Answer:
The American System refers to an economic plan that developed in the early-1800s. The plan was advocated Henry Clay , the Whig Party Congressman from Kentucky. The American System is usually viewed as an expression of U.S. economic nationalism following the War of 1812 . The purpose of the plan was mainly economic and involved three main areas.
First, it held that the country needed a protective tariff . Yes, this tax on imported goods would encourage Americans to purchase goods produced in the United States . This would help to improve the nation’s business and industry and would also help gain revenue to use in internal improvements.
Another part of the American System was that Henry Clay wanted to establish the Second National Bank . This would promote the use of a single, nation-wide currency and help ease business and trade within the U.S.
As for the internal improvements, the American System would see the national government take a more active role in building roads and canals . This would facilitate commerce and trade. Additionally, these lines of communication and transportation would create closer ties within the nation, which was constantly growing in both population and land area.
In the end, the American System had some successes and some failures. The taxes on imported goods remained and remained high, but their benefits were seen mainly by people in the northeast . Americans in the south , most notably cotton plantation owners, opposed them. Also, Congress did make banking changes. But improving the infrastructure was not as successful. The main debate was whether or not it was the jurisdiction of the Federal Government to oversee the building of such things. The result was that very little in the way of road and canal construction was actually accomplished.