Nationalism during the “Era of Good Feelings”

Unit 4, Lesson 1

Essential Idea

• After the War of 1812, American nationalism could be seen in culture, politics, the Supreme Court, land expansion, and the economy.

The “Era of Good Feelings”

• Monroe Elected:• James Monroe was

elected president in 1816

• Monroe oversaw the “Era of Good Feelings,” a period of nationalism

• Nationalism:• Feeling of strong

patriotism

Post-war Nationalism

• Effects of Nationalism after War of 1812:

• Nationalism overshadowed sectionalism and the country was more unified

• The country developed its own culture (non-European)

• The power of the federal government grew

• The country’s size and economy expanded

Cultural Nationalism• Literature:• Stories had AMERICAN

settings and AMERICAN themes

• Noah Webster:• Wrote the “Blue-Backed

Speller,” which defined AMERICAN English as different from British

• Art:• Hudson River School-

landscape painters who celebrated AMERICAN nature

Political Nationalism• Federalists Fall Apart:• After the Federalists

“died out,” only Democratic-Republicans were left

• Unity:• Until 1824, there was

only one party, more unity, and willingness to compromise

• The Rise of Jackson:• Parties split and fought

again when Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1824

Judicial Nationalism

• John Marshall:• Famous Chief Justice of

the Supreme Court• Marshall’s rulings

reflected nationalism and strengthened the federal government

Judicial Nationalism• Case #1:• McCulloch v. Maryland• Issue:• The STATE of Maryland tried to

tax the Bank of the United States• Ruling: • States cannot interfere with an

agency of the FEDERAL government

• Significance:• Established the BUS as

constitutional • Established the FEDERAL

government as supreme over states

Judicial Nationalism• Case #2:• Gibbons v. Ogden• Issue:• The STATE of New York gave a

steamboat company license to operate on water between states

• Ruling:• The FEDERAL government

regulates trade between states

• Significance:• Established that the FEDERAL

government regulates INTERSTATE COMMERCE (trade)

• Expanded FEDERAL control over the NATIONAL economy

Judicial Nationalism• Overall Effect of Marshall Court:• Increased supremacy of FEDERAL government

over states

Nationalism and Expansion• Relationship between Nationalism and Expansion:• Nationalism caused many Americans to want to expand the country• Many Americans wanted the country to grow in size and power

Florida

• Florida: • Spain still owned Florida• Southern slaves ran away to Florida• Seminole Indians in Florida launched attacks on the South• Andrew Jackson was ordered in to Florida to stop the Seminoles

Jackson Takes Florida

• Jackson Takes Florida:

• Jackson destroyed many Seminole villages

• Jackson disobeyed orders by attacking Spanish forts and removing the Spanish governor

America Buys Florida

• Adams-Onis Treaty- Spain agreed to sell Florida to the United States

• Obtaining Florida

Westward

• Westward expansion:• Americans began to

move west into the Louisiana Territory, especially Missouri

• The North and South would eventually fight over whether slavery could expand westward too

Monroe Doctrine

• Monroe Doctrine:• America worried that other

countries would expand into North and South America too

• This was seen as a threat to the United States

• Monroe Doctrine- President Monroe declared the Americas off-limits to European powers

• The Monroe Doctrine

Economic Nationalism

• Economic Nationalism:• The economy grew during

the “Era of Good Feelings”• New Economic Plan:• “American System”- Henry

Clay’s plan to encourage economic growth as the country expanded westward

The “American System”• Plan: The “American System” • Part 1: • Second Bank of the United States• Details: • The government rechartered the

BUS• The BUS would manage the

growing NATIONAL economy• Reactions: • North favored this and owned

most stock in the BUS• South and West distrusted the

BUS and thought it was unconstitutional

Tariffs Rates Increase• Part 2: • Protective Tariffs• Details: • These tariffs were higher and designed to PROTECT American businesses from foreign competition• Reactions: • Northern factories thrived under protection and could raise their prices• South and West disliked higher prices for northern products • South and West faced higher tariffs on their exports to other countries

Internal Improvements

• Part 3: • “Internal Improvements”• Details:• Internal improvements- tariff revenue

would pay for building roads, canals, and railroads

• Need for Transportation• This would increase trade and help the

country expand• Reactions: • North and West liked this because it

helped the two areas trade• Internal Improvements• South disliked this because they got fewer

internal improvements• South felt STATES should pay for

improvements, not the FEDERAL government

The “American System”• Overall Effect of the

“American System”:• Helped develop a NATIONAL

economy, but benefitted the South the least