Era of Good Feeling Nation Building Foreign and
Era of Good Feeling Nation Building: Foreign and Domestic
Era of Good Feeling? • James Monroe (Republican) – President (1816 -24) • Factions within Republicans – Old Republicans (Calhoun) – New Republicans: Federalists in disguise (Webster) • Actual Era of GF: 1816 -1819 – Younger generation of voters • Excited with natlism, growth and little interest in Europe and wars of past
Connecting the States • Telegraph (Samuel Morse) • Roads and Turnpikes – Turnpikes (private ventures) • Lancaster Turnpike link Philly and Lancaster – The Old National Road (MD to IL) 1811 • Exception to the rule. Crossed state lines. Most roads didn’t bc the state paid for it • Steamboats travel upriver (1807) – Robert Fulton “Clermont” • Canals link rivers and lakes – Erie Canal first transportation link between East and West, 1825 • stimulates commercial growth esp. of N. Y – Lower food prices in East • Most important, railroads – Baltimore and Ohio 1828
Industry • Mid 19 thc manuf. surpass agric in value • Samuel Slater from GB – factory system 1791 • Interchangeable parts (Eli Whitney) – Mass production (1801) • Francis Lowell’s textile mill – Located in Massachusetts – Combined all steps in one factory – Used young farm women (dorms) – “Factories in the garden” (supposedly clean) • Coal mining in Pennsylvania – Canals made transport possible. East relied on coal for power • Wholesalers control distribution and markets widen – Cheap, efficient products more important than finely finished ones. – Value of the skilled craftsman declined – Unions formed (very weak)
Economics and Politics • Legislation (FINANCE becomes important too) – Fed and State govt help business – Corporations can sell stock to raise capital – Bonds for canal and RR building • The Court – Two Constant Principles • The sanctity of contracts (property protected) • Supremacy of federal legislation • Flectcher v Peck(1810)- GA and land fraud • 1 st time use unconstitutional for state law. Uphold contract. State can’t invalidate a contract no matter what. • Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) – N. Y gave Ogden monopoly of ferry travel to N. J. Gibbons competes • Rules: Gibbons has the right to ferry travel. State has no right b/c interstate trade. • Mc. Culloch v. Maryland (1819)– Maryland placed tax on Bank of U. S. b/c that state deemed BUS unconstitutional • Rules: Marshall says the BUS is constitutional (implied power). Overturns a state law. Only feds can tax a fed. Institution. Fed. law supreme • Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)—N. H. tries to change Dartmouth from private to public college • Rules: State law unconstitutional. Charters are contracts and state cannot revoke.
Economics and Politics • • • Republicans adopt some Federalist measures Protective Tariff of 1816 (nationalism) American System (Henry Clay) – – – establish high tariffs (helps the East) • This happens • Doesn’t happen. Monroe object says Const. not allow fed. govt. Will veto acts of Congress. States must do this on their own charter a national bank (2 nd Bank) federal aid for internal improvements • Panic of 1819 The B. U. S. decided needed stricter credit requirements Called in its loans, so state banks had to as well Land speculators unable to repay loans (West hurt the most. Will hate the bank. Remember this for Prez AJ) – banks failed and depositors were wiped out – Monroe did nothing – – –
Foreign Policy • John Quincy Adams – Secretary of State • Treaty of 1818 • GB and US share Oregon (10 yrs) • Recognize Canadian and US border • Rush Bagot Agreement (1817) • Longest unfortified border in the world between Canada and US • Adams-Onis Treaty 1819 – Spain gives us Florida b/c of Jackson’s military campaign into FL – U. S assumes $5 mill of debt Spain owes Americans – U. S recognizes Texas belongs to Spain
Foreign Policy • Monroe Doctrine 1823 – American continents no longer subject to further colonization. – Political systems of Europe dangerous b/c so different from America – Cornerstone of U. S foreign policy with Latin America in years to come – GW Farewell Address and Monroe Doctrine most important foreign policy documents pre 1940 s!!!!! – US wants to make sure they control the continent. (think Louisiana Purchase)
Rejecting Industrialism • By 1825, pop. had doubled – High birthrate – Immigrants in 1830 s from GB and Germany • By 1830 s, 1/3 lived Allegheny Mts – South needs more land (tobacco ruins); Some in the East fled b/c of embargo act ruining economics; Easier transports to West; Native Amer. Land taken in treaties; Immigrants looking for a new life
The Missouri Compromise: The Issues • House rejects unless slavery abolished (North dominates) – Tallmadge amendment gradual end of slavery in Missouri – Henry Clay compromise • Wish to preserve balance between slave states and free states (Senate) • Sectionalism rears its head
The Missouri Compromise 1820 • Maine comes in free • Missouri comes in slave • All territory north 36’ 30 will be free • All territory south will be slave • Exposed rift between North & South but preserved sectional balance for more 30 yrs
Economy & Sectionalism • Vote for politician that represents your regional concerns • Market stimulates specialization – West farms to feed – North manufactures – South grows cotton • Cotton – Bulk of the exports • GB textile factories (shapes international trade) • Encourages INTERNAL slave trade • Helps the North make money – Northern merchants benefits by providing » Transportation of cotton » Manufacturing the cloth, then selling the cloth
Market Economy • End of self-sufficiency – Ppl went to work, not work from home • Interdependence • Effects – Women • Work force (single women) – Domestic work or teachers; factory jobs rare – Replaced by immigrant workers • Still, once married stopped working • “cult of domesticity” – b/c of separation of home and workplace change gender roles (more in Reform Movement notes) – Social mobility • Wage earners vs merchants – North just as bad as South – Slavery • End to slavery? Not with cotton gin. • Even Northern workers slaves to the clock
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