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The Effects Of Sectionalism On Early American Society

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Isabella Cheney Grant Haroldsen DC US History 24 February 2023 The Effects of Sectionalism on Early American Society Sectionalism in the United States was a conflict that continued to grow over the history of the early States. The beginning of sectionalism in the United States was when the country was only a few colonies. It began especially with the Declaration of Independence and the rights each state would have in the new government. Among the leading causes for building sectionalism are the economic impact of the South and slavery, the southern biases of many of the American presidents, the expansion of slavery into the new western lands, and the new laws and compromises put in place to ‘keep the peace’ between the North and the South. …show more content…

Though the Northerners wanted to get rid of slavery completely in every state, they were unwilling to let it continue to grow across the nation. As for the South’s views on spreading to the West; in a court case called for by a slace named Dred Scott, John C. Calhoun believed that “life, liberty, and property” appartained to slaves- ‘slaves count as property, so they can be taken anywhere’. The South also forced its influence on the states-such as California-that did not want to become slave states. Bleeding Kansas was an important event in the spread to the West. Pro-slavery groups snuck into Kansas to influence the popular sovereignty vote to be in favor of slavery. The underhandedness of the South was called out only a few times; however, every time the North was punished for speaking out against the South. The North soon realized that the only way to defend their rights, lifestyle, and the elimination of slavery was to turn to the South’s style of violence and deception and return it. As new laws and compromises were made to help each side stay satisfied, the tension between the two sides only grew …show more content…

The Missouri Compromise included the 36 30 line to split the slave states and the non-slave states(Missouri was- at the time- the only exception to this rule). Both sides were seemingly happy with the Missouri Compromise until the newly gained Mexican territory was added into the equation. The Great Compromise was made to settle which areas of land would allow slavery and had objections on both sides. New states such as California (which were extensive and split down the width of the country) did not become slave states, but it gave the Southern slave states a chance to be even more harsh towards their slaves and push against the North for more control. The Kansas-Nebraska Act favored the South over the North because the 36 30 line was erased to make room for popular sovereignty, giving the South the chance to influence the new states to become pro-slavery. As Congress tried continaully to satisfy both sides, each side would only grow upset at every negotiation that was tried, both sides not willing to compromise and wanting complete

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