APUSH 4.3 Politics and Regional Interests

Era of Good Feelings

A period of national unity and political harmony in the U.S. during President James Monroe’s administration (1817-1825) following the War of 1812.

James Monroe

The fifth president of the United States (1817–1825), known for the Monroe Doctrine and efforts to balance sectional interests.

Sectionalism

Loyalty to a specific region (North, South, or West) rather than to the entire country, growing in the early 19th century due to economic differences.

Tariff of 1816

The first protective tariff in U.S. history aimed at protecting American manufacturing from British competition by raising the cost of imports.

Protective Tariff

A tax on imported goods designed to protect domestic industries by making foreign products more expensive.

Henry Clay

A prominent U.S. statesman known as "The Great Compromiser" for his role in easing sectional tensions and formulating the American System.

American System

An economic plan by Henry Clay aimed at U.S. self-sufficiency, involving a protective tariff, a national bank, and federal funding for internal improvements.

Second Bank of the United States

A national bank chartered in 1816 to stabilize currency and provide credit, controversial during the Panic of 1819.

Panic of 1819

The first major economic crisis in the U.S. caused by a collapse in cotton prices and reckless lending, leading to foreclosures and distrust of banks.

Tallmadge Amendment

A proposed 1819 amendment to prohibit further slave introduction in Missouri and gradually emancipate enslaved children, blocked in the Senate.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

A legislative agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, establishing the 36°30′ line to limit slavery in future territories.