Nationalism and Sectionalism in America During the Late 1700s and Early 1800s
America was founded by multiple states, from different regions and subsequently different styles of life, which made the possibility of their union unstable and uncertain. But, because they were united by a common goal- to break free of Britain’s despotic sovereignty- the American colonies were able to win their independence from Britain and become the United States of America. This dichotomy between the states’ different styles of life and their shared goal laid the foundation for the forces of nationalism and sectionalism in the US. The two opposing forces worked hand-in-hand to manipulate Americans’ views of one another and the American political and economic systems, though the force of sectionalism outweighed the force of nationalism in the US. In the nineteenth century especially, there were many events and trends that facilitated the forces of nationalism and sectionalism, including wars, like the American Civil War, institutions, like the First and Second Banks of the US, and eras, like the Era of Good Feelings.
The establishment of the First and Second Banks of the US caused great controversy and sectionalism because their constitutionality were questioned by those with a strict construction of the Constitution and supported by those with a loose construction of the Constitution. The First Bank of the US was proposed by Alexander Hamilton, who had a loose construction of the Constitution, as a part of his Financial Plan. Hamilton wanted to solve America’s debt problem, as well as increase the country’s economic stability and credibility. He calculated that the Bank would benefit the economy by helping to facilitate government finances, functioning as a commercial bank, and lending to businesses as a central source of capital. The federal government owned two million dollars of the Bank, giving it considerable control, and the remaining eight million would be owned by private investors. This gave the federal government a large amount of power over the
The establishment of the First and Second Banks of the US caused great controversy and sectionalism because their constitutionality were questioned by those with a strict construction of the Constitution and supported by those with a loose construction of the Constitution. The First Bank of the US was proposed by Alexander Hamilton, who had a loose construction of the Constitution, as a part of his Financial Plan. Hamilton wanted to solve America’s debt problem, as well as increase the country’s economic stability and credibility. He calculated that the Bank would benefit the economy by helping to facilitate government finances, functioning as a commercial bank, and lending to businesses as a central source of capital. The federal government owned two million dollars of the Bank, giving it considerable control, and the remaining eight million would be owned by private investors. This gave the federal government a large amount of power over the