1. To promote national unity To promote America’s power in the world
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Q. Adams
Andrew Jackson
James Monroe was elected president in 1816 & 1820 with a clear set of goals:
To promote national unity
To promote America’s power in the world
Monroe was a Democratic-Republican, but by 1816 the Federalists were so weak that the Republicans could do almost anything

2. The Era of Good Feelings
After the War of 1812, America experienced an “Era of Good Feelings” from 1815 to 1825:
Monroe & the Republicans in Congress used this time to promote American nationalism
Nationalism—the interests of the USA should be placed ahead of regional interests

3. American Nationalism
Monroe & the Republicans in Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:
Gov’t: Increasing the power of the national gov’t over the states

4. American Nationalism
John Marshall ( ) used the Supreme Court to strengthen the power of the national gov’t:

5. American Nationalism
Monroe & the Republicans in Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:
Gov’t: Increasing the power of the national gov’t over the states
Economy: Encourage industry & build better transportation to link the South, North, & West

6. The American System
In 1816, Congressman Henry Clay proposed the American System to unify the economies of the North, South, & West
Created a 2nd Bank of the U.S.
Created a tariff to promote U.S. industry & limit the importation of British manufactured goods
A nat’l system of roads & canals

7. Transportation by 1840: Rivers, Roads, Canals, & Railroads
The American System allowed the USA to create a national market economy for the 1st time
Western farms grew grains & raised livestock that fed the nation
Transportation by 1840: Rivers, Roads, Canals, & Railroads
Northern factories made manufactured goods that were sold throughout the country
We’ll talk about this “market revolution” more in-depth later this unit. This is just a preview in order to understand the importance of Henry Clay’s American System. The emphasis here is on the politics of the era, which should help students understand how the national government promoted a national market economy that, by the 1810s, had emerged as strong regional economies due to new technological innovations (cotton gin, interchangeable parts, Singer sewing machines, Slater mills, McCormick reaper, Deere steel plow, etc.) Again, we’ll discuss these details in the next set of notes.
Southern cotton was used in northern textiles factories

8. Settlement of the Trans-Mississippi
After the War of 1812, Americans flooded into the West; By 1840 over 1/3 of the population lived in the West
This economic & territorial growth created a need to settle America’s national boundaries
Congress quickly admitted 5 new states to the Union:
Indiana (1816)
Illinois (1818)
Alabama (1819)
Mississippi (1817)
Louisiana (1812)

9. American Nationalism
Monroe & the Republicans in Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:
Gov’t: Increasing the power of the national gov’t over the states
Economy: Encourage industry & build better transportation to link the South, North, & West
Foreign Policy: Expanding U.S. borders & increasing America’s role in world affairs

10. Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) that ceded Florida & Oregon to U.S.

11. In 1819 the USA gained Florida from Spain with the Adams-Onis Treaty
American Nationalism
President Monroe & his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams used foreign policy to promote nationalism & territorial expansion
In 1819 the USA gained Florida from Spain with the Adams-Onis Treaty
In 1818, Monroe & British leaders agreed to establish the US/Canada border set at the 49º

12. Nationalist Foreign Policy
When Latin American nations gained independence, the U.S. supported the new republics:
Monroe did not want Europeans re-colonizing in Latin America
Monroe Doctrine (1823) warned European nations that the USA would protect the Western Hemisphere & that the U.S. would not interfere in Europe

14. Sectionalism
The Era of Good Feelings was a time of nationalism, but there were problems between North & South
Sectionalism—when regional interests are placed above national interests
Northerners & Southerners disagreed over slavery, national taxes, & the role of national gov’t
These disagreements dominated politics from 1820 to 1860