Key Points: Era of Good Feelings to the Age of Jackson
Era of Good Feelings
After the War of 1812, this time was about national pride and building the country. The nation also grew westward.
In 1816, James Monroe became president. This showed the country was becoming more united. The Federalist Party ended, so only one main political party was left.
Monroe traveled around the country. He encouraged people to feel united. This time is called the "Era of Good Feelings" because there was political agreement and the country was stronger globally.
The U.S. gained Florida in 1819. This happened through the Adams-Onís Treaty. Spain sold Florida for 5 million dollars because it was hard for Spain to protect it.
The Monroe Doctrine was created in 1823. It told European countries not to try and start new colonies in the Americas. This showed that the U.S. was becoming a powerful country.
The country built roads and canals. These helped connect far-away places. The government paid for these projects to bring the country closer.
How people and goods moved:
Rivers were like the first main roads.
Boats traded along the coast, connecting different areas.
The Ohio and Mississippi rivers helped move goods from inside the country to other places.
The Appalachian Mountains made it hard for people to move west. People suggested building roads and canals across the whole country to solve this problem.
The National Road was the first big road project by the U.S. government. It went over the Appalachian Mountains. It stretched about 800 miles west, ending in Vandalia, Illinois.
The Erie Canal started being built in 1817. It connected the Great Lakes to New York City. The canal was 340 miles long. It made it cheaper to move goods. New York City became a very important place for trade because of it.
Rivers and canals helped different areas focus on specific goods:
Ohio River Valley: Grew a lot of wheat.
Deep South (near lower Mississippi River): Grew a lot of cotton.
New England: Made cloth (textiles) and shipped goods.
Great Lakes–New York area: Connected east and west, helping the economy grow.
By 1817, these four western areas had enough people to become states: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The U.S. government helped build the country:
John Marshall was the Chief Justice from 1801 to 1835. He made the federal government stronger. He also made contracts more respected.
Important Supreme Court cases showed that federal laws were more powerful than state laws. Examples include Dartmouth v. Woodward and McCulloch v. Maryland.
The Court's decisions made it legal for the government to build roads, canals, and other projects.
Henry Clay suggested the "American System." This plan included:
The government paying for roads and canals.
A second national bank to make money stable and handle the country's finances.
British companies sold goods cheaply in the U.S. This harmed American businesses. So, tariffs (taxes on imported goods) were suggested to protect American factories. For example, a tariff of about 25 ext{%} was put in place in 1816.
Money policies and disagreements:
A national bank would gather money, deposits, and keep the currency stable.
The case McCulloch v. Maryland said that the Constitution allowed for a national bank.
State banks and people who believed in interpreting the Constitution strictly did not like the national bank. This showed a conflict between the power of the federal government and the power of individual states.
During this time, the country started to use a more modern system for money. It moved away from Thomas Jefferson's idea of a farming-based country. Instead, it focused more on factories and building projects.
Sectionalism and the Missouri Compromise
Different parts of the country started to argue. These arguments were about slavery and how many representatives each state would have. This happened as more states joined the U.S.
The debate over Missouri showed a problem: there were 11 states where slavery was allowed (slave states) and 11 states where it was not allowed (free states). They needed to keep this balance in the Senate.
In 1820, the Tallmadge Amendment was proposed in the House of Representatives. It wanted to stop more slaves from entering Missouri. It also aimed to slowly free children born to slaves in Missouri. The Senate voted against this amendment.
The Missouri Compromise was made in 1820.
Missouri joined as a state where slavery was allowed.
Maine joined as a state where slavery was not allowed.
This kept the balance in the Senate with 12 slave states and 12 free states.
Slavery was not allowed in the Louisiana Purchase land north of the 36^{\circ}30'\,\text{N} line, except for Missouri itself.
This Compromise showed that there would be more arguments later about slavery spreading to new areas.
People also argued about other things in the country. These included:
Who should pay for roads and canals (the federal government)?
Should there be taxes (tariffs) to protect American businesses?
Southern states wanted more power for individual states (states' rights).
The Age of Jackson
Andrew Jackson was a well-liked hero from the frontier. He changed how American politics worked and how many people participated in elections.
The 1824 election showed big disagreements within the Democratic-Republican Party. Jackson was popular, but John Quincy Adams won the presidency with Henry Clay's help. Jackson called this a "corrupt bargain."
By the late 1820s, many states allowed all adult white men to vote. People no longer had to own property to vote. This greatly increased the number of people who voted. For example, voter turnout went from 27 ext{%} in 1824 to 58 ext{%} in 1828.
Two main political parties appeared:
The Democratic Party, led by Jackson.
The National Republican/Whig Party.
These parties had different ideas about how much power the federal government should have and how the country should grow.
Jacksonian democracy focused on:
The average person.
Opposing rich and powerful people (elites).
More people being involved in politics.
This time started a new way of running for president. It included:
Parades and gatherings (rallies) for candidates.
Organized efforts to get people to go out and vote.
The Age of Jackson (1829-1837) had a powerful president. Jackson had strong, sometimes debated plans for changing the government and the economy.
What Jackson did as president:
Spoils system: He gave government jobs to his supporters. This helped him build strong political groups.
Jackson's policy for Native Americans changed. It focused on moving them from their lands and trying to make them act like white Americans. Native Americans, like the Cherokee, were forced to leave their homes. This later led to the "Trail of Tears," where many died.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 made these forced moves legal. Native Americans were made to leave their homes east of the Mississippi River and move west.
The Bank War: Jackson did not like the Second Bank of the United States. He stopped its charter from being renewed in 1832. He then moved government money from the national bank to state banks, which his critics called "pet banks."
Nicholas Biddle, who ran the National Bank, tried to fight back. He used the bank's money to cause a slowdown in the economy across the country. But Jackson stood firm. This made Jackson look like a strong leader who would challenge powerful groups.
The Nullification Crisis (1832–1833): South Carolina refused to follow federal laws about tariffs. John C. Calhoun argued that states had the right to "nullify" (cancel) federal laws they didn't like. He even suggested states could leave the Union (secession).
Daniel Webster debated against Calhoun. Webster said that national laws were more powerful than state laws, based on the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution. He argued for keeping the country together.
A Compromise and the Force Bill in 1833 ended the crisis for a while. Jackson's strong position helped keep the U.S. united at that time.
Later, the Whig Party formed because they were against Jackson. The country then strongly had two main parties: Democrats and Whigs.
William Henry Harrison (a Whig) won the 1840 election. This ended the Age of Jackson. This election also showed new ways to campaign, using catchy slogans like "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too."
Political Party System Evolution
First Two-Party System (1789–1816): Two parties were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.
Single Party Era (Era of Good Feelings, 1816–1824): Only the Democratic-Republicans were strong. Politics focused on building the country and expanding its land.
Transition Time (1828–1832): The Democratic-Republican party started to break apart. The National Republicans became active.
Second Two-Party System (1836–1854): Two parties were the Democratic Party (Jackson's party) and the Whig Party. Their main arguments were about:
How much power the federal government should have.
Tariffs (taxes on imports).
The national bank.
Main Idea: Early U.S. politics was shaped by:
Arguments about federal power versus states' rights.
Divisions between regions over slavery and money policies.
Key Figures and Concepts to Remember
John Marshall: He made the federal government stronger. He supported the idea that federal laws were more powerful than state laws. He also made contracts more important.
Henry Clay: He suggested the "American System." He supported:
Tariffs (taxes on imports).
A second national bank.
The federal government paying for roads and canals.
He also tried to settle disagreements between different parts of the country.
John C. Calhoun: He strongly supported states' rights. He later argued that states could "nullify" (cancel) federal laws or even leave the country.
Daniel Webster: He wanted to keep the country united. He argued that federal laws and the Constitution were more powerful than state laws.
Andrew Jackson: He was a leader of the Democratic Party. He allowed more white men to vote. He used the "spoils system." He also took strong actions to move Native Americans from their lands. He was against the national bank.
The Missouri Compromise (1820): This agreement kept the number of slave and free states equal in the Senate. It also set rules for where slavery could exist in the western lands.
The Monroe Doctrine (1823): This statement told European countries not to start new colonies in Latin America and not to get involved in those countries' affairs.
The Erie Canal (opened after 1825): It connected the Great Lakes to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean. This helped trade grow and made New York a major center for business.
The National Road (around 1811–1820s): This road made it easier to travel from inside the country to the Atlantic coast. It showed that the federal government supported building important things like roads.
The Trail of Tears (1838–1839): This was when the Cherokee and other Native American tribes were forced to move from their homes. It showed the terrible impact of moving Native Americans and expanding the country.
Summary Takeaways
During the Era of Good Feelings, there was national pride and growth. But arguments between regions and about money policies showed that big divisions would appear later.
Projects like roads, canals, and the Erie Canal helped connect different regions. They brought these areas into one national economy.
The time of Andrew Jackson changed democracy. More white men could vote. It also created a lasting two-party system (Democrats and Whigs). This happened while disagreements grew about slavery, taxes on imports, and how much power the federal government should have.