Slavery was a political, economic, social and moral issue that divided the citizens of the United States. Sectionalism is “loyalty or support of a particular region or section of the nation, rather than the United States as a whole” (“Sectionalism and Slavery). Slavery was a main factor of the sectional issue, dividing the country into North and South to the extent that it led to the Civil War; the main conflict was that southerners supported slavery and northerners opposed it. Because of the differences in history, economics, etc. in the states slavery was a main factor in the sectionalism between the North and South. The questions were whether rights of slave owners would be protected throughout the country, whether new territories would …show more content…
People in the North felt it was a moral wrong to treat slaves the way the South treated slaves. The American citizens were faced with the states becoming split apart over differences in opinions caused by the treatment of slaves. Tensions were high between citizens and their were many arguments breaking out, and in some places fights, but in the end, it had to be settled with one side completely winning and not being split down one side or the other in one nation. During the Constitutions compromises, to solve the problem of states’ taxes, the 3/5 compromise was made that said that each slave counted as 3/5 a person in states population and taxes (Carnes and Garraty 149). This caused discussions on if slaves were people and not just property. The social sectionalism of America was extended by continued debates between the citizens on how to treat the slaves and what actions would be taken for them as well as the moral consequences of treating slavery as property as the Constitution deemed them (Carnes and Garraty …show more content…
However, major progress was steadily being made. The Compromises made to appease the North and South and the question of slavery, stopped the North and South states for a little while but it did not indefinitely solve the problem and it soon led to the Civil War. After the war was won, Reconstruction began. Although slaves were freed during the course of the war, after people did not care much for them and still treated them with disdain. Racism started and blacks were denied rights that regular white citizens the US had like education, right to vote, etc. So although race based sectionalism was fixed a little with the emancipation of the slaves, the treatment of slaves did not improve by a large margin and progress still had to be made regarding the rights of blacks and the racism that developed against
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Show MoreThe Civil war could very easily be known as one of the greatest tragedies in United States history. After the Civil War, the people of The United States had so much anger and hatred towards each other and the government that 11 Southern states seceded from the Nation and parted into two pieces. The Nation split into either the Northern abolitionist or the Southern planation farmers. The Reconstruction era was meant to be exactly how the name announces it to be. It was a time for the United States to fix the broken pieces the war had caused allowing the country to mend together and unite once again. The point of Reconstruction was to establish unity between the states and to also create and protect the civil rights of the former slaves. Although Reconstruction failed in many aspects such as the upraise in white supremacy and racism, the reconstruction era was a time the United States took a lead in the direction of race equality.
During the 1980's southern blacks from the United States dedicated to migrate to the north with the belief that the north had more opportunities and advantages blacks. Although, Frederick Douglas and Booker T. Washington opposed a migration to the north, millions of blacks migrated northward. The industries for the blacks migrating t o the north was what Douglas and Washington feared, black northern workers being placed in the same situation prior to their movement. Blacks were going to experience the same obstacles and disadvantages as they had in the south just with different situations. Northern blacks were going to experience prejudice, riots and murdering.
A solution to limit slavery debates led to the creation of a doctrine known as Popular Sovereignty. “A territory could decide by vote whether or not to permit slavery within its boundaries.” Therefore, this doctrine gave the territory right to be pro-slavery or anti-slavery. Although the doctrine ruled in favor of the majority of the population of a territory, not one hundred percent of the territory’s population was always in compliance. It is commonly discussed that slavery was something that greatly segregated the north from the south. With the south being pro-slavery, many were aware that the south needed slavery for particular services or else they would not feel so strongly to preserve slavery. “Slavery was basically a system to control labor, being a great investment for slave-owners to profit from.” Slaves were necessary for cotton production and other farm duties. “Cotton was king in the Old South: its primary export and the major source of southern wealth.” Furthermore, the south
Prompted by the moral attacks by Garrison and his American Anti-Slavery Society, the southerners felt their very own livelihood is at stake. They, the southerners, decided to draw up an elaborate defense to counteract these "preposterous" accusations. The slaveholders went to no end to justify holding slavery. In my opinion, they were trying to justify it to themselves as much as they were justifying it to the abolitionists.
After the Mexican-American war, as the United States slipped into an antebellum period following the acquisition of California through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, manifest destiny once again consumed the minds of numerous Americans. When, in 1849, gold was discovered near Sutter's Mill in California numerous "forty-niners" overcome with "gold fever" quickly rushed to California hoping to strike it rich. The California gold rush attracted tens of thousands of people which quickly overloaded the feeble territorial government with miscreants, thus creating a dire need for the swift establishment of an effective governmental system to replace the current system of vigilante justice. California soon applied for statehood as a free soil state and the issue of slavery once again surfaced in the forefront of political debate. The country was faced with a dilemma; should the state be admitted as a free soil state the south would be forced to forfeit their senatorial equilibrium, however allowing the state to have slaves would evoke the wrath of the radical abolitionists in New England. Sectionalism rapidly convulsed the nation as the south bonded together more tightly in defense of slavery, New England turned evermore to radical abolition, and the west remained attached to traditional democratic principles. The debates following the Mexican-American war greatly mirrored the perpetually increasing sectional divide between New Englanders, Westerners, and Southerners due primarily to popular sovereignty, extremists on both sides of the slavery issue, and controversial legislation and provisions.
Even though other areas in the country did contain slavery, the south was the only region that maintained plantation slavery. Since the south was so involved and reliant on slavery, it was an area of the country that found its identity on more than just the Constitution and American ideals. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates, such as James Madison, noted that there was a clear division between the northern and southern states based on whom own slaves. Even in the early nineteenth century, the idea of the south existed in the minds of southerners and their identity was commonly founded in slavery. Since slavery was maintained for a great length of time and southern blood was shed to defend it, it was an identity that was passed down from generation to generation. This passing down of southern values would explain why distinct characteristics rooted in slavery continue to
The United States began to dissatisfy some of its citizens and so the concerns of sectionalism, or the split of the country began to arise. There was a continuous riff between the south and the north over a few issues, a major one being slavery. The south argued that the slaves were necessary to support the southern economy. According to document A, the south were angry that the north was creating taxes that hurt the southern economy, thus increasing the need for slavery since they had to make up for the expense of the taxes. The south felt that the north was able...
The abolition movement continued to grow, choking the south until they couldn’t breathe. Radical abolitionists begin to lead slave revolts. Slave’s rebel and escape towards the north. The tension between the north and the south intensifies. The civil war erupts across the nation. The north wins, and President Lincoln issues The Emancipation Proclamation. The slaves are finally free.
Madaras, Larry, and James M. SoRelle. Issue 14 “Was Slavery the Key Issue in the Sectional Conflict Leading to the Civil War?." Taking Sides. 13th ed. Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2009. 310-329. Print.
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 country's 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.
Since the formation of slavery, it has been perceived as a controversial topic that caused many differences between abolitionist and anti-abolitionist. There was no easy fix to this situation, therefore it left congress trying to ignore the issue, however, laws were passed as needed to keep the peace and avoid an uprising. Turmoil began as western expansions grew more common and abolitionist feared the spread of slavery westward. Westward expansion left many on the edge of their seats as no definite answer seemed in sight, which made the events of the 1850’s more catastrophic and important. The United States was not righteous in their decision to allow slavery to expand westward. This resulted in an increase in tensions between North and South
"The American constitution recognized slavery as a local constitution within the legal rights of the individual states. But in the North slavery was not adaptable to the local economy, and to many, it contradicted the vision of the founding fathers for a nation in which all men are to be free. The South considered slavery as a necessary institution for the plantation economy. It was linked to the local culture and society. As the United states expanded, the North worried that the South would introduce slavery into the new territories. Slavery had become both a moral issue and a question of political power." (Kral p61)
Slavery was the main resource used in the Chesapeake tobacco plantations. The conditions in the Chesapeake region were difficult, which lead to malnutrition, disease, and even death. Slaves were a cheap and an abundant resource, which could be easily replaced at any time. The Chesapeake region’s tobacco industries grew and flourished on the intolerable and inhumane acts of slavery.
The South did not seem to have a problem with the system of slavery. After all, why should they? it had been successful for over 200 years. Instead, they saw the North as a cruel society full of the treacheries caused by capitalism. They saw factory work as "wage slavery" while they viewed Southern slavery as "paternalistic" and "benevolent." Slavery, they contended, helped eliminate all class distinctions in Southern society. In the North, they saw, factory owners became rich while their employees lived in a state of poverty. Slavery was the great unifier of Southern society.
Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict. Slavery has existed in the New World since the seventeenth century prior to it being exclusive to race. During those times there were few social and political concerns about slavery. Initially, slaves were considered indentured servants who will eventually be set free after paying their debt(s) to the owner. In some cases, the owners were African with white servants. However, over time the slavery became exclusive to Africans and was no limited to a specific timeframe, but life. In addition, the treatment of slaves worsens from the Atlantic Slave trade to th...