1812-1824 The Era of Good Feelings

1812-1824 The Era of Good Feelings By Oseas Romero

Louisiana- expands the American idea of expansion • Would allow Jefferson’s ideal of an agrarian society • Valley of Democracy • European people’s will be accepted • Local customs will be integrated and accepted • New Orleans • The North American continent is going to be free of European influence Valley of Democracy

Treaty of Ghent ends the war • Nothing happens for or against the United States • The Legend of Madison and his wife is cemented into American thought • Rush-Bagot Agreement- limits put on naval armament in the Great Lakes • This agreement and the following decades of peace is going to create the longest unfortified boundary in the world • The War proved profitable for New England • New England feared that they would and were losing importance to the South- agrarian society and the New American West • Led by the Federalist, but events like the Hartford Convention and their bad timing would kill the Federalist • After 1812, the Federalist will never have a serious contender for the Presidency • New Leaders Emerge • William Henry Harrison and Andrew Jackson • Indian Fighter. Both future President of the United States • Henry Clay and John Calhoun Ghent and New Leaders

Heightened Nationalism • The United States was now one. The War of 1812 forced the country to unite • This sense of one, would translate into cultural expansion • Washington Irving and James Fennimore Cooper • Irving wrote- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, and The Voyages and Discoveries of Christopher Columbus • These stories will become accepted as American History, even though the truth is something completely different • Establishment of a unique American Identity Nationalism

Painters- naturalistic canvases of the American Landscape • Expansion of the military • Revival of the Bank of the United States • All these things done in a call for more unity amongst the people of the United States. • Was not entirely effective, but it did work to an extent

Growth of the manufacturing sector in the United States • Came from the embargoes and the war itself • To recover from the war, Britain began to dump their overstock onto the American market • American Industry asked for protection • Tariff of 1816 • First American Tariff solely used for protection instead of revenue • Increased imports by 20 to 25 prevent • Still was not enough but it set a precedent • Henry Clay’s American System • Three Main Parts • Strong banking system- provide easy and abundant credit • Advocated a protective tariff • Revenue from the tariff would allow for a creation of canals and roads specifically focusing on the Ohio River Valley The American System

Republican and Presidential interference didn’t allow the American System to take hold • Madison believed that the Federal government should not give states money for internal improvements • Was the responsibility of the state to do internal improvements • New England vehemently opposed Federal help for internal improvements • Still private companies and states got things done • Erie Canal

In 1816, James Monroe was nominated for President by the Republicans • Last President that was present at the founding of our nation • Would be the bridge between two new generations of Americans • Founding vs. new nationalism • Was level headed and experience • America needed a cool and calm collected President • Monroe would undertake a goodwill tour of the nation • Was welcomed as a hero even by the Federalist stronghold New England Era of Good Feelings

The first national financial panic since Washington • Over speculation in the frontier • The Bank of the US had become intertwined with this kind of borrowing • The West was hardest hit • Forced banks to foreclose on farms • Highly unpopular • The Bank would once again be public enemy Number one Panic of 1819

American need to expand has always been strong • Americans are still venturing West • Cheap land- “the Ohio Fever” • Southern lands were losing their fertility • The economic bust forced people to try their luck elsewhere • The destruction of the Northwest and South Indians by WH2 and Jackson • Improved Infrastructure • Cumberland Road Westward Expansion

Sectional Balance was thrown out of whack when the House passed the Tallmadge amendment • Slaves would no longer be allowed in Missouri • Was defeated in the Senate, but damage had been done • Divisions were clear Tallmadge and the Peculiar Institution

Missouri would be accepted as a slave state • In turn Maine, would be admitted as Free State • Balance would remain • 36 parallel • Above it, no slavery would be allowed • South was furious, but passed anyways Missouri Compromise

The Constitution is derived from the consent of the people. The Federal Power had to endure • McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) • Cohens v. Virginia (1820) • Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) • Fletcher v. Peck (1810) • Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) John Marshall and the Court

1810’s saw many revolution take place in Latin America • Americans welcomed this • Get rid of all European influence • Spain withdrew from Florida • Allowed Jackson the excuse to attack Indians in Florida • Jackson exceeded his instructions from Washington • Monroe’s cabinet wanted to punish Jackson, but he had the support of John Quincy Adams • Adams-Onis Treaty • Spain cedes Florida, parts of the Oregon territory • In return the US would give up any kind of claims to Texas Jackson and Florida

The revolutions of Latin America are not going to sit well with the monarchies of Europe • They would unite to bring formal colonies under Europe’s control once again • Russia was encroaching from Alaska down to California • GB was making a ton of money from the chaos, wanted it to continue. They would approach Monroe with an idea • America and GB would ally themselves to stop any other European country from interfering in Latin America • Adams did not want to do this, why work with GB • Convinced Monroe to his way of thinking • Monroe would issue a warning in his message to Congress • Noncolonization • Nonintervention Monroe

Europe was deeply offended by Monroe’s declaration • Yet it was difficult for Europe to do anything about it • Atlantic Ocean • Monroe Doctrine was ineffective contemporarily speaking • Britain’s navy stopped other European countries from interfering in the Americas • It would not be until the Presidency of James Polk in 1845 that the doctrine was talked about again • The US was not truly concerned about Latin America, but its own security • The doctrine was never American law or policy, but it was an expression of post 1812 nationalism energizing the people of the United States. • The country was free from European dangers

Corrupt Bargain of 1824 • John Quincy Adams- New England, 84 electoral votes • Henry Clay- 37 electoral votes • William Crawford- 41 elector votes • Andrew Jackson • Had appeal in the West, but did not get a majority 99 electoral votes • All claimed to be Republicans. Party organization was almost nonexistent • John Calhoun was the Vice President Nominee on Adams and Jackson’s ticket • 12th Amendment says the House of Representatives must choose among the top three candidates, thus eliminating Clay • Clay was the Speaker of the House, thus highly influential Mass Democracy

With Crawford falling ill to a stroke, it would be Clay’s decision • Clay hated Jackson • Jackson had support of the West, which directly interfered with New England’s goals • In turn Jackson hated Clay because Clay denounced Jackson’s foray into Florida Clay’s Decision

1812-1824 The Era of Good Feelings