The Era Of Good Feelings

The Era of Good Feelings marked a period in the political history of the United States that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812.

James Monroe (1817-1825) two terms

John Adam's Federalist party was in decline due to unpopular policies. -Suppression of free speech under the Alien and Sedition Acts -Assumption of closer relations with Britain instead of France (remember, D-R were on the side of the state, not central power) -Jefferson elected in 1801 (v.p. Aaron Burr) D-R win over east, stronger support in south + west (esp. w/ expansion) -Jefferson reelected (1804) thanks to the Louisiana Purchase

-1810-1812: trade wars, issues w/ foreign policy (but Americans learn diplomacy) -1812-1814: war of 1812, Hartford convention/Essex Junto, growth of "nationalist" feelings

American system

infrastructure and transportation

foreign, expansion

nationalism, sectionalism

Henry Clay (former war hawk, speaker of the house, known as the "Great Compromiser"

imported 1) Post-war 1812, England had surplus goods, making them CHEAP for American buyers, therefore decreasing DEMAND for American goods To help regulate this, Henry Clay helped initiate the Tariff of 1816 then increased price of imported goods Outcome: 1) Tariff to benefit new, weak American manufacturing industry 2) Increased price of foreign goods therefore made USA goods MORE likely purchased

Tariff of 1816 Second Bank of the United States Internal improvements at federal expense

Could possibly lead to slavery being abolished

Treaties of Expansion Rush-Bagot Treaty: US/Britain agree to disarmament (act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing (weapons) in Great Lakes, important border between US/Canada leads to: Convention of 1818: set boundary of Louisiana Territory at 49th parallel -Creates secure, demilitarized border -Gain right to settle in Oregon country Adams-Onis Traty 1819: -General Andrew Jackson invades Spanish East Florida without official support of Monroe/S. State John Q Adams Luis de Onis (Spanish diplomat to the US) demands punishment -Spain rather than start war with new US military power, cedes Florida -Sets new boundaries, now to include land in the Pacific NW

1) The War of 1812, marking a significant increase in Nationalism 2) The Death of The Federalist Party was due to their failure with the Hartford Convention 3) The Tariff of 1816 showed unity between the states to protect their countries' goods 4) Second Bank of the US. The fact that Southern leaders like John C. Calhoun, supported this charter shows the unifying bond of nationalism in the US at the time

Gov't borrowed heavily to finance the War of 1812, with no protection for banks The BUS offered bad (and sometimes fraudulent) loans and printed large amounts of paper money -- caused inflation and unsustainable investments Over speculation of real estate/land (buying land at cheap prices to sell them at large profits) -European demand for American goods ends after Napoleonic Wars -American bankers issued false banknotes and expanded credit (loans) to Europeans, which they could not pay back

Second Bank of the United Sates was forced to use contractionary monetary policy (deflation). Led to a depression: -bankruptcy -bank failures/runs -wide-scale unemployment Politicians offered many proposals to relieve the depression: -Manufactures propose higher tariffs -Return to sound money policy: working harder, spending less -Monroe limited government intervention; gov't pay was cut, as was overall spending Bred suspicion of a national bank that had power to manipulate the currency and created intense hostility toward the Second Bank of the United States

The majority of voters elected Democratic-Republican James Monroe

No because James Monroe's movement was from nationalism to sectionalism in the U.S.

In the end, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to be admitted as a slave state, while Maine was admitted as a free state, and no slave states could be admitted above the 36 30' line.

Tallmadge Amendemnt -All slaves born in Missouri after the territory became a state would be freed at the age of 25. -Passed by the House, not in the Senate. (North controlled the House, South blocks it in the Senate)

-The beginning of sectional controversy over the expansion of slavery -House of Rep. (North) approved Senate (South) rejected (Passed by the House, not in the Senate) -There was the strong disagreement between the North and the South on slavery called sectionalist tensions, esp. during the Missouri Compromise debates in 1820