4.3_NATIONAL vs. REGIONAL Politics, 1800-1848 [APUSH Review]

National Economic Unification

The growth of a national economy in early America, linking different regions.

Regional Distinctions

The simultaneous emergence of distinctive regional economies and identities, creating unique interests and priorities.

Louisiana Purchase

Facilitated by Napoleon's decision to sell the territory to the United States at a low price, opening the Mississippi River for trade.

Mississippi River

Opened for trade and commerce after the Louisiana Purchase, benefiting merchants, particularly in the South and West.

Cumberland Road (1811)

An infrastructure project sponsored by Congress to improve overland trade between Maryland and Ohio.

The American System

Proposed by Henry Clay in 1824, a set of comprehensive policies aimed at enhancing the national economy and interlinking regional economies.

Infrastructure Projects (American System)

Funded via tariffs and land sales; included roads and canals benefiting southern and western farmers.

Protective Tariffs

A tax on foreign goods aimed at promoting domestic products.

Tariff of 1816

An example of a protective tariff aimed at promoting domestic products.

Economic Panic of 1819

A financial crisis triggered by imprudent lending practices of the national bank, causing widespread foreclosures.

North's Stance on Tariffs (Panic of 1819)

Advocated for more tariffs to shield their industries from foreign competition due to economic downturn.

South's Stance on Tariffs (Panic of 1819)

Opposed tariffs that raised prices on essential goods during a downturn in agricultural demand.

Slavery Tensions (Early America)

Rising discontent from opposing economic systems (enslaved labor in the South vs. wage labor in the North), escalating sectional tension.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Proposed by Henry Clay to preserve the Senate balance between slave and free states when Missouri sought admission as a slave state.

Talmadge Amendment

Proposed that Missouri could only join as a free state with gradual emancipation of existing enslaved people; rejected by southern congress members.

Henry Clay's Role in Missouri Compromise

Proposed the Missouri Compromise to maintain the balance of power in the Senate between slave and free states.