1. Essential Question:
Which was the more powerful force during the Era of Good Feelings: nationalism or sectionalism?
Lesson Plan for Friday, September 26: RQ 10A (p ), Monroe Video, Era of Good Feelings Notes

2. The Era of Good Feelings (1816-1825)

3. The Era of Good Feelings
After the War of 1812, America experienced an “Era of Good Feelings” characterized by:
An extremely popular president
The emergence of a 2nd generation of U.S. leaders
Dominance by the Dem - Republicans
A surge in nationalism that united the country & improved US industry & transportation

4. Monroe as President
He appointed Democrats, Federalists, Southerners, Northerners to his cabinet; including Sec of State John Q Adams
James Monroe was elected president in 1816 & 1820 with a clear set of goals:
To promote national unity
To promote America’s power in the world
Republican dominance of the presidency & Congress helped push through a series of new laws

6. The Great Triumvirate
By 1816, a wave of new leaders shaped the antebellum era:
Henry Clay (Dem -Republican, KY)
Represented the “West”
Speaker of the House
Proponent of national economic development

7. The Great Triumvirate John C. Calhoun (Dem - Republican, SC):
Represented the “South”
Sec of War; VP
He was the nation's leading proponent of states' rights (he embraced nullification)

8. The Great Triumvirate Daniel Webster (Whig, MA):
Represented the “North”
Congressman; Sec of State
Strong proponent of nationalism & strong critic of states' rights

9. Politics After the War of 1812
The Dem-Republicans traditionally represented limited gov’t, states' rights, & strict construction
But, without Federalist opposition, the Dem-Republicans adopted many traditionally Federalist policies:
National economic development
A permanent army
Transportation improvements
A national university in D.C.

10. Henry Clay’s American System
All were proposed by Hamilton & opposed by Republicans in the 1790s
1st significant protective tariff in U.S. history
Henry Clay’s American System
Henry Clay’s American System in 1816 proposed the creation of:
The 2nd Bank of the U.S. to stabilize U.S. currency
Tariff of 1816 to promote U.S. industry & limit the importation of British manufactured goods
A national system of roads & canals
The “American System” helped unify North, South, & West
Helped pave the way for future RR construction & western Indian removal

11. Judicial Nationalism
John Marshall ( ) used the Supreme Court to strengthen the power of the national gov’t:
Exerted the power of the national government over the states
Rejected the claim that states could check powers of the national government
Affirmed the loose construction argument of the elastic clause

12. Judicial Nationalism
Dartmouth v. Woodward (1819): gov’t cannot interfere with contracts between private parties
McCullough v. Maryland (1819): Congress possesses powers not explicitly stated in Constitution; Congressional laws are supreme to decisions made by the states
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824): interstate commerce is power reserved for national government
Each case is hyperlinked to to an overview of the case

13. Nationalist Foreign Policy
President Monroe & Sec of State JQ Adams developed a nationalist foreign policy agenda
The Convention of 1818 set the US/Canada border set at the 49º
Rush-Bagot Treaty (1817): to avoid conflicts along the Great Lakes, the U.S. agreed not to take Canada & Britain not to invade the U.S

14. Nationalist Foreign Policy
Also, Spain assumed Florida would eventually be annexed
Monroe & JQ Adams turned their attention to acquiring Florida:
Andrew Jackson took it upon himself to end Indian attacks on Georgia from Spanish Florida
Jackson’s military advances & U.S. success in the War of 1812 helped force the Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) that ceded Florida & Oregon to U.S.
U.S. agreed to pay Spain $5 million & renounced claims to Texas

15. Adams-Onis Treaty (1819)

16. Nationalist Foreign Policy
The U.S. will protect Latin American independence
When Latin American nations revolted against Spain, the U.S. supported the new republics:
European powers disliked these liberal rebellions & were tempted to re-conquer them
Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned European nations to stay out of the Western Hemisphere & the U.S. will not interfere in Europe
The U.S. will act independently & will protect its sphere of influence

18. Sectionalism in the Era of Good Feelings

19. Settlement of the Trans-Mississippi
The end of the War of 1812 unleashed a rush of pioneers into the western territories
Many settled in the West to escape overpopulation, rising land prices, & worn-out soil in the East
The 2nd BUS made credit available for farmers to purchase land

20. Settlement of the Trans-Mississippi
By 1810, 1/7th of the U.S. population lived in the West; By 1840 over 1/3rd lived in the West
Congress quickly admitted 5 states to the Union:
Indiana (1816)
Illinois (1818)
Alabama (1819)
Mississippi (1817)
Louisiana (1812)

21. Sectional Disputes
The Era of Good Feelings started with a wave of national unity, but sectional disputes between the North & South emerged & would dominate politics for next 40 years
Disagreed over the use of protective tariffs, especially when cotton prices fell in 1820s
Disagreed over slavery in the western territories & states

22. Missouri Compromise
Population was growing more rapidly in North, so House of Reps favored Northerners
In 1817, Missouri applied for statehood as a slave state & revealed U.S. sectional rivalries:
North resented Southern control of presidency & its 3/5-inflated representation in House of Reps
South feared a Northern conspiracy to end all slavery
Equality had been maintained by alternating admission of “free” & “slave” states added to the US
NY rep Tallmadge wanted Missouri only if its state constitution provided for the gradual elimination of slavery

23. American Slave Population, 1790-1820

24. Missouri Compromise (1820)
Missouri became a slave state
Maine (which broke from Mass) was admitted as free state
Slavery was banned elsewhere in the Louisiana Purchase above the latitude of 36°30'
The Missouri controversy exposed a deep rift between North & South

25. Missouri Compromise,

26. Conclusions The “Era of Good Feelings” led to:
An improved American economy
Better transportation
More territory & more clearly-defined borders
A foreign policy in Latin America
But…sectional problems between the North & South

27. Discussion Questions
Both Alexander Hamilton & John Marshall were Federalists who believed in a strong national gov’t. Who was more influential in shaping American history? Explain
Which policy will be more important in U.S. history: Monroe’s foreign OR domestic policy?