Sectionalism In The United States:
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There were many problems, events, and situations that led to the Civil War. One of the major reasons for the outbreak of the war was sectionalism. Once the United States was split, many of the countrys fundamental issues were disputed, with slavery being at the top of the list. Some of the other major issues in dispute were representation, tariffs, and states rights. Sectionalism is defined as, the sharp socio-economic differences that divided the Northern and the Southern states in the U.S.
The most important difference between the north and south was the issue of slavery. The South was primarily agricultural, and the southern economy was based upon the existence of large family farms known as plantations. The plantation economy relied on cheap labor in the form of slaves to produce tobacco and cotton. Farmers on the plantation did not do the work themselves; they needed slaves in order to make the largest amount of money possible. The North, however, was primarily industrial in nature. The North believed that all men should be able to work and support themselves and their families, regardless of color. They also felt that if a man were happy doing his job, then he would be more productive. Therefore, both he and the business would make more money.
Slavery was abolished in the North when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This proclamation upset the southern states and they decided to sever their ties with the rest of the country. In the textbook it says, “Northerners saw the South as a slave power, determined to foist the slave system on free labor throughout the land. Southerners saw the North as full of black republicanism, determined to destroy their way of life” (Nash 424).
The case Dred Scott v. Sanford was another hot political issue. Dred Scott and his wife were taken to a free state by their master, and the ruling on this case stated that Scott was still legally bound to his master and must remain a slave. This decision was based on three main factors. The first factor was that Scott was not a citizen and could not sue in Federal court. The second factor was that it was unconstitutional for Congress to outlaw slavery in a territory. The last factor stated that although Scott and his family were heading in and out of Free states, it did not affect their standing as slaves.
Many northerners were upset with this ruling because they felt that the arguments against black citizenship went against the Constitution. They were also infuriated that this ruling hinted at the fact that slavery was legal in the Free states if your master brought you there. This ruling caused sectionalism to grow within the United States. (Nash 425)
Another major cause of the Civil War was representation in the government. The North and South both wanted the power to pass laws that would benefit their section. The more states that became “free” or “slave” meant more votes, both in the House, Senate, and Electoral College for that section. The issue of representation continued to grow as we expanded westward and decisions were made about each state. One example of this is the Missouri Compromise. The southern states wanted Missouri to come in as a slave state, so that the Three-Fifths clause would work in their favor. The more slaves there were the more members the South would have in Congress. The same would work for the North. If Missouri came in as a free state, the North would get more representation in the government and more of their issues passed. The North and South compromised by letting Missouri become a slave state and part of the South, while Maine became a free state and part of the North. This created even more sectional conflict, and only worked to push the Civil War back a few years.
Another cause of sectionalism that led to the Civil War was the opposing views on tariffs. The South resented all tariffs because they relied on British imports for the majority of their everyday goods. They also needed other nations to purchase cotton from their plantations. The North supported tariffs to protect their growing industries of New England textiles and Pennsylvania iron. (Nash 346). If tariffs were imposed on imported goods, then there was less of a threat of people buying products made in other countries. This hurt the southern economy because they were getting imports cheaper than American made products. The South became increasingly angered. This tension eventually led to the passage of what South Carolina called the Tariff of Abominations. This act arbitrarily raised rates on foreign imports to protect the Norths economy. The south then argued they had the right of nullification, which is the power of a state to declare a federal law null and void. The southern states believed that if a law could be passed that caused