Nationalism vs. Sectionalism
...ced there. If Missouri was admitted as a state, there would be an unbalance in politics and it would move in favor of the south instead of being neutral. This would give America 12 slave states and 11 free states. According to Jefferson’s reply to Congressman Holmes of Massachusetts, “…But this momentous question, like a firebell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror,” one can draw conclusions that this issue feared the northerners as Jefferson views it a “firebell in the night” because the aims of northern states were to avoid slavery as much as possible but instead, more states who depend on slavery are the ones demanding statehood. With Missouri being the first part of the Louisiana territory to apply for statehood, it worried the northerners more about what would come about if more states in the Louisiana territory applied for statehood; as most parts in that region practiced slavery. As the northern majority opposed views of the southern majority, sectional feelings on the slavery issue in Missouri increased. Sectional feelings on this issue was so heated that in John Quincy Adams’ diary, Adams mentions “If the Union must be dissolved, slavery is precisely the question upon which it ought to break.” In the end, Missouri became a state in 1820 under the Missouri Compromise. A dispute over statehood of Missouri was not the only issue that brought the nation into being loyal to their own region during the Era of Good Feelings. Growing economic differences between the north and south also played a role in sectionalism. To raise government revenue, the national government introduced a protective tariff in 1816 only to protect U.S. manufacturers from ruin. Now that there were no wars to interfere in Europe, American manufacturers feared that British goods would be dumped on American markets during peacetime, and take away much of their business. In Document H, data from introducing the tariff of 1816 is displayed. It is obvious that northerners and southerners were having opposing views to introduce the tariff. The only reason for dispute over this tariff was due to the fact that American manufacturing companies were located in the north and not the south since the north least favored an agrarian society. Changes in the Republican Party also played a major role in influencing sectionalism as a greater importance over nationalism. The reversed views of political principles of many Republican leaders were showed during Monroe’s presidency. A great example of a reversed Republican leader was John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. Calhoun mentions...