Sectionalism Vs Federalism

At the foundations of the United States, significant tensions resided as to the direction of the new found country. Some proponents advocated for the expansion of federal powers while opponents argued that state rights were essential to the direction of the Union. As the nation aged these tensions would only begin to grow into sectionalism. The states of the south valued states rights while many in the north valued federalism. Additionally, the South would become a strong proponent of slavery while the rest of the world moved away from the practice. The North joined powers such as Britain and France who advocated against the practice of slavery, however the South would not let go of such a tradition without a fight. Slavery in the southern states …show more content…
Southern states supported the position that more power should be given to the states because they believed the states supported private property more fervently. The issue of governmental power was so significant that the first political alignments were centered around this issue, these groups were named the Federalists and Antifederalists. As the nation progressed so too did the tension between state and federal powers. Perhaps one of the most significant clashes between the two sides occurred under the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Jackson was an outspoken proponent of federalism who was unwavering in his convictions. During his tenure in office, great debates raged between southern and northern states as to whether a state could deem a national law void if it was not in the best interest in the state. One of the states most in favor of this policy was South Carolina. South Carolina strongly advocated that it had the right to nullify any un-agreeable law citing the doctrine of self-interest. In the year 1828 this stance would be significantly tested. As Jackson won the office of the presidency in 1828, former President John Quincy Adams signed off on what would be coined, “The Tariff