Nation Building and Nationalism 1815–1825
Focus Questions 9.1-9.4:
9.1: How did U.S. policymakers acquire land for settlement from foreign governments and Indian nations?
9.2: How did developments in transportation support growth of agriculture and manufacturing?
9.3: What political and diplomatic developments increased federal government power in the 1810s and 1820s?
9.4: How did the U.S. become a larger, more populous, more connected, and economically successful country from 1790 to 1830?
National Context (1824)
Lafayette's Tour (1824): Noted significant growth in U.S. infrastructure and economy post-War of 1812, highlighting national identity and absence of foreign threats.
Nation-Building Surge: Driven by land availability, infrastructure growth, and early industrialization supported by favorable politics.
Expansion and Migration (Acquisition of Land)
Extending Boundaries: Post-1815 focus on westward expansion; key events include annexation of West Florida and the Adams-Onís Treaty (1819).
Impact: John Jacob Astor established fur-trading post in Oregon (1811); notable settlement between Appalachians and Mississippi by 1840.
Native American Societies Under Pressure: The Five Civilized Tribes faced encroachment and adaptation.
Cherokee: Shifted to agrarian economy, developed written language.
Seminole: Armed resistance led to conflicts, such as the Second Seminole War.
General Responses: Notable leaders like Tecumseh mobilized resistance; forced relocations initiated by policies like the Indian Removal Act (1830).
Competing Land Claims (1825): Meetings led to further loss and conflict over land for Native tribes.
Transportation and the Market Economy
Infrastructure Development: Transportation crucial for security and unity.
National Road (1811-1818): Federal investment; rise of turnpikes; steamboat innovation reduced costs and transit times.
Emergence of a Market Economy: Regional agricultural specialization; cotton dominance driven by demand and Eli Whitney's cotton gin (1793).
Industrialism Beginnings: Post-war expansion in manufacturing with shifts in labor; notable growth in textile industry.
Panic of 1819: Economic downturn affected agriculture and labor market, leading to a two-year depression.
The Politics of Nation Building
The Missouri Compromise (1817): Addressed tensions between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
Postwar Nationalism and the Supreme Court: Chief Justice John Marshall upheld federal authority influentially.
Landmark Cases:
Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819): Secured private enterprise against state interference.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Defined federal economic regulatory power.
Monroe Doctrine (1823): U.S. policy opposing European colonial expansion in the Americas.
Demographics of the New Nation
Population Growth and Expansion: Aggressive land acquisition and cessation of slave importation led to demographic shifts.
Spread of Slavery: Expansion into cotton lands increased sectional tensions, highlighted by the Missouri Compromise.
Enslaved and Free African American Populations: Growth in free black populations advocating for rights and community-focused initiatives.
Conclusion
Era of Good Feeling: A transient period of national unity challenged by divisions over slavery and territorial expansion, setting the stage for future conflicts.