is that Sectionalism had taken control over …show more content…
Both sections were fighting over representational issues within the government. Each wanted power to pass laws that would benefit them and their interests. Since more and more territories were becoming states, becoming a “free” or “slave” state meant more support and votes in the Electoral College, the Senate and the House for the region they would become part of. Due to this, more competition and tension started growing between them. What ultimately sealed the start of the division, what literally drew the line, was the Missouri Compromise. In 1817, the Missouri territorial assembly applied for statehood. Since it already owned three thousand slaves, it was pretty clear to them that they would join the Union as a Slave State. Northerners, or anti-slavery citizens, became anxious to this subject since it altered the balance between the amount of Free states and slave states. To alleviate things, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise in 1820 saying that Missouri passes as a slave state, meanwhile Maine passes as a Free State, so both sections would end satisfied. Also, this law prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36° 30´ latitude line and allowed it below of the line so the Senate could keep balance of power in the Union. These agreement temporally settled the argument over slavery in certain territories, but it made the tension increase between these two groups of people. Another problem they started having between themselves were the tariffs. Meanwhile the North used the tariffs to protect their industries, the south was unsatisfied with them. At some point they became angered with congress which led to the Nullification Crisis in South Carolina. Occurrences like these shows that the south is no longer pleased with the North since they opposed what the Northerners approved of. Tension and divisions is not only increasing in the working ground and in the houses,
In addition, there were included elements of a border dispute resolution between the States of Texas and New Mexico. These pieces of legislation and others related to slavery were passed and this led to both North and South stepped back from the
So, in 1820, Henry Clay instigated the Missouri Compromise, the third critical event that led to the coming of the American Civil War. Missouri would be added as a slave state, but with that, a piece of Massachusetts, Maine, would be broken off and enter the union as a free state to ensure the balance. With this, a line was also drawn along the southern border of Missouri at the 36°30′ parallel and went across the remainder of the United States to the Pacific Ocean. This line divided the north and south literally as to where slavery was allowed and where it was not. This created greater diversity from the two sides and wedged the gap that was beginning to grow far wider.
DBQ: Political Disputes 1820-1860 For forty-four years, the United States of America was a thriving country. We had won our independence from Great Britain and we had started to create a country that would change the world. Yet, in the year 1860, a joined country and political agreement between all states seemed utterly impossible. People fought with each other so deeply about slavery, the country was divided between slave and free states. By the time of 1820 through 1860, political disagreement grew so large, there had been only one answer.
In the town of Pennsylvania, Gettysburg, 3,000 Union soldiers prepared to face 60,000 Confederate soldiers in battle. The Battle of Gettysburg is known to have been the day the Union regained its ground. An estimated 50,000 soldiers were killed, captured or wounded. The battle turned out to be a crushing defeat for the Confederacy. However, if the Confederacy turned out to be successful in conquering the Union at Gettysburg, the outcome of the Civil War would have been different than things turned out to be.
The Missouri debates concerned the Northerners because they were not reassured their distance from slavery. Along with the fear of their own liberties in the Missouri constitution. The anxiety of Northerner’s distance from the South led them to oppose all slavery expansion. The Missouri Crisis had given a new clearness in the sectional politics of the United States and guided each section towards consistency on the issue of slavery. The Missouri Compromises brought awareness to the sectional nations, but it was a new beginning that would lead to civil war.
The 19th century was among the most chaotic century of American History. Significant changes that took place throughout these years have affected the United States for ages. Since the drafting of the Constitution in 1787, the north and the south had grown further apart in terms of ideologies. Fears amongst both groups were realized when the expansion of slavery into western territories entered Congressional debates. Thus, slavery became a driving force in most political controversies such as the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Bleeding Kansas.
Missouri’s seeking to become a state in 1819 was complicated by the fact that it currently had slavery. Maine also was seeking admittance to be a (free) state so the two were paired together as free and slave, balancing out the Congress. In order to prevent further conflicts over whether states would be free or slave, Senator Jesse Thomas proposed the 36°30’ parallel to ban the introduction of slave states above Missouri, known as the Missouri Compromise. The cause of the Missouri Compromise was the division of Congress as members representing free states and slave states. If the balance was overthrown, it was feared that slavery could be abolished nationally or legalized nationally by a majority of representatives of either side.
The Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise helped resolve the issue of whether new free states would be slave states or free states. The request by slave-holding Missouri to join the union caused an angry debate that worried Jefferson, former president, and Adams, presently in Senate. Many Missouri settlers had brought enslaved African Americans into the territory with them. By 1819 Missouri had about 50,000 whites and 10,000 slaves.
The Civil War and the Gettysburg Address are two of the most major events in American history regarding slavery/racism which are constantly used as a reference to look back at how the country has developed and changed since then. The Civil War and the Gettysburg Address represent an old America with flaws, and although we have undoubtedly changed since then, many people have differing beliefs on how we have changed (either for the better or for the worse). For example, the excerpt by Robert Hicks, from Why the Civil War Still Matters, reflects on America's past attitudes in the War and the Gettysburg Address to emphasize how we have become a more accepting, united, and multiethnic country. On the other hand, the excerpt by Charles M. Blow,
The 1800s was a trying time for our developing union; from the war on slavery to the birth of the Underground Railroad, it was a period of growth. In addition, several states were admitted to the union- California, Maine, and Missouri to name a few. With all this growth will inevitably come struggles; sectionalism to be exact. Sectionalism occurs when a group/region is so focused on their own agenda, they neglect national issues in the process. Southerners were so fixed on maintaining slavery, while Northerners fought so harshly to abolish it.
Effectively, both sides were using demagoguery to try to promote their side and demean the other. This led to huge rivalries and sectional divisions. Thomas Jefferson says in a letter that the Union is in bad shape. He goes onto say that the divide between north and south exists because people are steadfast in their point of view and every little event that regards slavery will mark this divide deeper and deeper.(Doc 1) These differences in parties and geography are very similar to the divide we see today.
The Southern states even threatened to secede because of the differences in opinion on slavery. To prevent this, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise in 1820. Missouri joined the Union as a slave state, but in exchange, Maine was admitted as a free state. In addition, all states and lands north of the 36°30’ parallel would be free (except for Missouri). This ‘compromise’ somehow managed to hold America together, but no one was really satisfied.
Sectionalism The definition of the word sectionalism is the restriction of interest to a narrow sphere. There were 3 main sections that practiced sectionalism in the 1800s. These sections were the North, the South, and the West. A few events that created sectional conflict were tariffs, slavery, representation, and states rights.
In this election, Lincoln and Douglas had some series of debates over slavery. Although Lincoln never exactly stated that he wanted to abolish slavery, much of the South believed he was an Abolitionist. At his speech in 1858 in Springfield Illinois, Lincoln wanted the nation to be one thing or another, meaning all free or all slave, because it couldn’t keep going on how it was, else it would fall apart. In his speech, Lincoln said, “...but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other” (Doc G).
Two fundamental questions normally surround the history of any war: whether the war was inevitable and if it was necessary. These same questions emerge any time during debates regarding the American Civil war. The most cited cause of the Civil war is the secession of certain southern states that formed the Confederate States of America in January 1861. Thomas Bonner writes "Civil War Historians and the "Needless War" Doctrine" arguing that Southern Carolina seceded in 1860, followed by six other states by January the following year. A deep analysis of the events leading to the war indicates that the Union and the Confederates had profound ideological, economic, political, and social differences.