Early National Era Notes

Expansion and Territorial Growth

  • United States expansion between 1812 and 1854, including new states and territories.
  • Key acquisitions: Territory ceded by Great Britain (1818), territory ceded by Spain (1819), and the Gadsden Purchase (1853).
  • Missouri Compromise line (36°30′36°30') established.

War of 1812

  • The Madison administration's war against Britain had sectional divisions with the South and West supporting it and the Northeast opposing.
  • The conflict raised questions about the effectiveness of governing a large republic.
  • Highlighted US naval weakness and dire economic & military challenges partly due to the absence of a national bank.
  • British forces seized Washington D.C. and burned many buildings.

Hartford Convention and Federalist Decline

  • The Hartford Convention raised questions about sovereignty and regional rights and caused the Federalist party faced a landslide defeat in 1816, marking its end.

Era of Good Feelings and the American System

  • James Monroe elected in 1820 without opposition, leading to the perception that the party system was dead.
  • Monroe pursued a modified form of the "American System".
  • Henry Clay's American System aimed for national economic development with high tariffs, a national bank, and federal subsidies for internal improvements.
  • John Quincy Adams supported federal aid for transportation but foresaw civil war and emancipation.

Market Revolution and Sectionalism

  • The Market Revolution and infrastructure development did not keep pace with economic growth, causing America to remain largely agricultural and vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations.
  • This revolution polarized U.S. politics, particularly in a sectional manner.
  • The Market Revolution occurred mostly in the Northeast.

Missouri Compromise and Sectional Tensions

  • The Missouri Compromise of 1820 exposed tensions between slavery and republican politics, with growing sectional differences.
  • Split in house voting based on North (80-14) and South (2-64).

Latin American Influence

  • Mentions the Haitian Revolution (1791-1803) and Simon Bolívar's campaigns for liberation in South America.