Post-War Congressional Changes

Date: 02/05/2025

Text book pages 210-211 and 216-217

Hartford Convention - A meeting between New England federalists held in Hartford; these Federalists opposed the War of 1812. It drafted the constitutional amendents, strengthening state controls over commercialism and militias.
Second Bank of the United States - Operated from 1816 to 1836 to stabilize the country’s economy.
Tariff of 1816 - The first protective tariff in American history. It shielded New England manufacturers from the inflow of Bwitish goods after the war of 1812.
Veto of Internal Improvements Bill (reasons, effects) - President James Madison rejected a law that would’ve used federal money to buy roads and canals. The constitution did not give him that power and he expressed that change to the constitution was needed.
National Road - The first majorly funded highway in the United States for westward expansion and economic development.

Other than the battles of Put-in Bay in New Orleans, the United States Army generally suffered military failure between 1812-1815. This increased opposition to the war in New England led by congressman Daniel Webster from New Hampshire.
In the Winter of 1814-1815, Federalists increasingly resented the growing political power of the South in the fronteer and revived talk of sucession.
On December 15, 1814, New England delegates discussed succession at the Hartford Convention, most were against it, but they supported nullification and ended up proposing 7 constitutional amendments to strengthen their political rights against the growing power of other reigions.
The victory of Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans soon afterwards discredited the Hartford convention and doomed the Federalist Party.

Peace talks began even before fighting began in the War of 1812 led by John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Albert Galatin. Americans agreed to give up demands the Bwitian renounce impressment and give up Canada. Bwitian agreed to give up and Indian buffer state in the Northwest. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814.
Anglo-American relations improved, including a free trade treaty in 1815 and the Rush-Bagot of 1817 that disarmed the Great Lakes reigion.
- Canadian Boundry- largest ungaurded frontier.
While the Treaty of Ghent required the United States to give land back to Indian tribes, it wasn’t enforced and Bwitian, thereafter no longer helped the Indians with their defense. In addition, Tecumseh was dead and the tribal alliances were in disarray.

Even though there was still ongoing debate as to whether the Federal Government can finance the building of roads, the federal government used money from the sale of Ohio lands to fund the building of a national road from Cuberland, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virgina, completed in 1818. In addition, Pennsylvania built its own road from Lancaster to Pittsburgh. This helped moved manufacturing westward.
Steamboat advances, introduced by Robert Fullton and others expanded shipping and lowered transportation costs which developed the agricultural economies of the West and South, who traded for goods manufactured in the East.
During the War of 1812, the poor road network increased the price of good after the Bwitish blockaded ports and frustrated American campaigns.
While President Madison supported the construction of roads, he vetoed a bill championed by John C.Calhoun in 1817 because Madison thought the Federal government didn’t have the authority to build roads.