Objectives
A thorough study of Chapter Eight should enable the student to understand:
1. The effects of the War of 1812 on banking, shipping, farming, industry, and transportation.
2. The "era of good feelings" as a transitional period.
3. The causes of the Panic of 1819, and the effects of the subsequent depression on politics and the economy.
4. The arguments advanced by North and South during the debates over the admission of Missouri, and how they were to influence sectional attitudes.
5. The ways in which the status of the federal judiciary was changed by the Marshall Court, and how the Court's decisions altered the relationships between the federal government and the states and the federal government and business.
6. The reasons why President James Monroe announced his "doctrine" in 1823, and its impact on international relations at the time.
7. Presidental politics in the "era of good feelings," and how they altered the political system.
8. The frustrations experienced by John Quincy Adams during his term as president.
9. The reasons why Andrew Jackson was elected in 1828, and the significance of his victory.
Main Themes
1. How postwar expansion shaped the nation during the "era of good feelings."
2. How it was that sectionalism and nationalism could exist at the same time and in the same country.
3. How the "era of good feelings" came to an end and a new two-party system emerged.
Glossary
1. American nationalism: Between 1820 and 1840, many American politicians advocated programs that stressed the supremacy of the central government over the states, called for direct federal involvement to aid the growth of commerce, and in general advocated an aggressive course of action designed to make America a nation without equal. Much of their program, embodied in Henry Clay's American System, resembled Hamiltonian federalism, but with a significant difference. These nationalists, unlike their Federalist counterparts, decided not to oppose the rising tide of democracy, but chose to present their programs in such a way as to appeal to the common man.
2. American System: The plan, advanced by Henry Clay, that was designed to foster commercial growth and economic stability. Its basic components consisted of a tariff to protect "infant industries" and to secure American jobs (thus making it appealing to labor), a national bank into which the money from the tariff (and other taxes) would be deposited, and an internal-improvements program paid for by the federal government. As conceived, money raised from taxes would pay for the roads, canals, and the like designed to improve transportation and thus stimulate more commerce, which would produce more jobs and revenue. To keep this growing economy stable would be the function of the bank, which would issue notes and make loans for business development and expansion. Therefore, all three elements were linked in a cycle of taxing, banking, and spending that made it difficult to oppose one without opposing them all.
3. commerce clause: The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8) that gives the national government the power to regulate foreign commerce as well as commerce between the states (interstate commerce).
4. contract clause: The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 10) that prohibits the government (national or state) and individuals from impairing the obligation of contract.
5. diplomacy: The conducting of negotiations between nations and the drawing up of treaties. The act of concluding an alliance to national advantage.
6. internal improvements / infrastructure: The building of canals and roads, the improvement of harbors, and the clearing of rivers to improve transportation and stimulate commerce. To be done with the help of the national government, this was a major part of the postwar nationalistic program. The concept was opposed by those who felt it was too expensive or was an unconstitutional assumption of the rights and responsibilities of the states.
7. necessary-and-proper clause: The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8) that authorizes Congress to make "all laws" necessary and proper to carry out its powers; also called the "elastic" or "implied powers" clause.
8. wildcat bank: Usually defined as a state bank in the West, organized with little capital resources, free with credit, and generally unsound. These banks were responsible for much of the land speculation in the West, and when the bank of the United States began to tighten credit restrictions, they were among the first to fail. This had much to do with the West's dislike for the Bank.
9. manumission: Formal emancipation from slavery
10. hegemony: Notable political influence or domination over a particular geographic area, such as American hegemony over North and South America
11. majority: In voting � more than half the votes cast (minimum of 50% plus 1)
12. plurality: More votes than any other candidate, but not a majority
13. aristocracy: government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class, perhaps believed to be best qualified
14. plutocracy: government by the controlling, wealthy class
15. Eurocentric: the practice of U.S. foreign policy being focused first and foremost on Europe (vs. Asia or other areas)
Summary
After the War of 1812 a new spirit of nationalism and expansion emerged, and the nation, led by a president determined to heal old wounds, embarked on an "era of good feelings"--party and sectional divisions forgotten. That attitude was soon challenged. The 1820s and 1830s were highlighted by two forces, one divisive and the other unifying. The first appeared during the Missouri debates, which, despite overtones that resembled the earlier Federalist-Republican clashes, brought the issue of slavery and its expansion to the forefront. The immediate question--which section would control the Senate--was dealt with through the Missouri Compromise, but the underlying problem was more difficult to resolve. What the debates revealed was that some in the nation saw the addition of slave states (not just western states, but slave states) as a threat. Southern politicians, it was apparent, had come to equate the expansion of slavery with the expansion of their own political philosophy (and power). How true these beliefs were is not the issue. What is important is that they were believed, and, as the years passed, more would come to share these convictions. Countering this divisive force was the growing spirit of nationalism and the emergence of two parties--both with a national following. These developments seemed to overshadow sectional concerns, and with the election of Andrew Jackson, one of the most popular political figures since George Washington, the nation seemed more concerned with unity than division. How long this was to last was another question.