unit 5€¦ · 17/09/2014 · •crisis over california . differences between sections •the...

Unit 5 Chapters 9-10

Sectionalism and the Age of Jackson

Sectionalism

Growing Division Between North and South

What is Sectionalism?

• Sectionalism is best described as loyalty to and love of one’s region over one’s country as a whole. This led to the growing division between the Northern States and the Southern States over fundamental issues such as slavery and tariffs.

The Start of Sectionalism

• Debate over slavery in creating state constitutions

• Political parties and abolitionism

• Missouri Compromise of 1820

• Sectional Tariffs

• Expansion of Slavery and Texas

• Crisis over California

Differences between Sections

• The North (divided into Northeast and Northwest)

▫ Primarily industrial but also the largest producer of grain

▫ Commerce was very important

• The South

▫ Primarily agricultural with plantations and farms

▫ Overall labor system was based on slavery

Most southerners did not own slaves

▫ Slower more leisurely lifestyle

The Northeast

• Included New England and the Mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, PA)

• Transportation had improved with many roads and canals

• Industry was booming

▫ Nearly 70,000 factories employing almost 1 million people

• Most still practiced agriculture

▫ Small family farms

The “Old Northwest”

• Included OH, IN, IL, MI, WI, and MN • Transportation had improved with many roads

and canals • Industry was beginning

▫ Over 33,000 factories employed almost 200,000 people

• Commercial agriculture producing mostly grain crops was common ▫ The steel plow (John Deere) and mechanical

reaper (Cyrus McCormick) improved production

The Steel Plow and Reaper

The North in general

• High birthrate and high immigration

▫ Most populous region of the country – dominated the House of Representatives

• More cities being established In 1800 the nation was only 5% urban

By 1850 the nation was 15% urban

▫ Cities had many problems

Slums, pollution, disease outbreaks, crime

Canals in 1825

• The Erie Canal (1825) linked Lake Erie and the Hudson River – 363 miles

• Smaller canals also existed, mostly in the North

Roads in 1825

• The National Road (connecting Cumberland, MD to Wheeling, VA) was finished by 1818

• Most were private toll roads due to differences between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans

Issues that led to Sectionalism

• #1: Slavery ▫ Initially northerners didn’t care either way about

slavery Slave labor did produce a large amount of raw

material for the industrial north Free labor also produced raw material and food for

the north and the north used free (wage) labor

▫ By the middle of the century, the existence of slavery as well as the expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories was the central issue

Slavery

• Existed in the US from 1619 to 1865

• Ended with the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution

• Was concentrated in the Southern states due to their reliance on a plantation economy and the labor intensive crops of tobacco, rice and cotton.

• Expanded with the development of the cotton gin and northern textile manufacturing.

Slaves as % of Black Pop, 1850

State Slaves Free Black Slave %

Delaware 2290 18,073 11.2%

Maryland 90,368 74,723 54.7

Virginia 472,528 54,333 89.7

NCarolina 288,548 27,463 91.3

Missouri 87,422 2618 97.1

SCarolina 384,984 8960 97.7

Mississippi 309,878 930 99.7

Slaves transported across Africa

• Slaves were captured by white traders as well as enemy tribes (who sold them to white traders)

• Early slaves were only slaves for a certain number of years

Slave Ships

• Slave ships were packed with as many slaves as possible - the more slaves, the higher the profit

• This made conditions especially harsh - many died on the crossing, sometimes as high as 25%

Slaves on

board a slaves

ship bound for

the US in

1860. Even

though is was

illegal to

import slaves

after 1808, the

practice

continued

until the North

blockaded

Southern ports

during the

Civil War.

Cotton and Tobacco

• Upon arriving in the US, slaves were put to work - generally as field hands on tobacco or cotton plantations (depending on year and location)

• This was usually considered the hardest labor of all

Slave Quarters

• On the plantations, slaves lived in “slave quarters” - a close packed collection of slave houses

• This allowed for some sense of “community” to develop among a plantation’s slaves

The Conditions of Slavery

• Most slaves built and lived in simple one-room wooden cabins that housed 8-12 people.

• Slaves cooked their own meals in their fireplace - this cabin had a brick fireplace which was more efficient and very unusual for its time and location.

• This cabin (located in MD) housed about 10 slaves, has a dirt floor, a simple table and a few chairs, and a couple of simple beds. It was fairly large for it’s time (18’x16’) and was occupied into the 20th century

Slave cabins on the Hermitage plantation, near Savannah, GA.

Each cabin had 2 rooms - a bedroom and a kitchen. These are

built of brick (rare but this owner owned a brick works) and

were once part of a “quarter” that had 70-80 such cabins.

The street of a slave quarter in 1860 during the evening

mealtime. Older children were responsible for younger

children (while parents worked in the fields) until the older

ones were themselves sent into the fields.

Communal Life of Slaves

• The close quarters led to slaves becoming very cooperative with one another.

• Also, due to the continual breakup of families, an informal family network developed among slaves.

• In some cases, slaves were able to work for wages after their usual work was completed and have celebrations on holidays.

Slave frolic on Christmas Eve. Music and dancing were very

important in preserving slave culture and community.

“A Kitchen Ball at Sulphur Springs” depicts domestic slaves at play

after hours in an antebellum resort community. Slaves sometimes

adopted the social customs of the dominant white community as well

as maintained their own.

A plantation burial (1860). Slaves were left to follow their

customs but, even in death, were still supervised by their white

owners (far right).

Auctions and Harsh Treatment

• Despite the fact that slaves could develop a sense of community, the fact remained that their lives were under control of white owners.

• Families could be broken up on a whim by an owner at an auction.

• Slaves would often be whipped for various offenses - disrespect, failure to complete a task (or on time), or any rational or irrational reason.

• Some would even be killed and although owners could be punished, they rarely were.

Slave auctions

• Slave auctions were conducted throughout the South although primarily near ports

• The slave trade was banned in 1808 but slave ships continued to smuggle slaves into the United States

Slave Auction - Richmond, VA

• As the need for slaves in the upper south declined, many owners found they could increase their profits by selling surplus slaves into the expanding lower south where cotton production demanded even more labor.

• Play Video Clip of “Roots” (AP US History CD)

A “coffle” of slaves being driven out of SC for sales in the western

south. They were marched chained together toward the sale.

Beatings were

frequently severe

• This is the scarred back of a former slave.

• Slaves were seldom allowed to forget that they were considered the equivalent of livestock.

• Whippings could be handed out for any number of reasons.

Runaways

• With the prospect of being separated from family members, some slaves chose to run away.

• Others left due to harsh treatment or a desire for freedom.

• Owners often went to great lengths to reacquire their runaway slaves but the most common was to place ads near where they may have run to.

Advertisement in NC, 11/10/1837

Runaway Advertisement 1860

Rebellions

• Other slaves led rebellions for one reason or another.

• In most cases, rebellion was responded to swiftly and harshly by the white population

• Many began to believe that the only way to control the black population was through slavery and harsh treatment.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion - 1831

60 whites were killed by Turner who, divinely inspired, attempted

to lead slaves to freedom. Whites responded by killing 100 slaves

and hanging Turner then enacting harsher slave codes.

Mutiny on the Amistad - 1839

Following their takeover of the Amistad slave ship, the slaves then

sailed to CT. US authorities arrested them & attempted to return

them to their Spanish owners but abolitionist lawyers successfully

argued for their freedom before the Supreme Court.

Year Slaves Cotton bales

1790 750,000 3,000

1800 1,000,000 75,000

1810 1,375,000 178,000

1820 1,775,000 335,000

1830 2,325,000 732,000

1840 2,875,000 1,348,000

1850 3,650,000 2,136,000

1860 4,450,000 3,841,000

Slavery and Cotton

A “bale” of cotton weighs 500 pounds

Cotton Producing States

• Areas of the old South: Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Kentucky (VA and KY produced much less cotton)

• Other areas (including today): Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Illinois


• #2: Representation ▫ Each wanted to preserve their power in the House

and Senate and each were worried about what the other would do (especially after CA admitted as a state) House had long been controlled by the Free states Senate was even until the admission of CA

▫ Each wanted influence and their way of life in the states created from the new lands in the West


• #3: Tariffs

▫ The South resented all tariffs because they depended on imports (especially from Britain) as well as the exporting of cotton (they didn’t want to pay retaliatory tariffs)

▫ Northern industry was trying to compete against well established European industry (who could produce goods cheaper at first)


• #4: States Rights

▫ Directly a result of the fear that the North would pass laws that would affect the lifestyle of the South

Tariffs or laws restricting or abolishing slavery

▫ South claimed the right of nullification

Tariff of 1828 (AKA Tariff of Abominations)

Jacksonian Democracy 1824-1840

Jackson vs. Adams

▫ The Election of 1824 With the breakdown of the Caucus system for choosing

candidates, four Republican candidates campaigned for the presidency – John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson

Jackson won more popular and electoral votes than anybody but did not have the majority of electoral votes needed to win the election so it went to the house of representatives

Main contenders were Adams and Jackson so Henry Clay used his influence in Congress to give Adams the election and was later appointed Sec of State

This is the “corrupt bargain”

President John Quincy Adams

Angered Congress by asking for money for internal improvements, to aid manufacturing, and other projects (a national university and astronomical observatory)

Seen as a waste of money in Congress and a violation of the Constitution (not listed under powers of the federal government)

President John Quincy Adams

Tariff of 1828 – satisfied northern manufacturers but alienated southern planters – called Tariff of Abominations by its critics

Raised tariff to over 45% on average

Southerners were more likely to purchase imported goods than northerners because of transportation issues

Revolution of 1828

Campaigning tactics changed to mudslinging – including attacking the wives of the candidates – Adams’ wife supposedly born out of wedlock and Jackson’s wife having an affair (with Jackson himself – she was married previously but did not have a finalized divorce)

Voter turnout increased 300% for the election

Revolution of 1828

Jackson won easily – carried every state west of the Appalachians – reputation as a war hero and a man of the frontier rather than his positions on the issues earned him the election

Andrew Jackson’s Presidency

▫ Personal characteristics Born on the frontier so seen as

a symbol of the working class – also no college education

War hero from the Battle of New Orleans

Plantation and slave owner in Tennessee

Widower – his wife, Rachel, died after the election but before he took office – he blamed Adams for her death


▫ Role of the President Interpreted the powers of the president very

narrowly and vetoed more bills (12) than all of the previous presidents

Used a group of advisors that were not a part of his official cabinet – the “kitchen cabinet” so that the appointed cabinet had less power and influence than under other presidents


▫ Peggy Eaton & The Petticoat Affair

More mudslinging – wife of Jackson’s sec of war – target of gossip about her having an affair – Jackson demanded that she be accepted socially

In response most of the cabinet resigned and were replaced

A year later, vice-president John C. Calhoun also resigned (partly due to this issue, partly to others) and was replaced by Martin Van Buren


▫ Indian Removal Act (1830)

Sympathized with whites who felt it was their destiny and right to expand westward

Jackson thought Indians should give up their traditional homelands and resettle west of the Mississippi

Act forced the removal of most eastern tribes (by 1835 most were gone)

1836 – Bureau of Indian Affairs created to assist those who resettled


▫ Indian Removal Act (1830) (continued)

States also passed similar laws some of which were challenged

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) – Supreme court ruled that the Cherokee were not a foreign nation and therefore not allowed to sue in federal court

Worcester v. Georgia (1832) – Supreme Court ruled that Georgia laws did not apply in Cherokee territory

Jackson angered by Supreme Court rulings and sided with the states – said “John Marshall has made his ruling, now let him enforce it”


• The Trail of Tears

▫ Most Cherokees ignore the resettlement order and were left alone until 1838 (after Jackson left office)

▫ Then US Army forcibly removed 15,000 Cherokees from Georgia and forced them to march from Georgia to OK

▫ Hardships were so great that 4,000 died on the march


▫ Nullification Crisis

South Carolinians, led by Vice President John C. Calhoun, argued that sovereign states could nullify the Tariff of 1832 (and the Tariff of 1828) as well as other acts of Congress.

A Union that allowed state governments to invalidate acts of the national legislature could be dissolved by the states seceding from the Union in defense of slavery.

This is called the Nullification Crisis


▫ Nullification Crisis

President Jackson threatened to send federal troops to collect the tariff money.

Congress had given him permission with the Force Bill.


• Nullification Crisis (continued) A compromise was possible – Jackson kept troops out of

the issue:

Congress should lower the tariff

South Carolina postponed then rescinded the nullification when congress enacted a new tariff similar to what Jackson had proposed

South also gained support when president took a stand against the anti-slavery movement in the north by prohibiting anti-slavery literature from being delivered through the mail

The south could trust the president to NOT extend benefits of democracy to African Americans


• Nullification Crisis (continued)

A compromise tariff – the Tariff of 1833 – was reached and was satisfactory to both the North and the South

It was proposed by Henry Clay

Election of 1836

• Jackson persuaded the Democratic Party to nominate Martin Van Buren, his vice-president

• The Whig Party nominated four candidates in hopes of throwing the election into the House of Representatives (each was from a different region) ▫ William Henry Harrison (Ohio) ▫ Hugh L. White (Tennessee) ▫ Daniel Webster (Massachusetts) ▫ Willie Person (North Carolina)

Election of 1836

• It failed and Van Buren won outright

Van Buren’s Presidency

• As president, Van Buren was blamed for the depression of 1837 (caused by Jackson’s policies)

• He attempted to cure the economic problems by keeping control of federal funds in an independent treasury but Congress refused

• He refused to annex Texas fearing a sectional crisis over slavery.

• In general, his presidency was unsuccessful!

The Log Cabin & Hard Cider Campaign

– The Election of 1840 • Focusing on the problems during the Van Buren

administration gave the Whigs an advantage.

• They nominated popular war hero William Henry Harrison as their only candidate

▫ John Tyler, a former Democrat, would be his running-mate.

• Democrats renominated Martin Van Buren


– The Election of 1840 • The campaign did not focus on the issues

▫ Whigs tried to emphasize the “humble” beginnings of their candidate.

Took log cabins around on wagons claiming they were like the one he was born in (he wasn’t – he was a member of the elite families of Virginia – he had just lived in Indiana as an adult where log cabins were common)

Many “parties” and rallies gave food and drink to the masses to encourage voting


– The Election of 1840 • 78% of eligible

voters turned out

• Harrison won 234-60

Harrison’s Presidency

• Whig victory was short-lived – Harrison died of pneumonia just one month after taking office

• John Tyler became president

▫ He did not have Whig party support and was referred to as “His Accidency”

▫ He vetoed many Whig party bills and seemed to support Democratic positions more

The Democrats didn’t support him either

General Features of the

Jacksonian Democracy 1824-1840

Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy

▫ Rise of a democratic society Informal manners and democratic attitudes existed

across all classes

Class system difficult to distinguish

Equality becoming the governing principle of American society

Mostly equality of opportunity among white males

Hero of the age was the self made man


▫ Politics of the Common Man Universal Male Suffrage

Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818) and Missouri (1821) allowed all white males to vote and hold office – no religious or property qualifications

Most Eastern states soon changes their constitutions to allow universal white male suffrage and office eligibility

In 1824, 350,000 votes cast for president. In 1840, 2.4 million Party Nominating Conventions

King Caucus – a closed door meeting of a party’s leader’s in Congress is who used to nominate candidates for office

1830s – caucuses replaced by nominating conventions – party leaders and voters would gather in a meeting hall to nominated a candidate

Anti-Masons held the first


▫ Politics of the Common Man (continued) “Popular” election of the president

By 1832 – voters chose presidential electors (only South Carolina used old system of having state legislature choose the electors)

Two-party system

National campaigns needed to be conducted with the popular election of electors so large political parties were needed

Rise of third-parties

Anti-Masons ▫ Attacked the secret society of the Mason’s – accusing them of

belonging to a privileged, anti-democratic elite


• Politics of the Common Man (continued) More elected offices

Fewer appointments and more elected offices which led to increased voter interest and participation

Popular campaigning

Appealed to the “common man”

Parades, bands, large rallies – voters were treated to food and drink

But, in trying to appeal to the masses, candidates would often downplay the issues and resort to personal attacks such as an opponent’s “aristocratic airs” to make him seem unfriendly to the common man


• Politics of the Common Man (continued) Spoils system and rotation of office holders

Under Jackson, federal jobs went to those who had actively campaigned for the Democratic party – only non-Democrats were replaced

To have the maximum number of Democrats in office, Jackson limited a person’s tenure of office to one term and when it was up, would appoint another “deserving Democrat” in his place

Both served to further the Democratic ideal that “one man is as good as another” and helped to further the two-party system

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