Topic 14 Era of Good Feelings

In general, when and what was the “Era of Good Feelings”?

As the Federalist Party fell apart after the War of 1812, a wave of nationalism helped united the United States, so much so that fewer political divisions existed and an “Era of Good Feelings “ emerged

The Democratic-Republican Party basically operated without any opposition, but with the wave of nationalism, the party no longer pushed the ideology of state sovereignty and agrarianism that Jefferson had championed. In many ways, the Democratic-Republican Party had moved toward the old Federalist Party, thus helping to diminish tensions

James Monroe, president 1816-1824

In terms of the economy and geographic expansion, what contributed to the “Era of Good Feelings”?

The Outwork System symbolized the beginnings of an American industrial revolution, further eroding old Jeffersonian ideals

The use of technology like waterwheels further facilitated economic growth, especially in the expanding textile industry

The Era of Good Feelings witnessed the first significant interest in the trans-Mississippi area, the recently purchased Louisiana Territory. The first Americans were explorers interested in the fur trade.

“Mountain Man”

Rendezvous

These early “Mountain men” were important by unlocking the mysteries of the Rocky Mountain. One important fur trader was Jedediah Smith

South Pass

South Pass

As fur trappers initially explored the Far West, many Americans flooded west of the Appalachian mountains through the Cumberland Gap, discovered in the late 1700s

Cumberland Gap

A common path westward through the Cumberland Gap was the Wilderness Road, first popularized in the 1700s by Daniel Boone

The American population grew, reaching ten million by 1820, as did their physical stature. Prior to the Revolution, the average man was not much more than 5’6’’, but by the end of the Era of Good Feelings it approached 5’8”

How did Americans work to unite such an expansive nation during the Era of Good Feelings?

The government chartered private companies to build “turnpikes” or, as they are known today, toll roads. Shown here is a traveler paying at the toll house.

Plank Road

Macadamized Roads

Not all roads were private or funded by individual states Not all roads were private or funded by individual states. In such an era of nationalism, the federal government agreed to fund the “National Road,” a controversial decision

National Road remains today

In addition to building roads, Americans began an era of canal building, which went upstream along rivers beyond the “falls”

Construction of canals was expensive and involved the most modern technologies, including locks

Erie Canal

Erie Canal Lock today

During the Era of Good Feelings, in what ways was there a consensus that the growth of the national government was positive?

In 1816, Congress re-chartered the national bank, now called the Second Bank of the United States

Congress approved new national tariffs in the Tariff of 1816

The Supreme Court ruled in the famous case of McCulloch vs The Supreme Court ruled in the famous case of McCulloch vs. Maryland in 1819 that Maryland could not tax the national bank, setting the precedent that taxes constituted the right to destroy, and the states did not have the right to destroy the national government. This further established the dominance of the national government over the states.

How did the nationalism of the Era of Good Feelings manifest in foreign policy?

Madison requested a standing army (uniforms of the era are to the right, above)

Monroe nominates John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State Monroe nominates John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State. Adams, the son of the former president, was very nationalistic

Monroe Doctrine

Convention of 1818 and Adams-Onis Treaty

What forces were working to end the period of national unity in the Era of Good Feelings?

The economy went into depression with the Panic of 1819, precipitated by the British textile industry turning to Indian cotton, popping a bubble in American cotton prices. Many Americans blamed the economic downturn on the National Bank, which like many other banks had been offering easy credit during the bubble.

Given the downturn in the economy of the Panic of 1819, many northerners called for even a higher tariff in certain manufactured products. When the subsequent tariff of 1824 passed with much hiher rates than in the Tariff if 1816, many westerners and southerners protested. When the Panic of 1819 hit and the economy went down, many people in the North called for a higher tariff than had been in the Tariff of 1816. When Congress subsequently passed this higher tariff on manufactured items such as iron goods in the Tariff of 1824, many people in the South and West protested, fearing more and higher retaliatory foreign tariffs of their exports.

By the 1820s, slavery had begun to grow as a divisive issue By the 1820s, slavery had begun to grow as a divisive issue. This came to a head in 1820 with the Missouri Compromise