The Great Debate

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The Great Debate
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Sectionalism Divides America

• Sectionalism - the placing of the needs of one
  section of the country over the needs of the
  whole country.

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What was the difference between the two sections?

• The North Business / Industrial economy.
• Business and industry played major roles.
• Education and Cities Develop
• Life was faster and commerce important.

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What was the difference between the two sections?

• The South
• Agricultural Economy.
• The southern economy was primarily based upon the
  existence of large family farms known as
  plantations.
• The plantation economy relied on cheap labor in
  the form of slaves to produce tobacco and then
  cotton.
• The plantation lifestyle produced a slower more
  leisurely lifestyle.
• Industry, Cities, Education grow slowly
• Less Opportunity and Development

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What issues created the sectional conflict?

• Slavery - The most important difference between
  the north and south.
• Most northerners really didn't care about slavery
  in the beginning
• As time went on, the existence, and the extension
  of slavery into the western territories, became
  the central issue.

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• Representation (Voting)
• The north and south each wanted power to pass
  laws in Congress that would benefit their
  section.
• This meant that the more states that became
  "free" or "slave" meant more votes, both in the
  House, Senate and Electoral College, for that
  section.

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• Tariffs
• A tax on imports
• Protects domestic business
• from Foreign competition
• - The South OPPOSED all tariffs as they
  relied on British imports
  for more of their everyday
  goods. They also needed other
• nations to purchase cotton from their farms.
• -The North SUPPORTED tariffs to protect their
  growing industries the south became increasingly
  angered.
• -1828 The Tariff of Abominations" the south
  then argued they had the right of nullification.
  (nullification - the power of a state to declare
  a federal law null and void.)

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• States Rights - vs. Federal Govt Power
• This issue is a direct outgrowth of the South's
  fear that the North would pass laws that would
  hurt it's lifestyle. Some examples would be
  tariffs and laws to restrict or abolish slavery.
• The south again claimed they had the right of
  nullification.
• These issues together lead to the SECESSION of
  southern states. They form the Confederacy.

John C. Calhoun
Vs. Daniel Webster
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Sumner v. Brooks

• In May 1856, abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner
  of Massachusetts delivered a two-day speech
  entitled The Crime Against Kansas. He described
  the 1854 events of Bleeding Kansas that
  occurred there and the Souths agreement with
  them.
• During the speech Sumner blamed two politicians,
  Stephen A. Douglas and Andrew Butler for causing
  the problems in Kasas.
• He called Douglas, who was present for the
  speech, "a noise-some, squat, and nameless
  animal...not a proper model for an American
  senator...
• He accused Butler, who was in South Carolina on
  his deathbed, of "taking a mistress..the harlot
  Slavery." He mocked Butler by stuttering when he
  used his name (Butler had a stutter).

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Sumner v. Brooks

• Several days later, Butlers nephew, Congressman
  Preston Brooks, attacked Sumner with a cane while
  he was seated at his desk in the Senate chamber.
  Sumner was beaten into unconsciousness, rendering
  him incapable of resuming his duties for more
  than three years.
• As a mark of how deep the divide was between the
  two sections, Bully Brooks became an instant
  hero in the South. He was the honored guest at
  testimonial dinners and amassed a large
  collection of canes sent to him from admirers.
• Sumner, for his part, was lauded as a near martyr
  in the North. Massachusetts re-elected him while
  he was still unable to take his seat in the
  Senate.

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