Sectionalism and Nationalism

As the nation expanded into the west at an increasing pace, arguments over slavery in the west became more and more heated. The disagreement between the north and the south eventually led to the civil war. The expansion to the west also encouraged the disunity of sectionalism and the unity of nationalism.

When the United States went to war in 1812, Americans were stopped from importing factory goods from Great Britain (their wartime enemy). Without competition from foreign nations, northern industries made a handsome profit. During peacetime, the congress tried to maintain the good times for the new northern industries by raising tariffs (taxes) rates from 1816-1828. But the effect of this tariffs wasn’t so good for south, the tariff made manufactured goods more expensive, the tariff also reduced the market for British-made cotton cloth, which meant that the south would sell less raw cotton to their major costumer, Great Britain. When even higher tariffs were passed the south revolted. Violent conflict was avoided, but further increased the sectionalism of the nation.

The vice-president during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, John C. Calhoun, supported the ideas of nullification, or the right of a state to nullify or ignore national laws. Up to the end of the civil war the one of greatest constitutional debates concerned the issue