II. Sectional Differences Pages 233-241

Terms and People Tariff of 1816 Capital Labor union Nativist Cotton gin

Background Information Era of Good Feelings James Monroe won the Election of 1816 5th President, March 1817-March 1825 Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and then Monroe Political differences seemed to fade Boston newspaper “Era of Good Feelings”

Monroe First President to travel the country since Washington Paid his own expenses and without escort Traveled to former Federalist strong holds Boston He was a Dem-Rep Traveled South to Savannah & West to Detroit Won Reelection in 1820.

What was Sectionalism? People developed strong allegiances to the regions where they lived People were “Southerners” or “Westerners” or “Northerners” Sectionalism grew over political issues Slavery Southerners thought it was necessary Northerners opposed its practice Westerners were often neutral Tariffs National Bank Internal Improvements

A. The North Embraces Industry Despite Jefferson’s hopes for an agriculturally based economy, industry spread throughout the North Conditions were favorable for manufacturing in the northeast because: There were many fast flowing rivers to power machinery Access to capital ($) to build factories Ready supply of factory workers Remember, the South invested its land and resources in agriculture

A. The North Embraces Industry 1. Why Industrialization Spread Remember The Embargo of 1807 and The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general embargo enacted by the United States Congress against Great Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars. The embargo was imposed in response to violations of U.S. neutrality and the seizure and impressment of U.S. Merchantmen The War of 1812 Cut-off American access to British goods After the War, British goods flowed into the U.S. and threatened to overwhelm our new manufacturers

Tariff of 1816 Tariff of 1816 allowed American businesses to expand because Congress placed a high tariff on imported goods to protect American manufacturing Increased the price of imported goods 20%-25% This encouraged Americans to buy American-made products

B. Social Change in the North Workers Organize Unskilled labor was cheap and readily available Hurt highly-skilled artisans like blacksmiths, shoemakers, and tailors Artisans sought political change Formed the Workingmen’s Party to compete in elections Free public education Working day reduced from 12 hours to 10 The right of workers to organize (unionize) Strike!

B. Social Change in the North A middle class emerged Bankers, lawyers, accountants, office workers Neighborhoods became segregated based on social class and race In the middle class women stayed home with the children to care for the home Working class families all had to work to support the family

North: The Land of Opportunity Immigration boomed between 1830-1850 Immigrants from Ireland and Germany came in hordes to America’s northern cities Escaping political upheavals, economic depression, and famine Immigrants worked in factories, construction sites, the docks, and even became domestics Nativists campaigned for laws to limit immigration

C. Southern Agriculture Economy and Society Agriculture was the leading industry in the South Cotton Production Surges Cotton became the premier crop during the 1790’s In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin Reduced the amount of time it took to separate cotton seeds from the cotton fibers American South produced 60 % of US and Europe’s cotton

Slavery in the South In the 1780’s Washington, Jefferson, and Madison thought slavery would slowly fade away in the south The rise in Cotton production increased the demand for slaves In 1820- 1.5 million slaves In 1860- 4 million slaves Overseas slave trade was outlawed in 1808 Illegal slave trade was practiced And some fading tobacco farmers became slave traders In 1802 slaves sold for $600, by 1860 they went for as much as $1,800

Economic Consequences Cotton was so profitable that most farmers focused primarily on one crop When prices plummeted many farmers were bankrupt So much land was dedicated to farming, the South did not develop cities, or diversified trade markets Because there were few cities, many immigrants settled in the northern, industrial centers causing the population in the North to grow quickly Most of the population of the South was enslaved, poor, and unable to contribute to the economy Few factories were built due to the focus on agriculture

Cultural Consequences Planters opposed education for slaves and poor Whites Very few slaves or free Blacks could read 15% of poor Whites were illiterate—3 times higher than in the North and the West! Wealthy Whites developed a sense of entitled superiority causing a social divide

Slavery Slavery was central to Southern life, but… In 1860 only 25% of white southern men held slaves 75% of those slaveholders had fewer than 10 slaves Typical slaveholder lived in a modest farmhouse and had 4 or 5 slaves About 3,000 white men owned 100 or more slaves Then why did southern Whites defend slavery?

Defending Slavery The answer lies in the aspirations of the common farmers… They dreamed of someday owning a plantation and several slaves And in fear… They feared revenge if the slaves were freed And in racial solidarity Even the poorest white farmer felt he was superior to a slave or even a free Black man

Defending slavery Southern farmers took pride in their independence They were not dependent upon rich industrialists for a pay-check They credited that independence to a social structure built on slavery By the 1850s, Southerners had stopped defending slavery as a necessity and began touting it as a positive good!