Sectionalism essays

Sectionalism essays Between the War of 1812 and 1828 many events took place that divided the still embryonic and developing United States into different sections with their own specifics interests and priorities. In 1816 Monroe was elected president. He went on a goodwill tour of the United States and brought about a feeling of nationalism and harmony to everyone. This was known as the Era of Good Feelings. Yet this was also the same time when the seeds of sectionalism began to germinate, and within a few years time, the country would be drastically divided. The birth of sectionalism began in December 1814 during the Hartford Convention. The Hartford Convention was a meeting of Federalists from New England to protest the War of 1812 and to revise the Constitution. The Federalists saw the war as impolitic, improper, and unjust. They rebelled by encouraging banks not to lend money to the government, by trading with Britain, and by not supplying militia. Some extremists even wanted to separate themselves from the Union! Obviously, the Federalists had a different view than the rest of the country about this whole issue; they were becoming very unpopular fast. The extremists were controlled by moderates, and before this secret convention was over, news of an American Victory arrived and the Federalists were discredited. One issue that helped bring about sectionalism in the U.S. was the tariffs. Due to the war, Congress was forced to double all tariffs; yet after the war was over, high tariffs still remained. The North and some of thewest were all for these tariffs which boomed their manufacturing and textile industries and protected them from foreign competition. The south, however, had a different point of view on this issue. They did not favor protective tariffs because they had no industry and they exported all of their cotton and tobacco, which in turn would mean that everything they bought from the north would be more expensive and inter...