Nationalism during the “Era of
Good Feelings”
Unit 4, Lesson 1
Essential Idea
• After the War of 1812, American nationalism
could be seen in culture, politics, the Supreme
Court, land expansion, and the economy.
The “Era of Good Feelings”
• Monroe Elected:
• James Monroe was
elected president in
1816
• Monroe oversaw the
“Era of Good
Feelings,” a period of
nationalism
• Nationalism:
• Feeling of strong
patriotism
Post-war Nationalism
• Effects of Nationalism
after War of 1812:
• Nationalism
overshadowed
sectionalism and the
country was more unified
• The country developed its
own culture (nonEuropean)
• The power of the federal
government grew
• The country’s size and
economy expanded
Cultural Nationalism
• Literature:
• Stories had AMERICAN
settings and AMERICAN
themes
• Noah Webster:
• Wrote the “BlueBacked Speller,” which
defined AMERICAN
English as different
from British
• Art:
• Hudson River Schoollandscape painters who
celebrated AMERICAN
nature
Political Nationalism
• Federalists Fall Apart:
• After the Federalists
“died out,” only
DemocraticRepublicans were left
• Unity:
• Until 1824, there was
only one party, more
unity, and willingness to
compromise
• The Rise of Jackson:
• Parties split and fought
again when Andrew
Jackson ran for
president in 1824
Judicial Nationalism
• John Marshall:
• Famous Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court
• Marshall’s rulings
reflected nationalism
and strengthened the
federal government
Judicial Nationalism
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Case #1:
McCulloch v. Maryland
Issue:
The STATE of Maryland tried
to tax the Bank of the United
States
Ruling:
States cannot interfere with
an agency of the FEDERAL
government
Significance:
Established the BUS as
constitutional
Established the FEDERAL
government as supreme over
states
Judicial Nationalism
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Case #2:
Gibbons v. Ogden
Issue:
The STATE of New York gave
a steamboat company
license to operate on water
between states
Ruling:
The FEDERAL government
regulates trade between
states
Significance:
Established that the
FEDERAL government
regulates INTERSTATE
COMMERCE (trade)
Expanded FEDERAL control
over the NATIONAL
economy
Judicial Nationalism
• Overall Effect of Marshall Court:
• Increased supremacy of FEDERAL government
over states
Nationalism and Expansion
• Relationship between Nationalism and Expansion:
• Nationalism caused many Americans to want to expand the country
• Many Americans wanted the country to grow in size and power
Florida
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Florida:
Spain still owned Florida
Southern slaves ran away to Florida
Seminole Indians in Florida launched attacks on the South
Andrew Jackson was ordered in to Florida to stop the Seminoles
Jackson Takes Florida
• Jackson Takes
Florida:
• Jackson destroyed
many Seminole
villages
• Jackson disobeyed
orders by attacking
Spanish forts and
removing the
Spanish governor
America Buys
Florida
• Adams-Onis
Treaty- Spain
agreed to sell
Florida to the
United States
• Obtaining Florida
Westward
• Westward expansion:
• Americans began to
move west into the
Louisiana Territory,
especially Missouri
• The North and South
would eventually
fight over whether
slavery could expand
westward too
Monroe Doctrine
• Monroe Doctrine:
• America worried that
other countries would
expand into North and
South America too
• This was seen as a threat
to the United States
• Monroe DoctrinePresident Monroe
declared the Americas offlimits to European powers
• The Monroe Doctrine
Economic Nationalism
• Economic Nationalism:
• The economy grew during
the “Era of Good Feelings”
• New Economic Plan:
• “American System”- Henry
Clay’s plan to encourage
economic growth as the
country expanded
westward
The “American System”
• Plan: The “American System”
• Part 1:
• Second Bank of the United
States
• Details:
• The government rechartered the
BUS
• The BUS would manage the
growing NATIONAL economy
• Reactions:
• North favored this and owned
most stock in the BUS
• South and West distrusted the
BUS and thought it was
unconstitutional
Tariffs Rates Increase
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Part 2:
Protective Tariffs
Details:
These tariffs were higher and designed to PROTECT American businesses from foreign competition
Reactions:
Northern factories thrived under protection and could raise their prices
South and West disliked higher prices for northern products
South and West faced higher tariffs on their exports to other countries
Internal
Improvements
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Part 3:
“Internal Improvements”
Details:
Internal improvements- tariff
revenue would pay for building
roads, canals, and railroads
Need for Transportation
This would increase trade and help
the country expand
Reactions:
North and West liked this because it
helped the two areas trade
Internal Improvements
South disliked this because they got
fewer internal improvements
South felt STATES should pay for
improvements, not the FEDERAL
government
The “American System”
• Overall Effect of the
“American System”:
• Helped develop a
NATIONAL economy, but
benefitted the South the
least