Western Expansion Vs America

Western Expansion vs America

During the period between 1800 and 1850 the tensions between the north and the south rose due to political, social, cultural, and economic disputes. In the period of 1800 to 1850 in America, there were a variety of happenings that affected the people of America. These happenings included The Missouri Compromise, and the Tariff of Abominations.

The Missouri Compromise was put together in 1820. The compromiser was Henry Clay that represented the state of Kentucky. The purpose of the compromise came from the eruption from congress when it was requested that Missouri be added to the union, and as a slave state. From the compromise came two new states, a line that divided the US in half at 36’30, and a rise in tension. The compromise set in motion the induction of the states of Main (non-slave) and Missouri (pro-slave). Two states were added in order to maintain the delicate balance the America had between slave and non-slave states. The compromise succeeded in doing two other things as well dividing the US and further making people unhappy. By drawing the 36’30 line Congress drew a line of division between the north and south. Two sides to clash against each other. By making this line set in stone they create a nation divided. Due to the fact that Congress had to compromise, it benefited no one and everyone. The North which was a hotbed for the Free-Soilers and Abolitionists didn’t want any more slave states than they already had. Then there was the south where they were un in arms because this compromise proved that Congress could make laws on slavery. Because Congress created a nation divided it would further open up confrontation between the north and the south and the conflict between the two would eventually boil over to be the Civil War.

Another contributing factor to the raise in tension between the north and the south was the Tariff of Abominations. The Tariff of Abominations was a tax that was designed to protect the northern companies of production. The tax placed a tax rate of 62% of most imported goods thus making northern goods less expensive than imported goods. This was doubly good for the north because the region produced all its own product and their product would have more buyers. However this bill was doubly bad for the south, because their regions produced little if any of the products the tax was placed on and Britain had difficulty buying their product (cotton) because they had little money to do so. Due to the steep decrease in cotton South Carolina chose to “Nullify” the tax, what that breaks down to is that they will just not pay the taxes. Along with their nullification they were also planning on seceding from the union. This act was quite frowned upon by the president Andrew Jackson. Jackson decided to apply military force to South Carolina to make them stay in the Union and pay the tax. He used America’s Naval force