Untitled Flashcards Set

1. Why might the title “The Era of Good Feelings” be an appropriate description of James Monroe’s two terms in office?

• Appropriate- federalists faded into oblivion, DR party adopted some of their policies & dominated policies

• Misleading - debates over tariffs, national bank, internal improvements, public land sales, slavery

  • Antagonistic factions would split party into two

  • Bad for Feds

2. Describe James Monroe’s victories in the Presidential Elections of 1816 and 1820 in one word:

• Landslide

3. What were the three big accomplishments of James Monroe’s eight years in office?

• Acquisition of Florida, Missouri Compromise, Monroe Doctrine

4. What do you think the phrase “cultural nationalism” means? Give some examples from Monroe’s era?

• Idea of unity based on a belief of shared nationalism

• Heroes enshrined in paintings and literary works

• Noah Webster’s patriotic blue-backed speller

5. What were the two main components of the political movement to support the growth of the nation’s economy?

• Subsidizing internal improvements (building roads and roads)

• Protecting budding U.S. industries from European competition

6. What is the historical significance of the Tariff of 1816? What was the Tariff of 1816 designed to do?

• First protective tariff in U.S. history

• Protecting U.S. manufacturers from competition

  • American manufacturers feared that British goods would take away much of their business

7. What was Henry Clay’s American System? What were the three parts?

•  Comprehensive for advancing the nation’s economic growth

• Protective tariffs, national bank, internal improvements

8. What were some of the consequences of the Panic of 1819?

• State banks closed

• Depression, most severe in West (people speculated on land during postwar euphoria)

• Sharp increase of unemployment, bankruptcies & imprisonment

• Foreclosing of Western farmland by bank of U.S.

• National beliefs shaken

• Economic crisis changed political outlook in West

9. What was the principal reason behind the rapid decline of the Federalist Party?

• Inability to adapt to changing needs of growing nation

10. How did the Democratic-Republican Party adjust to the changing times?

• Adopted Federalist ideas (large military, national bank)

• Some members switched views from one decade to the next

11. What did Supreme Court Justice John Marshall’s landmark decisions consistently favor?

• Central government & rights of property against the advocates of state’s rights

12. What were some (choose at least three of the five listed) examples of his landmark decisions? Focus on the rulings.

• Fletcher vs. Peck- state cannot pass legislation invalidating a contract (first time Supreme Court declared state law to be unconstitutional and invalid)

• Martin v. Hunter’s Lease- SC established the jurisdiction over state courts for constitutional rights

• Dartmouth College vs. Woodward- state law unconstitutional for changing a private to a public institution

13. What were the four reasons for westward movement? Give a brief summary of each one.

• Acquisition of AI lands- Native Americans driven from their lands opened new settlement

• Economic pressure- difficulties in NW from embargo + war, new soil needed to replace Southern exhausted soil

• Improved transport- easier access because of roads, canals, steamboats & railroads

• Immigrants- speculators offering cheap land

14. What three issues were of the greatest importance to the people of the western states?

• Cheap money from state banks instead of Bank of U.S.

• Low prices of land sold by federal government

• Improved transportation

15. What issue could the western settlers not agree on?

• Critical issue of slavery

16. Why did the Missouri bid for statehood alarm the North?

• Slavery well established there

• Would tip political balance in South’s favor

• First part of Louisiana Purchase to apply- worried about other new territories applying for statehood

17. Why did the Tallmadge amendment enrage southerners?

• First step in Northern effort to abolish slavery in all states

18. How did Henry Clay and his three bills settle the controversy? What is this otherwise known as?

• Compromised- Missouri slave state, Maine free state, prohibit slavery in rest of territory N of latitude 36 degrees 30 minutes

• Missouri Compromise

19. In the aftermath of the Missouri Compromise a division between Americans was clearly developing. What was that division?

• Those loyal to the Union and those loyal to their own region

1. What type of approach did the United States adopt in regards to its relations with other nations, following the War of 1812?

• More aggressive & nationalistic

2. In your own words, explain the Rush-Bagot Agreement (1817):

• Diminished military activity near the border between U.S. and Canada

3. What were the three components of the Treaty of 1818?

• Shared fishing rights off coast of Newfoundland

• Joint occupation of Oregon territory for ten years

• Setting of northern limits of Louisiana territory at 49th parallel (established border between U.S. and Canada)

4. What gave President James Monroe and General Andrew Jackson the opportunity to take military action in Spanish Florida?

• Group of Seminoles & Caucasian outlaws conducted raids into U.S. territory & retreat to safety across the Florida border

• Aggressive and violent - actions taken by General Jackson

5. What did the United States gain from the Florida Purchase Treaty? What did Spain gain from the Florida Purchase Treaty?

• All possessions of Florida & its own claims in the Oregon Territory

• Assume $5 million in claims against Spain, gave up all U.S. territorial claims to the province of Texas

6. What happened in Europe following the fall of Napoleon? Why might this alarm the United States?

• Restoration of monarchies produced backlash against Republican movements

• Russia’s presence in Alaska - seal hunters had spread Southward to establish trading post in SF bay

7. What common interest did the British and American leaders share? What suggestion did the British make? How did the

American leadership respond to it?

• Needed to protect North & South America from possible aggression by an European power

• Joint Anglo-American warning to European powers not to intervene in South America

• Monroe and most advisors agreed, however JQA pointed out that it would restrict future expansion and Britain would enforce policy anyways

8. Briefly explain the Monroe Doctrine:

• U.S. interest and rights involved

  • Americas not subject to further European colonization

  • European could not intervene in any republic in the Americas

9. What impact did the Monroe Doctrine have?

• Applauded but forgotten- focus on domestic issues 

• Britain annoyed because it did not include them but enforced it anyways

• European monarchs angry but obeyed due to internal problems and British navy

10. As the 19 th Century progressed, the dream of a nation of independent farmers gave way to what revolution?

• Market Revolution

11. Describe the U.S. population during the early 19 th Century:

• Doubled between 1800-1825, doubled again

12. What is vital to development of both a national and an industrial economy?

• Efficient transportation network

13. What four types of transportation began to emerge as the dominant means of transporting goods?

• Roads, Canals, steamboats, railroads

14. The United States experienced a period of rapid industrial growth during the Mid-19 th Century. Explain how each of the

following impacted industrial growth:

• Mechanical inventions: Investors looked forward to handsome rewards if their original ideas proved practical, Eli Whitney one of hundreds whose tinkering improved technology (devised system for mass production and also cotton gin)

• Corporations: NY and other states passed a law making it easier for access to capital money for a business by selling shares of stock - only risked invested money,Change in state corporation laws facilitated raising of large sums of capital to build infrastructure

• Factory system - Started by NE, NY, NJ & PA, mass production, specialism, transportation opened new markets, Embargo, protective tariff and War of 1812 encouraged domestic manufacturing

• Labor: at first difficult - hard with cheap Western land -easy credit

• Recruited young farm women & used child labor and immigrants

15. Labor unions were organizing in major industrial cities, especially as long hours, low pay, and poor working conditions led to

widespread discontent among factory workers. What obstacles impeded their success?

• Immigrant replacements, state laws outlawing unions, frequent economic depressions with high unemployment

16. What two main factors led to the change from subsistence farming to the growing of cash crops?

• Cheap land + easy credit - loans at low interest

• Markets- Western farmers limited to send their products down Ohio & Mississippi Rivers to the South, canals + railroads opened new markets in factory cities in the eastern factory cities

17. What was the primary cash crop of the South throughout the 19 th Century?

• Cotton

18. How did the cotton gin impact slavery?

• Southern planters invested capital in slaves, new land in Alabama + Mississippi & shipped most of their cotton crop overseas for sale to British textile factories

19. What led to the end of self-sufficient households and the growing independence of American people?

• Specialization of the farm, growth of cities, industrialization, development of modern capitalism

20. How did life change for women as the country became more industrialized?

• Gaining more control over their lives, more autonomy over marriage and children

• Work and family life changed, many no longer worked with husbands

• Limited to domestic service or majority

• Married women took house duties

• Legal restrictions (ex. voting)

21. What was happening to the gap between the very wealthy and very poor?

• Increased

22. Why did slavery not gradually disappear like some people thought it would?

• Rapid growth of cotton industry - expansion of slavery into new states