Era of Good Feelings Dbq
During the Era of Good Feelings, Nationalism and Sectionalism were both evident. However, sectionalism was the most important cause of disagreement within the country with the controversy over Missouri’s admission as a slave state, and the different views toward states’ rights throughout various sections of the country.
When Missouri applied to become part of the union, they insisted on being a slave state. This upset the north due to their interest in a balance of power. The Missouri Compromise was enacted with the help of Henry Clay in order to come to a conclusion to the political arguments between the North and South. It stated that in order for Missouri to be accepted as a slave state, Maine would come into the union as a free state. Also, slavery wasn’t to be permitted north of latitude 36˚ 30’. The long retired Thomas Jefferson expressed his alarm to the happenings in American government by comparing the sectional disunity to a “fire bell in the night [that] awaked and filled me with terror.” (Document G) John Quincy Adams also stated that “If the union must be dissolved, slavery is precisely the question upon which it ought to break.” (Document F) By simply drawing a line to determine boundaries of slavery, it was inevitable that neither side would be completely satisfied in the long run.
Sectionalism was also evident through economical differences between the North and South. The South’s growing agricultural society relied heavily on slavery. Inventions such as Eli Whitney’s cotton gin increased production of cotton vastly, and in return brought more slaves. In the North however, industry was the main priority. Many goods were manufactured in the North and transferred to the South for use in fields. When the Tariff of 1816 which taxed goods manufactured in the North was passed, nearly all southerners voted against it (Document H}. As disagreements arose, the idea of sectionalism continued to expand.
The so called “Era of Good Feelings”
When Missouri applied to become part of the union, they insisted on being a slave state. This upset the north due to their interest in a balance of power. The Missouri Compromise was enacted with the help of Henry Clay in order to come to a conclusion to the political arguments between the North and South. It stated that in order for Missouri to be accepted as a slave state, Maine would come into the union as a free state. Also, slavery wasn’t to be permitted north of latitude 36˚ 30’. The long retired Thomas Jefferson expressed his alarm to the happenings in American government by comparing the sectional disunity to a “fire bell in the night [that] awaked and filled me with terror.” (Document G) John Quincy Adams also stated that “If the union must be dissolved, slavery is precisely the question upon which it ought to break.” (Document F) By simply drawing a line to determine boundaries of slavery, it was inevitable that neither side would be completely satisfied in the long run.
Sectionalism was also evident through economical differences between the North and South. The South’s growing agricultural society relied heavily on slavery. Inventions such as Eli Whitney’s cotton gin increased production of cotton vastly, and in return brought more slaves. In the North however, industry was the main priority. Many goods were manufactured in the North and transferred to the South for use in fields. When the Tariff of 1816 which taxed goods manufactured in the North was passed, nearly all southerners voted against it (Document H}. As disagreements arose, the idea of sectionalism continued to expand.
The so called “Era of Good Feelings”