Forces Between Nationalism and Sectionalism in the 19th Century

Although the United states did expressed Nationalism in some ways, all this was forgotten when the country stated to divided it self into different sections with different believes. One of the great differences between these sections was tariffs. Hohn Randolph of congress said in 1816, "With my goodwill, sir, no one interest agriculturists bear the whole brunt of the was and taxation, and remain poor, while the others run in the ring of pleasure, and

America was founded by multiple states, from different regions and subsequently different styles of life, which made the possibility of their union unstable and uncertain. But, because they were united by a common goal- to break free of Britain’s despotic sovereignty- the American colonies were able to win their independence from Britain and become the United States of America. This dichotomy between the states’ different styles of life and their shared goal laid the foundation for the forces of nationalism and sectionalism in the US. The two opposing forces worked hand-in-hand to manipulate Americans’ views of one another and the American political and economic systems, though the force of sectionalism outweighed the force of nationalism

In the mid-1800s, the popular idea of Manifest Destiny took on great speed as Americans continued to move West. This belief that America should expand westward across North America was seen by many American citizens

A sense of unity filled the United States of America after they gained independence by winning the Revolutionary War. This sense of unity, however, did not last forever. Rather than having disputes with Britain, the United States began to have disputes among its three "sections" - the north, south, and west. Starting with the War of 1812, sectionalism began as a small rift but grew into a huge gap that separated the north, south, and west.

Nationalism was strengthened when the Supreme Court strengthened federal authority and the presidents were also strenthing the nations foreign policy (the Country gained more land by the Louisiana Purchase). However after the War of 1812 tensions

In the 19th century the settlers in America believed they had a mandate from God to expand west, this is called the Manifest Destiny. This expansion would involve not merely territorial aggrandizement, but the progress of liberty and individual economic opportunity as well. The Manifest Destiny shaped America throughout the years. Three main things that revolve around the Manifest Destiny are the moon race with Russia, western expansion, and how we found more resources and advancements in technology.

In the years following the War of 1812, the “Era of Good Feelings” evolved between the years 1815 and 1825. In the first half of this period, there was a strong sense of nationalism throughout the United States. However, political changes and economic differences between the states warped this nationalism into the sectionalism that divided the country into north, south and west regions. Celebrations of unity within the United States soon turned into disagreements concerning representation within the government and the differences within the national government caused by the emergence of different Republican factions. States distanced themselves from working collectively in a united economy. They were largely concerned with

1. United States government reflected the rise of nationalism on a nationalism based legal and rational concepts of citizenship, and based on a common language and cultural traditions, rather than ethnic nationalism. The War of 1812 also inspired American nationalism for many reasons.

In 1818-1820 is perhaps its strongest point in regards to the unification of all states through nationalism. All people were joined together and did not look at each other with class distinctions or gender stereotypes. Document 3 depicts how all men come together to celebrate the birth of the country. It's a demonstration of how during the era of good feelings people put their pride to the side and put the country as a whole before their individual desires. The belief around America was that the country would only be able to compete with the European superpowers if they came together as one strong nation instead of thirteen individual states.

Nationalism is how one feels toward their nation. Therefore nationalism determines how strong a nation is, by the unity of the people. America was very young as a nation in the early to mid 1800s and was not meeting the standards of the people. Changes needed to be made. Nationalism was changed in America with many great reform movements taking place which warped America to what it is today. Education reform, Industrial revolution, and transportation alongside technological advancements played a large roll in nationalism.

As the main source of national identity, nationalism “makes [people] feel connected not only to one another but also to the homeland itself” (Jusdanis 28). In the case of the American founding, when the delegates from respective states met to construct a more perfect union, they did not identify themselves as Virginians or New Yorkers. Instead, they defined themselves as “we the people of the United States” as it appears in the Preamble to the US constitution. The shared interest in liberty and freedom as well as the attachment to the land of their fathers made it possible for the vast population of the thirteen states to think of itself as a unified body despite their internal ethnic and cultural divide. By identifying themselves as a member of certain group, people will form a society with certain shared value, which ultimately can become the political units for a democratic government. Nationalism is essential for creating a cohesive political community.

The French Revolution directly affected the nineteenth century through the creation of many ideologies, one important one being nationalism. Nationalism is a very controversial ideology because of the many diverse approaches towards its true definition. A broad definition of nationalism could be perceived as a strong devotion towards the culture and identity of a nation. As well as the idea that nations will benefit more from acting as an independent nation opposed to multiple states working together as a collective. Its emergence completely changed the political map of Europe and resulted in the birth of many new nations. There are many different views towards the true reason for the emergence of Nationalism in Europe. Many historians believe the emergence can be credited to the French Revolution and later the continuation of ideas under Napoleon Bonaparte. While others believe the Industrial Revolution held more importance for the widespread arrival of nationalism. It seems better to encompass both and argue that the emergence of nationalism in Europe was caused by the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule, and the Industrial Revolution.

In The American Democracy and Its National Principle, Herbert Croly makes an eloquent and poignant case for adopting a nationalistic frame of mind. According to Croly, we are rapidly approaching a junction where we must choose between the traditional values, measures and mind set of our past or embrace the opportunities of the future. As a people we should realize that the future holds great promise, and that is why we should focus on empowering a centralized system of governance that replaces the antiquated approach to governance: regional centricity whose players are driven by their self-interest rather than the common good. This may sound like nationalism but this is an inadequate assessment. To Croly, nationalism is a much grander

Nationalism began to take a rise in Europe during the nineteenth century. During this time many events would take place that would shape Europe into the country it is today. The French Revolution was a significant event that took place and helped introduce nationalism across Europe. The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s, promoted liberty, fraternity, and equality within the European countries. This event supported a union of countries for future wars and promoted the idea that it was no longer just a country or state, but was now a nation bound together by similar cultures, religion, history, and language. In the nineteenth century, nationalism was becoming more prominent. The Serbian Revolution was a major event that introduced nationalism into the nineteenth century. During this revolution Serbia managed to release its ties from the Ottoman Empire and exist as a sovereign European nation-state. According to the New World Encyclopedia (2008), Serbs were encouraged by Russia to re-assert their national and ethnic identity and to find inspiration too in memories of their brief imperial past. Another event that introduced nationalism in the nineteenth century was the national revolt against Austria led by Lajos Kossuth in Hungary. This revolt gave nationalism fame, and the following thirty years showed it, as more than seven new national states were created in Europe.

From the 1750s to the 1900s, nationalism raged like a wildfire and extended in flaming tendrils across the world. Nationalism was born in Europe under the fledgling ideas of enlightenment intellectuals and chafing rule of Napoleon; however, people most felt nationalism outside Europe. Two such nations rocked by nationalistic ideas were China and Haiti. Both countries underwent massive political reforms in the time between 1750 and 1900, but each nation’s policies differed in foreign relations, economics, and racial issues.