Era of Good Feelings

Stuff to feel good about: 1) We had increased national pride after holding our own in the war of ) The nation was expanding westward. 3) The economy was sound and growing (until the Panic of 1838). 4) We were not involved in any foreign wars (Until the Mexican War in 1846). 5) Nationalism was winning out over sectionalism.

Henry Clay’s American System To help Northern factories, the American system called for high tariffs on imports. High tariffs would also reduce American dependence on foreign goods. To make it easier and cheaper for farmers in west and south to ship goods to city markets, they made a better transportation system. The American System never went into effect, because Congress spent little on internal improvements, tariffs remained high. Southerners opposed paying for roads and canals that brought no direct benefits.

Developments in Literature 1) James Fennimore Cooper wrote the first tales of the American Frontier, including The Last of the Mohicans which was set during the French and Indian war and features his most famous fictional hero, Natty Bumppo. James Fenimore Cooper was one America’s first Novelists and is often credited with inventing historical fiction.

More Literature… 2) Washington Irving wrote colorful tales of the Dutch residents of New York’s Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River Valley. In his often humorous satires, Irving warned Americans to learn from their past and to be cautious about the future. Rip Van Winkle fell asleep in a Dutch village that was part of the English Colonies, and woke up 20 years later in the U.S.A.

The Hudson River School of artists created paintings that reflected national pride and an appreciation of the American landscape.

Thomas Cole Was the most famous member of The Hudson River School.

George Caleb Bingham’s paintings combine images of the American landscape with scenes from people’s daily lives. Fur Traders Descending The Missouri