It could be said that both Sectionalism and nationalism increased during the Era of Good Feelings. However, the Era of Good Feelings was, to a certain degree, misnamed. By the 1820's an "Era of Inflamed Feelings" was beginning to undermine the Era of Good Feelings. Political giants were fighting for power and promoting the clashing economic interests of their relevant sections. In 1820 these feelings of sectionalism became painfully obvious. Missouri, wanting to enter the country as a slave state was denied that right, due to the fact that many northern congressmen did not want slavery to flourish in the virgin lands of the west. Sectionalism had reached a high point in the, "Era of Good Feelings", and no one was terribly interested in the good of the "entire" country.
             The Missouri compromise was the obvious beginning of the problem of sectionalism. When Missouri wanted to enter the union as a slave state, those opposing slavery were distressed. If Missouri were to become a slave state, the slave states would have the advantage in congress, twelve slave states opposed to the eleven free states. The temporary solution to this problem was the Missouri compromise. The Missouri compromise allowed Missouri to become a slave state, but it denied this right for any future states north of the Southern boundary of Missouri, except Missouri. Many people saw this compromise only as a provisional solution to the problem between the slave states and the free states. Thomas Jefferson, who had not been paying attention to public affairs, was awakened by this Missouri question, "this momentous question, like a firebell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror." (Thomas Jefferson, Letter to congressman John Holmes of Massachusetts, April 22, 1820.) Thomas Jefferson went on in his letter to John Holmes to talk of the future of the country, and how the Missouri compromise was but a reprieve. John Q...