Sectional Conflict During The Admission Of Missouri example essay topic

The debate over entering the War of 1812, the American System, and the admission of Missouri showed sectional conflicts in the American community. Describe the conflict and consider to what extent, if any, they could have been prevented. In every society, people develop varying opinions about their nation's politics, economy, and social aspects. During the nineteen century, sectionalism, which is the tension and arguments between two or more areas, such as the northerners and southerner, split America because of debates over various events. The nation was greatly split by the debate over entering the War of 1812, the American System, and the admission of Missouri. In the War of 1812, there was conflict between Democratic-Republicans and Federalists.

Merchants and businessmen supported the American System, while westerners opposed it. Finally, the classic "north versus south" was the sectional conflict during the admission of Missouri. Over time, many people have pondered whether these conflicts may have been prevented, and if so, to what degree or extent. One major conflict for the newly independent America was whether or not to enter the War of 1812.

As America was extremely young (it had just gotten independence from Britain) their main policy was to remain neutral. However, the British irked the Americans immensely by seizing American merchant ships and forcing the American sailors to serve the British navy. This policy became known as impressment. Officially, America declared war against Britain over the issues of impressment and also because of British support of Native American groups, such as Tecumseh's Red Stick Confederacy.

Many people were, therefore, in support of this war. The people who were in favor of the war were militaristic, patriotic Democratic-Republicans called War Hawks. They were mostly from the agrarian South and West, and most rose to power in Congress. Many men, such as Felix Grundy of Tennessee, Henry clay of Kentucky, and John C. Calhoun of South Caroline were elected.

These southern and western "War Hawk" Democratic-Republicans were expansionists and dreamed of gaining Canada, Florida, and perhaps even Cuba and Mexico, because these lands would provide vast farmlands and would continue to increase agrarian power in America. However, there was also a strong sense of opposition to America joining the War of 1812. Federalists in New England strongly opposed declaring war on Britain because Britain was America's primary trading partner. They realized that the war might, and quite possibly could, demolish the prominent New England merchant business. Many New Englanders refused to buy war bonds, disrupted recruitment campaigns, and even secretly traded with Britain despite trading restrictions. Although some people may argue that the War of 1812 could have been prevented with peaceful negotiations, many believe that the war was inevitable because the British violated American rights by using impressment.

Also, the Americans knew that they were a model society, and that all eyes were upon them. Therefore, they knew they had to take some type of action against their former mother country, or else Britain might have taken over again. After the War of 1812, the Federalist Party was wiped out of existence during the heightened mood of nationalism that followed. This was known as the Era of Good feelings, by the current president, James Monroe. Political arguments over the federal government's economic policies, which became known as Clay's American System, gradually became more intense. The American System was a program made to develop America's economy.

It had three main parts: the chartering of a national bank, a tax on imported goods (to protect American manufacturers), and the construction of a national system of roads and canals. Sectionalism once again became evident between northerners, southerners, and westerners as the political arguments evolved into a fundamental debate between those favoring stronger federal power and those seeking to preserve government power at the state level. A new two-party political system, originally directed by several strong political personalities, such as Jackson, Clay, Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Robert Hayne, and numerous others, also developed as sectional tensions and economic arguments increased. One of the major conflicts was that the state banks thought that the national bank created in the American System would overpower the state banks. The strong national bank was supported by merchants and businessmen, and were opposed from mostly state banks and Westerners. The Westerners were against the Second Bank of the United States because of the banks' tight control over the currency reserves of the state banks.

This, they believed, was harmful for the development of the west. However, the memories of the Panic of 1819 also helped westerners oppose the bank. The economy boomed after the War of 1812 as Americans rushed to open new western farmland. The rush to the West, however, was accompanied with over-speculation, and the business cycle eventually was "corrected".

The most important result of the panic of 1819 was the rekindled class-consciousness and resentment of the "common man" against the economic power of the powerful centralized national bank. This conflict could most likely not have been prevented, because as a young nation, America needed economic prosperity. If the national bank had not been created as part of the American System, then perhaps decades of depression may have occurred. Finally, when Missouri applied for admission to the Union in 1819, this created sectional conflicts for Americans.

The conflict was once again concerning the issue of slavery. As western lands were developed, the American people wondered if slavery should be expanded, and if so, then to where. Before 1918, if a majority of southerners settled the lands, then the area would have slavery. If a majority of northerners settled the land, then slavery would not exist there.

Also, the Northwest Ordinances of 1787 stated that slavery was banned in the northern section of the Trans-Appalachians. When Missouri applied to become a slave state, this cause major tensions between slave owning states and slave-free states. The major opposing parties became the slave states of Tennessee and Kentucky versus the non-slave owning state of Illinois. The argument was that if Missouri entered as a slave state, it would give the slave states a majority and therefore more power in the Senate. Before Missouri, there was a balance in the Senate because there was an equal number or slave and free states. However, the southerners believed that this would indeed be fair, since the northerners, or free states, had more power in the House of Representatives.

Finally, the south also believed that Congress did not have the power to decide what areas had slaves, since slaves were considered property. NY congressman Tallmadge proposed allowing Missouri to enter the Union as a slave but to require, within one generation, the state of Missouri to gradually abolish slavery. The debate over the Tallmadge Amendment and Missouri statehood bill marked for the first time slave owning interests and abolitionist interests clashed over federal policy on the floor of Congress. Henry Clay, who became known as the "Great Compromiser", developed the Missouri Compromise. This eventually used to resolve the heated dispute in 1820. Elements of the Missouri Compromise included allowing Missouri to enter as a permanent slave state and balancing Congress by admitting Maine into the Union as a free state.

The 36-30 line was established to divide the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase between free and state territory. If the Northwest Ordinances of 1787 had been more specific of which areas could or could not contain slavery, this conflict may have been prevented to some extent. However, the issue would probably come up at some time or another because of American expansion deeper and deeper into the west. Also, when this happens, there would inevitably been a conflict over congressional power between the south and north. Thus, the War of 1812, the American System, and the admission of Missouri to the Union all brought about sectionalism in America. This shows that although America was united under one government, the people had different views from one another.

Although many people argue that these conflicts could have been prevented to some degree, people can only speculate..