APUSH Period 4 Lecture Notes (1800-1848)

Summary

Today's installment of the APUSH review covers Period 4, spanning from 1800-1848. Key themes during this era include the evolving roles of federal and state governments, rapid economic, demographic, and territorial changes, increasing sectionalism, expansion of democratic rights with constraints, and various reform movements.

Lecture Content

Major Themes

• Federal and State Relations: Continued evolution of the relationship roles.
• Economic, Territorial, and Demographic Changes: Significant increase in U.S. territory size, growth in population, and economic development.
• Sectionalism: An ongoing and increasing problem.
• Expansion and Struggle of Democratic Rights: Extensions of voting rights to more Americans, although some groups still faced exclusion.
• Reform Movements: Various societal changes sought through movements during this period.

Territorial Expansion

• Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled U.S. territory without war under Jefferson.
• War of 1812: Resulted in cessation of British forts on U.S. soil, fostering further westward movement.
• Adams-Onís Treaty (1819): U.S. acquisition of Florida from Spain.
• Native American Land Loss: Significant reduction in Native territories due to American expansionism.

Important Events and Changes

• Transportation Developments: Introduction of canals, national roads (Cumberland Road), and railways that facilitated Westward expansion.
• Cotton Gin Invention (1790s): Eli Whitney's invention led to a boom in cotton production, unfortunately expanding slavery in the new territories.
• Immigration Surge: Notably Irish, Germans, and English, settled in, changing the demographic landscape.
• Population Movement: Westward relocation influenced by improved transportation, economic opportunities (like land for cotton cultivation), and removal of foreign threats.

Government and International Policies

• Neutrality Challenges: Various acts and events like the Embargo Act, Non-Intercourse Act, and troubles leading to the War of 1812 highlighted difficulties in maintaining neutrality.
• Monroe Doctrine (1823): Declared European powers should no longer colonize or interfere with the Americas, asserting U.S. presence in Western hemisphere politics.
• Expansionist Policies: Continued push to expand the U.S. territory and influence, including efforts like the Lonestar Republic and the initiation of wars like the Mexican-American War.

Nationalism vs. Sectionalism

• Cultural Nationalism: Expressed in literature, arts (e.g., Hudson River School), and intellectual movements.
• Economic Nationalism: American System proposed by Henry Clay emphasizing a strong banking system, protective tariffs, and internal improvements.
• Political Developments: From the "Revolution of 1800" and "Era of Good Feelings" to the rise of two-party systems with Democrats and Whigs.
• Sectional Interests: Despite national unity efforts, sectional divisions deepened over issues like tariffs, internal improvements, and particularly slavery.

Societal Developments and Reform Movements

• Role of Women: Emerging concepts like "Cult of Domesticity", yet politically active through venues like the Seneca Falls Convention (1848).
• African American Rights and Slavery: Continued advocacy against slavery through abolitionist movements and literature.
• Native American Conflicts: Continued territory loss and cultural conflicts.
• Labor and Economic Reforms: Rise of factory systems, labor rights (Commonwealth vs. Hunt), and increased urbanization in the North facilitated by industrial growth.
• Social Reforms: Movements including Temperance, Education (Horace Mann in Massachusetts), and various Utopian communities.

Conclusion

This period is marked by a dynamic interplay of expanding democratic ideals, economic opportunities tied with moral challenges, increased push towards reform, and the ever-persistent issue of sectional divides, setting the stage for future conflicts in American history.