1. James Monroe
“Era of Good Feelings”

2. How did American nationalism increase under James Monroe?
Essential Question:
How did American nationalism increase under James Monroe?
Lesson Plan for

3. 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 and America’s power in the world
Monroe was a Democratic-Republican
By 1816 the Federalists were so weak that the Republicans could do almost anything

4. The Era of Good Feelings (1815 – 1825)
After the War of 1812, America experienced an “Era of Good Feelings”
Monroe & the Republicans in Congress used this time to promote American nationalism
Nationalism—the interests of the United States should be placed ahead of regional interests

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

6. American Nationalism
John Marshall ( ) used the Supreme Court to strengthen the power of the national government:

7. 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

8. The American System
In 1816, Congressman Henry Clay proposed the American System to unify the economies of the North, South, & West
Created a Second Bank of the U.S.
Created a tariff to promote U.S. industry & limit the importation of British manufactured goods
Proposed national system of roads & canals

9. 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

10. Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay
What aspects of this portrait reveal parts of Henry Clay’s “American System”?

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

12. 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

13. 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
Adams-Onis Treaty (1819) that ceded Florida & Oregon to U.S.
In 1818, Monroe & British leaders agreed to establish the US/Canada border set at the 49º

14. 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
U.S. would not interfere in Europe

16. 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 government
These disagreements dominated politics from 1820 to 1860

17. President Monroe was from Virginia, so the South controlled the presidency too
Missouri Compromise
When Missouri applied to become a U.S. state, sectionalism emerged
Missouri wanted to become a slave state
Northerners did not want to see Southern slave states increase their power in the national gov’t
If Missouri entered as a slave state, the South would have 2 more Senators than the North
Because of the 3/5 Compromise, the South had more members in the House of Representatives

18. American Slave Population, 1790-1820

19. In 1820, Henry Clay negotiated the Missouri Compromise
Maine broke from Massachusetts & became a free state
Missouri became a slave state
Slavery was outlawed in all western territories above the latitude of 36°30'

20. Closing Activity Examine the political cartoon: What do you see?
What can you deduce about how the Monroe Doctrine might be used by the U.S. in the future?

21. …helped to establish American nationalism
Writing Prompt
Describe how…
the Louisiana Purchase
the War of 1812
the Monroe Doctrine
…helped to establish American nationalism