Sectionalism And Slavery

Slavery was a political, economic, social and moral issue that divided the citizens of the United States. Sectionalism is “loyalty or support of a particular region or section of the nation, rather than the United States as a whole” (“Sectionalism and Slavery). Slavery was a main factor of the sectional issue, dividing the country into North and South to the extent that it led to the Civil War; the main conflict was that southerners supported slavery and northerners opposed it. Because of the differences in history, economics, etc. in the states slavery was a main factor in the sectionalism between the North and South. The questions were whether rights of slave owners would be protected throughout the country, whether new territories would

People in the North felt it was a moral wrong to treat slaves the way the South treated slaves. The American citizens were faced with the states becoming split apart over differences in opinions caused by the treatment of slaves. Tensions were high between citizens and their were many arguments breaking out, and in some places fights, but in the end, it had to be settled with one side completely winning and not being split down one side or the other in one nation. During the Constitutions compromises, to solve the problem of states’ taxes, the 3/5 compromise was made that said that each slave counted as 3/5 a person in states population and taxes (Carnes and Garraty 149). This caused discussions on if slaves were people and not just property. The social sectionalism of America was extended by continued debates between the citizens on how to treat the slaves and what actions would be taken for them as well as the moral consequences of treating slavery as property as the Constitution deemed them (Carnes and Garraty

However, major progress was steadily being made. The Compromises made to appease the North and South and the question of slavery, stopped the North and South states for a little while but it did not indefinitely solve the problem and it soon led to the Civil War. After the war was won, Reconstruction began. Although slaves were freed during the course of the war, after people did not care much for them and still treated them with disdain. Racism started and blacks were denied rights that regular white citizens the US had like education, right to vote, etc. So although race based sectionalism was fixed a little with the emancipation of the slaves, the treatment of slaves did not improve by a large margin and progress still had to be made regarding the rights of blacks and the racism that developed against