American System
By: Connor Ledet
What is the American System?
It was the system that consisted of three mutually reenforcing parts a tariff to protect and promote American industry; a national bank to establish commerce and federal subsidies for roads, canals, and other "internal improvements" to develop profitable markets for agriculture.
Purpose
The purpose of the American System was to unite the United States and come together as one country.
Sectionalism v. Nationalism
Nationalism was the feeling of pride, loyalty and protectiveness toward your country. Sectionalism is the loyalty to the interest of your own region or section of the country, rather than to the nation as a whole.
Key Components
This was to establish a protective tariff, which was a tax on imported goods and encouraged Americans to buy America.
Henry Clay
He was the man behind the American System. He was the one who came up with the idea of creating this new idea. He was part of the National Republican/whig party. He was the Secretary of State for President John Adams. He served this job from 1825 to 1829.