Period 4: 1800-1848

Unit 4 Context

• America expanded:

  • Economically — took advantage of new lands, forms of transportation, & industries

  • Politically by allowing more people to participate in the democracy

    • e.g) Property ownership was dropped as a requirement to vote

  • Culturally through American literature and art

• A market economy emerged as ppl focused more on buying & selling goods

G. Washington warned against forming political parties, however…

Federalist (A. Hamilton) & Democratic-Republican (T. Jefferson) parties emerged

John Adams’s presidency made Federalist less popular due to…

the Alien and Sedition Acts

The 1800 election provided a clear distinction b/t the parties, such as…

• Federalists = strong nat’l gov’t & leaned towards Britain in int’l affairs

• Democratic-Republicans = powers reserved to states & leaned towards French

Both parties supported tariffs in 1800 (largest source of revenue for nat’l gov), but…

• North industrialists = high tariffs to protect their companies from foreign competition

• Southerners = low tariffs to encourage trade (since they exported crops)

T. Jefferson & Aaron Burr tied in the electoral college in 1800, so…

HOR made final decision & Jefferson won

As a result of Jefferson’s election in 1800…

D-R lawmakers took control of the HOR & Senate in 1800 —> Federalists swept from gov’t power

Revolution of 1800

The peaceful passing of power from Adams to Jefferson; Change of Federalist to D-R control

How did T. Jefferson aim to win the trust of Federalists during his presidency?

By maintaining Hamilton’s nat’l bank and debt-repayment plan + he remained neutral in foreign policy

How did T. Jefferson maintain the loyalty of D-Rs during his presidency?

through limited nat’l gov → reduced the size of the military, lowered nat’l debt, & repealed excise taxes → only appointed D-Rs to cabinet

The Louisiana Purchase was…

one of the MOST important achievements of T.J. presidency → contained Mississippi River w/the port of New Orleans

• Due to Napoleon’s lost interest in trying to restore the French empire in America

The W. frontier expanded into Indiana territory during Jefferson’s presidency & settlers depended on the Mississippi River rivers for trade, but were alarmed when…

the right of deposit from the Pinckney treaty prevented Americans from using the Port of New Orleans in 1802

The Louisiana territory was acquired when…

Jefferson sent ministers to France to offer up to $10 million for New Orleans to FL → Napoleon’s ministers sold N.O. + the Louisiana Purchase for 15 million

Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution, which didn’t explicitly state the president could purchase lands, so…

He submitted a purchase agreement to the Senate, who ratified the purchase

Impact of the Louisiana Purchase:

Double the size of USA, removed the presence of a European power, increased Jefferson’s popularity, & showed Federalists as weak

Impact of Lewis & Clark expedition:

greater geographic & scientific knowledge of the area, better relations w/Natives, & more accurate maps

Jefferson overturned Federalist measures & appointments by…

• suspending the Alien & Sedition Acts + freeing those jailed under them

• hosting an impeachment campaign that mostly failed; but judges were more cautious & less partisan

Who was Aaron Burr?

• Jefferson’s 1st VP

• Burr planned to win the governorship of NY & secede from the Union → lost to Hamilton

  • He ended up shooting Hamilton in a duel in 1804

• Burr planned to take Mexico from Spain & unite it with Louisiana → Jefferson discovered these plans & ordered his trial for treason

  • Justice John Marshall acquitted Burr

Who was John Marshall?

a Federalist official — chief justice who influenced many D-Rs

What was Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Adams appointed Marbury last-minute, but Jefferson wanted to block this appointment

  • Marshall ruled the Judiciary Act of 1789 (which allowed Marbury to be appointed) as unconstitutional, & established judicial review, which gave the Supreme Court the power to decide whether an act made by Congress/the President was constitutional

What were some of Marshall’s other important cases?

• Fletcher v. Peck

  • Allowed Supreme Court to declare a state law invalid and/or unconstitutional

• Martin v. Hunter’s Lease

  • Supreme Court had jurisdiction over state courts in cases involving constitutional rights

• Dartmouth v. Woodward

  • Marshall argued that a contract for a private corporation couldn’t be altered by the state

• McCulloch v. Maryland

  • A state couldn’t tax a federal institution since federal laws are supreme over state laws

    • Marshall established that the nat’l bank was an implied power in the constitution

    • National law > state law, when they contradict

• Cohens v. Virginia

  • Supreme Court could review a state court’s decision involving any of the powers of the federal gov’t

Who was James Madison?

• 4th U.S. president

• worked heavily alongside Jefferson to establish the D-Rs, but was a weak public speaker & lacked Jefferson’s political skills

What was the Era of Good Feelings?

• Monroe’s two terms in office —> the D-Rs adopted some Federalist policies

• There were many debates over topics like tariffs, the nat’l bank, & internal improvements + regional tension over slavery were increasing

Who was James Monroe?

• 5th US president — represented growing nationalism

• USA acquired FL, agreed on the Missouri Compromise, & adopted the Monroe Doctrine

An impact of the War of 1812 was the movement to support the nation’s economic growth, which involved…

subsidizing internal improvements (building roads & canals) + protecting U.S. industries from European competition

Tariff of 1816

Prior to the War of 1812, Congress levied low tariffs to raise gov’t revenue, but..

• during the war, many factories that were imported from Britain arose → Congress raised tariffs to protect American markets

• N. England opposed the tariff, but S + W supported it

Henry Clay (leader of the HOR) proposed the American System, which included:

1. Protective tariffs → promote American manufacturing + raise revenue for a nat’l transportation system

2. Nat’l bank → provide a nat’l currency + the Second Bank of the US

3. Internal improvements → Monroe + Madison argued that the constitution didn’t explicitly provide for money to be spent on roads & canals; left states to make their own internal improvement

What was the Panic of 1819?

• 2nd Bank of the US tightened credit to control inflation → state banks closed, unemployment, bankruptcies, and imprisonment for debt increased sharply

  • Many Westerners hit the hardest → Nat’l Bank foreclosed lots of western farmland

    • Shook nationalistic beliefs, causing Westerners to believe in land reform & opposed the nat’l bank

Federalist Party declined due to its opposition to the War of 1812 as well as…

leading a secessionist convention at Hartford, & it was out of step with the nationalistic temper in the US

• Ceased to be nat’l party & nominate a presidential candidate by 1820

What were internal struggles of the D-Rs

• Members like John Randolph clung to old ideals (e.g. limited gov’t & strict interpretation of the constitution)

• Others adopted previously Federalist ideas (e.g. large army & nat’l bank)

During Monroe’s second term…

political factions & sectional differences became more intense

By 1822, the Western population past the App. Mountains had doubled, so…

Many nationalist & economic interest of the country was focused on this area

Reasons for Westward movement:

• Acquisition of Lands: Generals W. Harrison for Indiana Territory & A. Jackson for FL + South over Natives → new opportunities for White settlers

• Economic Pressures: Difficulties in the Northeast from embargo + war → people sought new futures in the West; Tobacco/cotton planters in the S. needed new land

• Improved transportation: Road, canals, steamboats, & railroads

• Immigrants: More Europeans came to America due to cheap land in the West

Western states were smaller than others, so W. reps bargained with other representatives over:

1. “cheap money” from state banks rather than Nat’l Bank

2. Low prices for land sold by nat’l gov’t

3. Improved transportation

Congress attempted to maintain sectional balance over slavery (e.g. Vermont = free, Kentucky = slave), but…

Balance in the HOR was uneven due to growing N. population, but Senate was even

• As Missouri applied for statehood, it would cause unequal representation in terms of slavery

What was the Tallmadge amendment?

1. Prohibited the further introduction of slaves into Missouri

2. Required children of Missouri slaves to be emancipated at 25 years old

• It would led to the gradual elimination of slavery → angered Southerners

• Ultimately didn’t pass

What was Henry Clay’s Missouri Compromise?

1. Admit Missouri as slave-holding

2. Admit Maine as free

3. Prohibit slavery in the rest of LA territory N of the latitude 36 30

• Preserved sectional balance for 30 years, but this period damaged the era of good feelings → led to feelings of sectionalism

What was Jefferson’s foreign policy goal?

to avoid war by rejecting permanent alliances & maintaining U.S. neutrality

Jefferson faced Barbary Pirates who attacked U.S. merchant ships, in turn he…

sent a fleet of the U.S. Navy to fight → U.S. = respected & U.S. vessels were protected

How did the Napoleonic Wars impact the U.S. economy?

U.S. ships + cargo were captured

Britain captured U.S. soldiers and forced them to serve in the British Navy

What was the Embargo Act of 1807?

prohibited American from sailing into any foreign port - repealed in 1809

• Resulted in economic hardship

What was James Madison’s foreign policy like?

Using diplomacy & economic pressure to deal w/Napoleonic wars

What was the Nonintercourse Act of 1809?

allowed Americans to trade with all nations except Britain & France

What was Macon’s Bill No. 2?

restored U.S. trade with Britain & France, but if either Britain or France agreed to respect the U.S. neutral rights, then the U.S. wouldn’t trade w/that nation’s foe

What are some causes of the War of 1812?

French + British violations against U.S.

• British impressment of American soldiers

• France didn’t respect neutral rights

W. Americans desired for lands of British Canada & Spanish FL

War hawks in the 1810 Congressional election

British delays in U.S. demands for neutral right + pressure from war hawks → Madison sought to declare war against Britain in 1812

What was the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)?

General William Henry Harrison destroyed Shawnee headquarters as Native Americans aimed to instigate rebellion

• Americans blamed Britain due to their alliance w/N. Americans

Why was the U.S. divided during the War of 1812?

Congress + American ppl disagreed about war

• Pennsylvania + Vermont + South & West states = support

• New York, Jersey, and England = opposed

Those who opposed war called it “Mr Madison’s War”

• N.E. merchants - repeal of Embargo Act, which allowed them to profit from Euro. war

  • Impressment = minor inconvenience

• Federalists - viewed the war as a D-R scheme to conquer Canada + FL

• Quids/old D.R.s - criticized traditional D-R view to maintain peace

The U.S. had superior shipbuilding + powerful sailors, which led to notable victories like…

• Constitution/Old Ironsides ship sank a British ship → boosted American morale

• Most notable battle on Lake Erie (1813): Oliver Perry declared victory → Battle of the Thames (1814) where W. Henry Harrison killed Tecumseh

• Ships led by Thomas Macdonough defeated British fleet on Lake Champlain; protected NY + NE

Since Napoleon was defeated in 1814, there were…

more British troops in N.A.

• Summer: British marched through the U.S. capital & set fire to the White House + Capitol

• Star-Spangled Banner created when the U.S. held out at Fort McHenry

What are some significant victory of Southern troops?

• Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814): Jackson ended the power of the Creek nation (an important British ally) → new land to White settlers

• Battle of New Orleans (1815): British effort to control the Mississippi river was halted

  • Happened 2 weeks after Treaty of Ghent

What was the Treaty of Ghent?

• British were weary from war + Madison was doubtful about victory

• Christmas Eve 1814: fighting was halted, all conquered territory was return to the prewar claimant,+ the boundary b/t Canada & the U.S. was recognized

What was the The Hartford Convention (Dec. 1814)?

• N.E. states threatened to secede from Union due to opposition to war + D-Rs in gov’t in Washington

• In the end, they adopted proposals to limit the growing power of D-Rs

  • e.g) two-thirds vote of both houses for a future war declaration

• Jackson’s victory + Treaty of Ghent → weakened Federalists = unpatriotic

Some examples of the War of 1812’s legacy include:

1. U.S. gained respect of other nations, due to surviving 2 wars w/Britain

2. Federalist party ended as a nat’l force

3. British naval blockades → U.S. factories were built + Americans moved toward self-sufficiency

4. War heroes (e.g. Andrew Jackson + William Henry Harrison) → new gen of political leaders

5. Nationalism grew stronger

What are some weaknesses from the War of 1812?

• Without a national bank (charter expired 1811), the U.S. lacked a reliable source of credit to raise funds

• How weak U.S. systems of infrastructure & transportation were → difficult to move men + supplies

  • Both led to Henry Clay’s American System

How did the War of 1812 impact U.S. relations with Canada?

• Rush Bagot Agreement: British + American negotiators agreed to a major disarmament pact

  • Limited naval armament on border fortifications → Border b/t U.S. and Canada = longest unfortified border in the world

• Treaty of 1818: Improved relationships b/t U.S. and Britain

  • e.g.) joint occupation of Oregon territory + set N. limits on Louisiana Territory (49th parallel)

How did the U.S. gain FL territory?

• Seminoles, runaways slaves, & white outlaws conducted raids into U.S. territory and retreated safely into FL

• Monroe commissioned A. Jackson to stop the raiders & pursue them across the border (if necessary)

• 1819: Spanish turned over all of its possessions in FL + Oregon territory to the U.S. for $5 million and for the U.S. to give up claims to Texas (Adams-Onis Treaty)

What was the Monroe Doctrine?

• Monroe declared U.S. policy to Europe + Latin America: due to the rights & interests of the United States, the American continents are not to be considered subject for future colonization by any European powers

  • U.S. opposed European attempts to interfere w/affairs in the W. hemisphere

What was the impact of the Monroe Doctrine?

• At the time, the Doctrine wasn’t super significant & it only upset some European monarchs

  • Later it was impactful for foreign policy toward Latin America + referenced by James Polk

What was trading like during this period?

• U.S. built a trade relationship with Mexico → NE manufacturers were happy to find a new market for their goods

• U.S. merchant ships carried goods across the Pacific + established trade in Chinese porcelains & silk

The Market Revolution linked Northern industries with western + southern farms, as…

Political conflicts over tariffs, internal improvements, and the Bank of the U.S. reflected the increasing importance of a nat’l economy