The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism

1. The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism

2. Nationalism (n.) – loyalty or devotion to a nation, especially an attitude, feeling, or belief characterized by a sense of national consciousness; an exaltation of one nation above all others, and an emphasis on loyalty to and promotion of national culture and interests as opposed to subordinate areas or other nations. • Sectionalism (n.) – devotion to one’s region; holding the interests of a region over the interests of the whole nation.

3. Post-War Nationalism • Nationalism was reflected in the post-War period through increased national pride, an emphasis on national issues, an increase in the power and scope of the national gov’t, and a growing sense of American identity. • In what ways was nationalism present after the War of 1812? • Patriotism • Political • Economic • Cultural

4. Economic Nationalism • The War of 1812 illustrated problems with roads and transportation in the west • 1807-1814 – years of Embargo and blockades had enabled American manufacturing to develop. • 1815 – cheap British goods flood the American market • Henry Clay calls for an “American System”

5. Mechanization • Samuel Slater • 1791 - establishes first textile mill in Rhode Island • Textile factories emerge slowly, but boom from 1807-1814 • After Treaty of Ghent, 150 of 151 mills close in Rhode Island… • Tariff of 1816 implemented to protect textiles. • Eli Whitney • 1793 patents the Cotton “Gin” – device for removing seeds from cotton; leads to cotton “kingdom” in deep south and a renewed commitment to slavery. • 1798 – interchangeable parts – contract for gun manufacturing for the US Gov’t

6. “American System”

7. Cumberland Road

8. Erie Canal (1817-1825) • 363 miles; connects Lake Erie to the Hudson

9. Impact of the Erie Canal • Cost of shipping 1 ton of grain from Buffalo to NYC drops $100 to $5; time from 20 days to 6. • Food prices drop as a result; potato prices drop 50% (hurts New England farmers, who move west). • Towns and cities emerge on the canal; transforms the Trans-Allegehny west into a center of commercial agriculture.

10. How Locks Work

11. IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION (ROADS, CANALS, STEAMSHIPS, AND RAILROADS) LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A:NATIONAL MARKET ECONOMY !!!!!

12. Cultural Nationalism • Literature • Webster’s New American Dictionary • North American Review (1815) • Knickerbocker School – group of NY writers who gain recognition • Washington Irving – The Sketch Book (1819) • Rip Van Winkle; Legend of Sleepy Hollow • James Fenimore Cooper • Writer from frontier NY • The Spy (1821); The Leatherstocking Tales; The Last of the Mohicans • Themes explore the contrast between the “natural men” of the American wilderness v. the artificial men of the “civilized” world • William Cullen Bryant • First American poet to gain recognition • Thanatopsis (1817)

13. Art • Hudson River School • American landscape artists • Romanticized images of the American West

14. Thomas Cole “The Oxbow” (1836)

15. Asher B. Durand “Kindred Spirits” (1845)

16. Politics • Death of the Federalist Party • “Era of Good Feelings” / One party rule emerges • James Madison elected 1816 / 1820 • Makes “tour” of the nation on 1817 • John Marshall & Judicial Nationalism • Decisions increase the power of the federal gov’t and expand its authority

17. Marshall’s Decisions

18. Nationalism in Foreign Policy