Lecture Notes: The War of 1812 and the Era of Good Feelings

Chapter 7 Recap: Thomas Jefferson's Presidency and the War of 1812

• War of 1812
  • Militarily a draw; no territorial gains or losses
  • Key outcomes:
    • Emergence of a new generation of leadership
    • End of the Federalist Party

Chapter 8: The Era of Good Feelings

• Post-War of 1812

  • Americans claimed victory, fostering national unity
  • Political division seemed over with Federalists' decline

• Economic Growth and Independent Economy

  • U.S. aimed for an independent economy
  • Initiatives:
    • Creation of the Second Bank of the United States
    • Protective tariffs to encourage buying American goods
    • Investments in transportation (e.g., the National Road)
  • Internal Improvements: Mostly state-funded

• Transportation and Westward Expansion

  • Improved transportation facilitated westward migration
  • War elimination of western tribes freed land for settlement

Political Landscape and Sectionalism

• Virginia Dynasty

  • Series of Republican presidents from Virginia: Jefferson, Madison, Monroe

• Economic Panic of 1819

  • Resulted from over-speculation
  • Hit the common class hardest, highlighting class divisions

• Sectionalism and the Missouri Compromise

  • Missouri Compromise (1820): Missouri slave state, Maine free state
  • Established a geographical line for slavery in Louisiana Purchase territories

Monroe Doctrine and Foreign Policy

• Monroe Doctrine
  • European powers should stay out of Americas
  • Symbolic of U.S. support for Latin American independence

Revival of Political Opposition

• Election of 1824

  • Four-way race, including Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams
  • Corrupt Bargain: Clay supported Adams, leading to Adams' presidency

• Jackson's Presidency

  • Represented the common class vs. elite interests
  • Won election of 1828 after a contentious campaign

Key Terms and Concepts

• American System: Internal improvements like transportation and banking
• Tariff of Abominations: Southern term for protective tariffs negative impact on the South

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Important Details:

• Understand the divisions beneath the "Era of Good Feelings":

  • Commons vs. Elites (wealth gap)
  • North vs. South (sectionalism)
  • Federal vs. State power (Marbury v. Madison)

• Worcester vs. Georgia

  • Supreme Court case favoring federal rights over state rights concerning Native American lands

• Missouri Compromise

  • Crucial in understanding pre-Civil War tensions

• Monroe Doctrine

  • Important foreign policy stance, though not immediately enforceable

• Panic of 1819

  • Economic downturn illustrating class divisions

• Corrupt Bargain and 1828 Election

  • Jackson's eventual rise to presidency is crucial in understanding shifts in American politics