Sectionalism I

Industry North : Industrial economy Railroads Clippers increased foreign trade Machines helped produce more goods wave Favors protective tariffs (taxes placed on foreign goods in order to protection American businesses)

South: agriculture economy Invention of the cotton gin increased planters’ profits Limited industry Few large cities African Americans enslaved Resistance to slavery & abolitionists Opposes protective tariffs because they lose money on selling their cotton to the North & Britain and they have to buy their goods because they don’t have any factories to produce similar goods

Slavery Faced harsh discrimination No rights Earnings belonged to their owners Living conditions varied from plantations to plantations Slave codes limited slaves activities Could not read or write

Two Sides: North:  Believed that slaves should be outlawed in the western territories, as well as nation-wide South:  Slaves were vital to the South’s economy and society structure. Slaves were seen as property, not people.

States’ Rights' v. Central Government ?Who has the power to make decisions for the nation?

1755: French & Indian War France, Britain & Colonies  Ben Franklin propose a plan “Albany Plan of Union” attempt to create ‘one general government’ for the 13 colonies. Grand Council made up of representatives from all colonies who would make laws, raise taxes, and set up a defense of the colonies This plan was not approved because people did not want to give up any of its powers to a central council.

1789: Bill of Rights 10 th Amendment: Powers Reserved To The States: The powers not delegated to the United States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. This amendment limits the power of the federal government. Powers that are not given to the federal govt belong to the states. The powers reserved to the states are not listed in the Constitution.

So, who determines “the powers” that are not listed in the Constitution? Citizens? Congress? Representatives? Supreme Court?

1798: Alien & Sedition Act “ The President could expel any alien or foreigner thought to be dangerous to the country…..but the new law made immigrants wait 14 years become citizens instead of 5 years because the new immigrants did not like the Federalist party and the law would keep them from voting. Does the states (people) have a right to override this law if they didn’t like it? What is the procedure for canceling laws that goes against the Constitution?

Sedition Act: Sedition means stirring up rebellion against a government. Under this law citizens could be fined or jailed if they criticized the government or its officials; for expressing their opinions including newspapers What amendment did this law violate?

Further questions Did the federal government have only these powers that were listed in the Constitution? If so, then the states possessed all other powers, even the power to declare a federal law unconstitutional.  Jefferson & Madison believed that each state had an equal right to judge for itself....whether a law is constitutional and if a law is found to be unconstitutional than the state may nullify (cancel) that law within its borders

1828: Tariff of Abomination Congress passed the highest tariff in the history of the nation. Southerns called it the Tariff of Abomination because it was so hated by the South. North: protected Northern manufacturers South: Southern would have to pay more for these imports because they sold their cotton to Europe and return the South bought their goods.

Many people thought that the tariff was unconstitutional. John C. Calhoun  Calhoun claimed that a state had a right to nullify, cancel, a federal law that it considered to be unconstitutional. This idea is called Nullification  He argued that states had the final authority because they had created the national government. What do you think? Same sex marriages Legalization of marijuana Abortions Death penalty

Daniel Webster:  Opposed state’s rights and Calhoun’s logic.  The Constitution united the people, not just the states. If states had the right to nullify federal laws, the nation would fall apart. If states were able to nullify laws, would the states be operating as individual states or as one nation? Didn’t all the states eventually sign the Constitution, giving half their power to a central government? With the power to make laws? Can citizens pick out the laws they want to follow and throw back the ones they don’t like?

The Southern states challenged Jackson by threatening to secede, to withdrawal from the Union (USA) if Congress wouldn’t lower the tariff.  Does the Constitution say that states can come and go whenever they want?  What if states (people) believed that they had no more voice in government? And were against their self interests-holding onto slavery  Didn’t the Declaration of Independence say that “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that denies the rights of its citizens”-the right to own slaves.  Is the right of the people to own slaves in the Bill of Rights?