-This unit covers the following four topics: The US’s expanding role in world affairs, Unit Overview

This unit covers the following four topics:

1. The US’s expanding role in world affairs.

2. Transformations of American society and the economy in the US republic’s early years.

3. How Americans came to terms with the democratic impulses at this time.

Key Political Parties

• Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans:

  • Federalists supported a strong federal government and a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

  • Democratic-Republicans favored a strict, constructionist interpretation, opposing actions not explicitly permitted by the Constitution.

Foreign Relations

• Barbary Pirates:

  • The first two presidents, both Federalists, paid pirates to protect American ships.

  • Jefferson opposed this and, when pirates began attacking American merchant ships, his administration resorted to smaller payments to avoid war.

Significant Events

• Louisiana Purchase:

  • Following Haiti's independence from France, Jefferson sought navigation rights on the Mississippi River.

  • He sent James Monroe to negotiate, initially offering $2 million for navigation rights. Napoleon, having no use for the territory, sold all of Louisiana for $15 million.

• Exploration:

  • Lewis and Clark explored the newly acquired territory.

• Marbury vs. Madison:

  • This case established judicial review, resulting in the Judiciary Act being ruled unconstitutional and the removal of federalist judge William Marbury.

• McCulloch vs. Maryland:

  • The Supreme Court ruled that federal law trumps state law.

War of 1812

• Causes:

  • The US sought neutrality between Britain and France but faced challenges with trade ships being attacked.

  • Impressment and conflicts with Native Americans, perceived to be instigated by the British, led to the declaration of war.

• Hartford Convention:

  • Federalists opposed the war to the extent of discussing New England's secession and ways to end the conflict.

• Outcome:

  • America won the war, fostering a sense of nationalism and leading to the decline of the Federalist Party, marking the beginning of the "Era of Good Feelings" under the Democratic-Republicans.

Economic Changes

• Weaknesses Exposed:

  • The lack of a national bank made it difficult to raise funds and obtain supplies.

• Henry Clay’s Economic System:

  • Aimed to unify the American economy through:

    1. Federally funded internal improvements (vetoed by Madison).

    2. Implementation of protective tariffs.

    3. Re-establishment of the Bank of the US.

Slavery and Compromise

• Tallmadge Amendment:

  • Proposed prohibiting further slave introduction into Missouri and provided for the emancipation of existing slaves at age 25.

  • Passed in the House but failed in the Senate, leading to significant conflict over slavery.

• Missouri Compromise (Compromise of 1820):

  • Missouri was admitted as a slave state while Maine became a free state, crafted by Henry Clay.

American Policy and Economy

• Monroe Doctrine:

  • Warned European nations against further colonization or establishing puppet monarchs in the Americas.

• Market Revolution:

  • Linked Northern industries with Western and Southern farms through advances in agriculture, industry, communication, and transportation.

  • Innovations:

    • Cotton Gin and Spinning Machine: Revolutionized agriculture in the South and industry in the North.

    • Interchangeable Parts: Enabled mass production through division of labor and water-powered machinery.

    • Steamboats: Transformed trade by improving transport on rivers and streams.

Transportation and Labor

• Erie Canal:

  • The success of the Erie Canal influenced the creation of other man-made canals.

  • Eventually, trains replaced canals as the primary form of transportation.

• Mass Migration and Labor:

  • Many migrants settled in industrial cities, crowding into tenements with terrible living conditions.

Emergence of the Middle Class

• The middle class began to emerge, consisting of doctors, lawyers, and some business owners.

• This class spent money on leisure activities such as attending plays and going on vacations.

Cult of Domesticity

• The Cult of Domesticity emerged as a standard for women, promoted through magazines and books.

• Women's identity revolved around childbearing and creating a restful home for their husbands, who were expected to work outside the home.

• This ideal did not apply to working-class women, who had to work to survive.

Economic Crisis

• Panic of 1819:

  • The first major recession in US history caused by irresponsible banking practices and decreased demand for exports.

  • This led to working men demanding the right to vote.

Political Divisions

• The Democratic-Republican Party split into factions:

  • National Republicans:

    • Supported an expansive view of government and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. Key figures included John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay.

  • Democrats:

    • Advocated for a restrictive view of federal power and a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Presidential Election of 1824

• In the election, if no candidate receives a majority of votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president.

• Henry Clay, who finished fourth and was Speaker of the House, supported Adams, leading to Adams' selection as president.

• Shortly after taking office, Adams named Clay as his Secretary of State, which led Andrew Jackson and his supporters to cry foul, labeling it the "Corrupt Bargain."

Tariff of 1828

• Overview:

  • Raised import duties to up to 50%.

  • Northern manufacturers supported it as it benefited their industry.

  • Southerners opposed it due to their reliance on foreign goods.

• Nullification Doctrine:

  • Vice President John C. Calhoun, a Southerner, opposed the tariff and proposed the doctrine of nullification, asserting that states could nullify federal legislation.

  • Jackson disapproved of this doctrine, leading to tensions with South Carolina, which threatened to secede from the Union.

• Force Bill:

  • In response to South Carolina's threats, Jackson implemented the Force Bill, allowing federal military action against the state until compliance with federal law was achieved.

  • Jackson negotiated a lower tariff for South Carolina, but the state subsequently nullified the Force Bill.

Jackson's Policies

• Opposition to the Bank of the US:

  • Jackson vetoed the formation of the Bank of the US, viewing it as elitist and detrimental to the common people.

• Indian Removal Act:

  • Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act, which led to the forced relocation of Native Americans.

  • The Cherokee Nation challenged this law in the Supreme Court, asserting their sovereignty and rights to their land in Georgia.

  • Despite the Supreme Court's decision, US officials convinced a group of Cherokees (lacking authority) to sign a treaty exchanging their land for a reservation west of the Mississippi.

Cultural Developments

• Noah Webster:

  • Published the first American dictionary, helping to standardize American English and build a national identity.

• Transcendentalism:

  • A movement rooted in American romanticism, emphasizing individual intuition and progressive ideas.

-Temperance movement emerged.

-Abolitiost movement increased-the liberator inspired this.

-Seneca Falls Convenction: First womens rights confrence. made delceration of sentiments which pleaded for rights.

-Nat Turner Rebellion-slave rebellion