Dbq Nationalism And Sectionalism

America faced many changes after the war of 1812 in many aspects. Most changes were extremely positive and therefore the time after the war was labeled the, “Era of Good Feelings.” Many topics could support this claim; however the emergence of nationalism and sectionalism helped determine the extreme accuracy of this label. Nationalism delivered a sense of pride and a new found love for the peoples’ free country of America; such as the 4th of July, and the protesting against the Russian “Holy Alliance.” Sectionalism, on the other hand, produced more positive advances for the north while the south received little attention. Incorporating events such as the panic of 1819, slavery disputes, and poor taxation made this a negative outcome. It
A Congress letter by John Randolph in 1816 discussed how Congress should regulate commerce and not levy taxes. The taxes favored manufacturers, and they became wealthy, while the southern farmers were extremely poor because of these duties (Doc A.). Along with extreme taxing, came great expansion west because of the population growth. This would seem like a good thing, but only to some parts of the US; particularly the North. The “National Road” was the first improved road to be funded by the federal government. Therefore, the north received roads, canals, and federal aid. The East received protective tariffs, and the South received close to nothing. Slavery was still prominent in the south, and no government aid was provided. In a letter from Anna Hayes Johnson in Charleston, South Carolina, to her cousin in Raleigh, North Carolina, she discusses the slavery dispute in the North and South. Slavery was temporarily dealt with by the Missouri Compromise in 1820; but it was not until later that a permanent abolishment was made (Doc G.). Another instance of Sectionalism was the Panic of 1819. What caused this was the deflation in crop prices; especially cotton as Britain demanded drops and cheaper resources. Also, over speculation of the land made the western farmers unable to pay loans from the US banks. The Bank of the US had suddenly tightened their credits; which incorporated tougher loan requirements, and requirements for specie from state banks. Lastly, politically, sectionalism was very obvious. In maps of popular votes and electoral votes from 1820 and 1824, it was clear that by 1824, different states had begun to vote for different presidents (Doc I.). Eventually, the US was divided into different political parties; and thus, political emerged and changed the US forever. In summary, sectionalism had emerged and what seemed