“Examine the impact of westward expansion on the development of sectionalism in the United States between 1820 and 1850.”
Westward expansion fundamentally divided the North and South, the Southerners moved into fertile cotton land and became agriculturally based; their society was dependent upon slavery to farm the vastly prominent crop, cotton. The North was more industrialized and populous. New states were admitted to the Union since the US was expanding, leading to the fight between free and slave states to keep balance in government. As a result of the social, political, and economic differences that westward expansion exacerbated, people began considering themselves northerners and southerners instead of Americans, developing sectionalism …show more content…
Debate regarding if the railroad should go through North or south pressed issues of statehood and the tenth amendment. Stephan Douglas, an Illinois senator, was the main proponent of the creation of the railroad as he believed it would run through his state. However, for the railroad to run through Illinois, the railroad would also need to run through either Kansas or Nebraska ‒ both of which were not yet states and needed to be incorporated. However, in making them states, they would need to take a stance on slavery. . This created lots of tension and violence. The issue of statehood being exacerbated by westward expansion lead to sectionalism. The railroad wound up going through the south via the Gadsden purchase, which was a piece of mexico was bought to complete the railroad. This illustrates how westward expansion pushed statehood and made the northerners and southerners angry at one another, causing them to view each other as opponents for their own gain instead of citizens of the same country, yet again leading to sectionalism. Westward expansion pressed the issues of statehood and maintaining the balance between slave and free states in the union developed US sectionalism between …show more content…
As a result of expansion, more states applied for admittance to the union which inevitably brought up the controversial topic of slavery. Also, as a result of expansion, the south became more agrarian and the North more industrial. Westward expansion forced the North and south to become fundamentally different in their economic, social, and political standings. The North and South’s views became increasingly polarized as a result of westward expansion and the us-versus-them attitude that slavery created, this led to sectionalism in the US between
Westward expansion fundamentally divided the North and South, the Southerners moved into fertile cotton land and became agriculturally based; their society was dependent upon slavery to farm the vastly prominent crop, cotton. The North was more industrialized and populous. New states were admitted to the Union since the US was expanding, leading to the fight between free and slave states to keep balance in government. As a result of the social, political, and economic differences that westward expansion exacerbated, people began considering themselves northerners and southerners instead of Americans, developing sectionalism …show more content…
Debate regarding if the railroad should go through North or south pressed issues of statehood and the tenth amendment. Stephan Douglas, an Illinois senator, was the main proponent of the creation of the railroad as he believed it would run through his state. However, for the railroad to run through Illinois, the railroad would also need to run through either Kansas or Nebraska ‒ both of which were not yet states and needed to be incorporated. However, in making them states, they would need to take a stance on slavery. . This created lots of tension and violence. The issue of statehood being exacerbated by westward expansion lead to sectionalism. The railroad wound up going through the south via the Gadsden purchase, which was a piece of mexico was bought to complete the railroad. This illustrates how westward expansion pushed statehood and made the northerners and southerners angry at one another, causing them to view each other as opponents for their own gain instead of citizens of the same country, yet again leading to sectionalism. Westward expansion pressed the issues of statehood and maintaining the balance between slave and free states in the union developed US sectionalism between …show more content…
As a result of expansion, more states applied for admittance to the union which inevitably brought up the controversial topic of slavery. Also, as a result of expansion, the south became more agrarian and the North more industrial. Westward expansion forced the North and south to become fundamentally different in their economic, social, and political standings. The North and South’s views became increasingly polarized as a result of westward expansion and the us-versus-them attitude that slavery created, this led to sectionalism in the US between