In the early and mid-1800s, sectionalism was strongest

Sectionalism means loyalty to one region and its interests over the nation as a whole. In the early and mid-1800s, it was especially strong in the South, where many people defended slavery because plantation agriculture relied on enslaved labor and generated wealth. The West was not chiefly defined by opposition to ranching, and the North’s sectional conflicts centered on issues such as slavery and economic policy rather than feeling judged as uncivilized.

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