Chapter 9: Sectionalism

Sectionalism

Definition: * (Loyalty to a particular region) that ultimately led to the Union's worst crisis: Civil War between the North and the South in the early 1860s. Significance: Although sectionalism was loyalty to a particular region, the Civil War between the North and South in the early 1860s was one of the Union's worst crisis.

King Cotton

Definition: * Before 1860, the world depended chiefly on Britain's mills for its supply of cloth, and Britain in turn depended chiefly on the American South for its supply of cotton fiber. * The cotton was grown almost in two states, South Carolina and Georgia, but as demand and profits increased, planters moved westward into Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. * By the 1850s cotton provided two-thirds of all U.S. exports and tied the South's economy to Britain. * "Cotton is King." Significance: Although the world depended on Britain's mills for its supply of cloth, by the 1850s, cotton provided two-thirds of all U.S. exports and tied the South's economy to Britain.

Immigration: Germans

Definition: * Economic hardships and failure of the democratic revolutions in 1848 caused over 1 million Germans to seek refuge in the United States in the late 1840s and 1850s. * Had modest means as well as considerable farmers and artisans. * Moving westward, they searched for cheap, fertile farmland, they established homesteads throughout the Old Northwest. * Their political influence was limited, but as their public life became more active, they both had strong supporters of public education and staunch opponents of slavery. Significance: Although their were economic hardships and the failure of democratic revolutions, their political influence was limited, but their public life became more active and they both had strong supporters of public education and staunch opponents of slavery.

Immigration: Irish

Definition: * Half of all the immigrants, almost 2 million came from Ireland. * Irish immigrants were mostly tenant farmers driven from their homeland by potato crop failures and a devastating famine in the 1840s, and they now had limited interest in farming, few other skills, and little money. * Faced strong discrimination because of their Roman Catholic religion. * Irish worked hard at whatever employment they could find, usually competing with African Americans for domestic work and unskilled laborer jobs. * Limited opportunities, they congregated for mutual support in the northern cities (Boston, Philadelphia, and New York) where they had first landed. * Entered many local politics. Organized their fellow immigrants and joined the Democratic party, which had long traditions of anti-British feelings and support for the common people and workers. * Excluded from joining New York's Democratic organization, Tammy Hall. By the 1850s they had secured jobs and influence, and by the 1880s they controlled the party organization. Significance: Although the Irish faced discrimination for their Roman Catholic Religion, they were excluded from joining New York's Democratic organization.

Native Americans: Horses

Definition: * Horses were brought to America by the Spanish in the 1500s, they proved to be a revolutionary benefit to many Native Americans. * On the Great Plains, some Native Americans still lived in villages and grew crops as farmers, but the horse allowed many other tribal groups, such as the Cheyenne and the Sioux, to become nomadic hunters following the buffalo. * Living a nomadic way of life was easy to move away from advancing settlers or oppose their encroachments by force. Significance: Although the Native American Horses were Brought to America by the Spanish in the 1500s, living a nomadic way o life was easy to move away from advancing settlers or oppose their encroachments by force.

Nativists

Definition: * Protestants who distrusted the Roman Catholicism practiced by the Irish and many of the Germans. * In the 1840s, opposition to immigrants led to sporadic rioting in the big cities and the organization of a secret anti-foreign society, the Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner. * Society turned to politics in the early 1850s, nominating candidates for office as the American party, or Know-Nothing party. Significance: Although in the 1840s, opposition to immigrants led to sporadic rioting, the society turned to politics in the early 1850s.

Southern White Society

Definition: * Southern whites observed rigid hierarchy among themselves, with aristocratic planters at the top and poor whites and mountain people at the bottom of the social pyramid. Significance: Although the whites had a rigid hierarchy, the aristocratic planters were put a the top while the poor whites and mountain people were put at the bottom of the social pyramid.

Agricultural Northwest

Definition: * The Old Northwest consisted of six states west of the Alleghenies that were admitted to the Union before 1860: Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illionis (1818), Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848), and Minnesota (1858). * These states came from territories formed by land ceded to the national government in the 1780s by several of the original 13 states. * The procedure for turning territories of the Old Northwest into states was set forth in the Northwest Ordinance, passed by Congress in 1787. * In the early 19th century, much of the Old Northwest was unsettled frontier, and part of it that was settled relied upon the Mississippi to transport grain to southern markets via New Orleans. * Region became closely tied to the other northern states by two factors: 1) military campaigns by federal troops that drove Native Americans from the land and 2) the building of canals and railroads that established common markets between the Great Lakes and the East Coast. Significance: Although the Old Northwest had six states that were admitted to the Union before the 1860s, the region became closely tied together to other northern states.

The Frontier

Definition: * The same forces that had brought the original colonists to the New World motivated their descendants and new immigrants to move westward. * West represented the possibility of a fresh start and new opportunities for those willing to venture there. * West beckoned as a place promising greater freedom for all ethnic groups: Native Americans, African Americans, European Americans, and eventually Asian Americans. Significance: Although the same forces brought the original colonists to the New World, the West beckoned as a place promising greater freedom for all ethnic groups.

Commonwealth v. Hunt

Definition: * Victory in 1842 when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Hunt that "peaceful unions" had the right to negotiate labor contracts with employers. * In the 1840s and 1850s, most state legislatures in the North passed laws establishing a ten hour day for industrial workers. * Improvements for the workers, continued to be limited by 1) periodic depressions, 2) employers and courts that were hostile to unions and, 3) an abundant supply of cheap immigrant labor. Significance: Although the victory in 1824 when Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Hunt, state legislatures passed laws establishing a ten hour day for industrial workers, which then limited the improvements of the workers.

"Peculiar Institution"

Definition: * Wealth in the South was measured in terms of land and slaves. * The latter was treated as property, subject to being bought and sold. * Their uneasiness with this fact and the need continually to defend slavery caused them to refer to it as the "peculiar institution." * In colonial times, it was justified as an economic necessity, but in the 19th century, apologists for slavery used historical and religious arguments to support their claim that it was good for both slave and master. Significance: Although wealth in the South was measured in terms of land and slaves, in colonial times it was justified as an economic necessity.