1812 War and Era of Good Feelings

James Madison

Became president in 1808 (Democratic-Republican) and immediately got thrown into chaos 😬. Britain kept bullying the U.S.—arming Native Americans, seizing ships, and kidnapping sailors. He faced pressure from “War Hawks” in Congress (like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun) who wanted to kick Britain out of North America and expand west. Madison ends up declaring war in 1812—people start calling it “Mr. Madison’s War.”

The War of 1812

Basically round two with Britain 🇬🇧. The U.S. was mad about impressment (Britain stealing sailors), British support for Natives, and trade issues. The U.S. tried to invade Canada first (spoiler: it did not go well 💀). The British burned D.C. in 1814 (yep, including the White House) but got stopped in Baltimore. Even though it was a messy war, it made Americans feel way more patriotic afterwards 🇺🇸.

Battle of New Orleans

General Andrew Jackson said “don’t mess with us” 😤 and absolutely crushed the British in New Orleans—even though the war was technically already over (the Treaty of Ghent had been signed but no one got the memo 💀). It was a massive W for the U.S. and boosted national pride big time. Jackson became a war hero overnight 🦅.

Hartford Convention

While the war was going on, salty Federalists in New England met up in Hartford, CT ☕ to complain. They wanted $$ compensation for lost trade and even talked about possibly leaving the Union 😬. But then the war ended and America felt all victorious again… so they looked super unpatriotic. Major L for the Federalists—basically the party’s funeral.

Henry Clay’s “American System”

Henry Clay (aka “The Great Compromiser”) had this whole plan to make the U.S. self-sufficient 💪
It included:
1⃣ A protective tariff (Tariff of 1816) to help U.S. industry
2⃣ A Second National Bank 🏦 for loans & stability
3⃣ Internal improvements (roads & canals like the National Road and Erie Canal 🚧)
Controversial tho—some thought it gave too much power to the federal gov.

Era of Good Feelings (1816–1824)

Sounds peaceful, right? Not really 😅. It’s called that because there was basically one major political party left (Democratic-Republicans), but under the surface there was still lots of drama: economic problems (like the Panic of 1819 💸), slavery debates, and regional differences. Still, people felt more national unity than before.

James Monroe

President from 1817–1825 and the face of the “Era of Good Feelings.” 😌 Everyone loved him at first, but he had to deal with major issues like the Panic of 1819, the Missouri Compromise, and foreign affairs (👀 Monroe Doctrine). Even though his presidency wasn’t all “good feelings,” he’s remembered as a calm and steady leader.

Missouri Compromise

Big slavery debate moment ⚖. Missouri wanted to join as a slave state, but that would mess up the balance between free and slave states. So Henry Clay came through again with a compromise:
👉 Missouri = slave state
👉 Maine = free state
👉 No slavery allowed north of 36°30′ line.
It kept the peace for now but was really just a temporary band-aid 😬. Even Jefferson called it “a fire bell in the night.”

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland tried to tax the national bank (bruh 😭), but the Supreme Court said “you can’t do that.” Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the federal gov has implied powers (thanks to the “necessary and proper” clause) and that states can’t mess with federal institutions. Basically boosted federal power a lot 💥.

Monroe Doctrine

Monroe’s big “stay in your lane” speech 😤. Told Europe:
1⃣ No more colonizing the Americas
2⃣ Don’t mess with new independent nations in Latin America
In return, the U.S. promised not to interfere in European affairs. It was less about helping Latin America and more about protecting U.S. interests 🦅. Still, it became a huge deal for future U.S. foreign policy.