The Nation Pulls Apart
In the first half of the 1800s, the nation was divided into three major sections. They were the
Northeast, the Midwest, and the South. (The Midwest was the part of the country next to the
Northeast.)
As you have learned, sectionalism began to divide the nation in the 1820s. Each section of
the country had its own way of life. People in different sections had different ideas about
how the federal government should help the nation grow.
From time to time, differences among sections almost split the nation. After much arguing in
Congress, a compromise was always found.
But during the 1850s, Americans found it hard to compromise on one issue- slavery.
The Northeast: Land of Businesses
The Northeast was made up of states along the northeastern coast of the nation. You can
see those states on the map in this reading.
The Industrial Revolution had begun in the Northeast. There were more factories, stores, and
banks there than in other parts of the country. Most of the nation's cloth and other factorymade goods were produced there.
The political leaders of the Northeast were business people. They wanted a strong national
government. They believed a strong government could help business.
Northeasterners Want Tariffs
Northeasterners asked Congress for tariffs. A tariff is a tax on imported goods. The purpose of
a tariff is to protect a business from foreign competition.
Tariffs helped American businesses by making foreign goods cost more. For example, when
Congress placed a tariff on foreign cloth, the price of that cloth went up. Owners of
American textile mills did not have to pay the tariff, so they could sell their cloth for less.
People would then buy the less costly American cloth instead of the imported cloth.
During the 1850s, Congress helped businesses in the Northeast by placing tariffs on cloth,
glass, iron, and other goods.
The Midwest: Land of Small Farms
The Midwest was made up of the states around the Great Lakes. You can see these states
on the map in this reading.
The Midwest was settled mainly by owners of small farms. Those farmers raised corn, wheat,
cattle, pigs, and sheep.
The Northeast and the Midwest Need Each Other
The economy of the Midwest was closely tied to the economy of the Northeast: The
Northeast depended on the Midwest for meat and grain. The Midwest depended on the
Northeast for goods such as boots and guns. Many canals and railroad lines connected
the two sections.
Like northeasterners, midwesterners wanted a strong national government. They wanted
the government to build more roads, canals, and railroads in the Midwest. Better
transportation would allow them to get their crops to markets in the Northeast.
Members of Congress from the Midwest and Northeast supported one another. Midwestern
members voted for high tariffs. In exchange, northeastern members voted for better
transportation. And members from both sections opposed slavery.
The Midwest and Northeast often looked like one huge section to southerners. They called
that section "the North."
The South: Land of Farms and Plantations
The South was made up of the slave states. These states are shown on the map in this
reading.
People in the South lived on farms and large plantations. Their most important crops were
cotton, tobacco, rice, and sugar.
The southern economy was built on slavery. Slaves grew and harvested the crops that made
money for the people in the South. In 1850, one-fourth of all southern families owned slaves.
Most slaveowners had just one or two slaves. But planters might have from 30 to 1000 slaves
working on their plantations.
The political leaders of the South were mainly planters. They feared a strong national
government. They thought a strong government might end slavery.
In Congress, southerners and northerners often disagreed. Southerners opposed high tariffs
because the South had few factories to protect. Southerners also opposed the building of
more roads, canals, and railroads in the North. Such projects did not help southerners.
Most of all, southerners disagreed with northerners about slavery.
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of lined paper. You may also
type and print your answers.
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1.
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3.
4.
5.
Be sure to write your answers using complete sentences and proper spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.
Be sure to clearly identify the subject of each answer.
What were the three sections of the United States in first half of the 1800's?
What does "sectionalism" mean? (There are two parts to this answer!)
Why did people in the Northeast want a strong national government?
What is a tariff?
Two or more things which are interdependent rely on each other and work together. How
were the Northeast and the Midwest interdependent in the first half of the 1800's?
6. How did the people of the South view the Northeast and the Midwest?
7. What was peculiar about the states in the South? (How were they most different from the
states in the Northeast and the Midwest?)
8. Why did many Southerners, especially the planters, fear a strong national government?
9. What issue most divided the North and the South in the first half of the 1800's?
10. The introduction to this reading refers to the "federal" government. What is the federal
government?