AP US: James Monroe as President (1817-1825)
Nationalism and the "Era of Good Feelings"
- Monroe walks in to a period of devotion to the interests of the nation as a whole, as the changes had begun under Madison
- ascent of Democrat-Republican Party - becomes the only party in national politics
- election of James Monroe to succeed Madison in 1817
- last of the "Virginia Dynasty" (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe)
- last of the Revolutionary generation
- almost unanimously elected to his second term
- yet, not among the "great" Presidents
- D-R Party changes
- abandons states' rights and strict interpretation ideas, shifts away from original ideas
- the shift is especially noticeable at the end of the Madison administration
- begin to support measures that strengthen the central government
- leaders (D-R) in Congress propose laws:
- to increase the strength of the army and navy
- to create protective tariffs for manufacturing
- to build a national system of roads and canals
- to create a vigorous foreign policy that will settle disputes
- charters the Second Bank of the US - signed into law by James Madison before he leaves office, and he had been strongly against the First Bank
Economy: The American System
- best shows the new spirit of cooperation and unity
- program for economic development proposed by Henry Clay
- Henry Clay, the "Great Compromiser" becomes one of the new statesmen of the era
- Three Parts
- Protective Tariff
- allow American manufacturers, especially in the north, to develop and prosper
- will be passed by Congress in 1816 to protect New England and the Middle States from British goods that flood the market after the War of 1812
- supported by Calhoun, a leader of the South, because he believes that the South will ultimately benefit if the North industrialises
- the West also thinks it will help their growth (this era sees the rise of the West as a part of national politics; there are now three factions, N, W, and S)
- National Bank
- stabilise economy
- unite county economically
- leading into the War of 1812, they had discovered that the economy had been destablised by the lack of a national bank, so they acknowledge that some kind of a banking system is needed
- charter the Second Bank of the US
- gets a 20-year charter in 1816
- government owns 20% of the stock
- signed into law by James Madison
- Internal Transportation Improvements
- use revenue from the tariffs for internal improvements
- build roads, canals, etc. - with federal money
- however, very little of this plan will actually be accomplished
- the National Road, or the Cumberland Road, is extended to Wheeling, VA along the Ohio River
- Bonus Bill of 1816
- $1.5 million of invested money in the National Bank is to be used to fund internal improvements
- backed by Calhoun
- passed by Congress, vetoed by Madison - he couldn't justify using federal funds to build roads, he didn't believe that Congress had that power
- liked by the West - wanted roads to transport goods, as easier transport lowers prices
- individual states began to grant money to private companies to build roads and canals
- often build toll roads to help offset the cost
- Protective Tariff
Foreign Policy
- shows the emerging nationalistic spirit
- protect frontier and US interests in the Western Hemisphere
- the national government attempts to safeguard settles in new states
- sign treaties or fight Indians
- move Indians to reservations
- British begin to adopt a more friendly attitude towards the US, as demonstrated by two treaties that show a desire to talk rather than fight
- Rush-Bagot Agreement on 1817
- armament reduction treaty
- reduces armaments along the Great Lakes
- total disarmament will occur with the 1871 Treaty of Washington
- Treaty of 1818
- sets the 49th Parallel as the Northern boundary between the US and Canada, from Lake-in-the-Woods, Minnesota, to the Rocky Mountains
- creates joint US-British occupation fo the Oregon Territory for 10 years; this is renewable
- settles question of offshore fishing rights in Newfoundland
- by 1819, the US has decided that they want to "round out" the borders by obtaining Florida from Spain
- Spain wasn't happy about the idea, but the western part of Florida had already been annexed by the US as part of the Louisiana Purchase
- Seminole War
- Gen. Jackson begins to fight the Indians of the SE, but they flee to the protection of Spanish Florida
- at one point, he decides to chase them into Florida, violating the Spanish boundary
- he routs the Indians
- executes 2 British traders who he believed had incited the raids
- captured several Spanish forts
- John Quincy Adams is Secretary of State
- negotiates with Spain, and convinces them that they have no power and will lose Florida soon anyway
- Adams - Onis Treaty (1819)
- US obtains Florida from Spain
- Spain gives up claims to the Oregon Territory, leaving only the US, Britain, and Russia with claims
- US gives Spain $5 million
- US gives up land claims to Texas
The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
- this document was prepared by John Quincy Adams, the Secretary of State
- this will become the cornerstone of American foreign policy
- while Europe is involved in the Napoleonic Wars, Spain loses their Latin American colonies as they declare independence
- Russia, Austria, Prussia and France (the Quadruple Alliance) are feared by the US, as they might attempt to regain Latin America
- fear of disruption of trade and security
- Russia's Edict of 1821
- extended Alaska south to the 51st Parallel - into the Oregon Territory
- they claim the Oregon Territory as an open field of colonisation
- this disturbs the US, who also has claims to the Oregon region
- Britain shares US fear of the Quadruple Alliance
- wants an alliance with the US
- but JQ Adams remembered that Washington had warned against entangling alliances that would force the young nation into costly wars
- suggests to Monroe that something needs to be done, but not necessarily with Britain
- statement of US nationalism - the US believes that it is a significant nation, and can make demands such as this; however, they will have to rely on the military power of another nation to defend this idea
- Monroe declares the doctrine in four parts:
- the Western Hemisphere is no longer open for European exploration, and they may no longer colonise
- any attempt on the part of any European power to interfere in the Western Hemisphere would be considered dangerous to the peace and safety of the US; the US will take action as necessary to protect national security
- the US will not interfere with European colonies that have already been established
- the US will not interfere with the internal affairs of European nations
- this becomes the cornerstone of US foreign policy
- but, sometimes the US will find excuses to not completely adhere to the Doctrine
- it's a presidential statement/philosophy - doesn't have the power of law
- it will be hard to back up this kind of statement without military force, and the US has no military to compete with those of Europe
- however, the Doctrine will be respected by the European powers - for fear of Great Britain, not fear of the US
- Great Britain wants to protect the lucrative markets that an independent Latin America provides, and will support the Monroe Doctrine
- other nations also fear forcing Britain into an alliance with the US
- in 1824, a year after the Doctrine is stated, Russia signs a treaty to give up land claims in the Oregon Territory, leaving only the US and Britain there
- this non-colonisation, non-intervention policy is a logical extension of the isolationist policies of Washington's Farewell Address, allowing the US to worry about its own future, not that of other nations
- the US will remain aloof from European affairs
- the US becomes a watchman for Latin America, as they don't want other nations interfering with their strategic Caribbean possessions
- this will also be used as an excuse for US imperialism in the early 20th century
Westward Movement
- nationalism causes the nation to expand
- the West will grow and become part of national politics
- one historian, Turner, says that the frontier is the key to the development and history of the US
- according to this theory, the challenges of the frontier made America strong, and they fear that the loss of a frontier will result in the loss of American strength
- adventure and cheap land fuel Westward expansion during the "Era of Good Feelings"
Challenges to Good Feelings
- Panic of 1819
- the economy slowed down and caused a panic
- there were no real controls over economic policy
- the economy has many booms and busts, and isn't very stable
- over-land speculation
- manufacturing peaks
- supply/demand changes
- they will try to solve this with a national banking system in 1913, but will fail, as indicated by the Great Depression
- the economy collapse is short-lived, and the nation survives; Monroe stays in office, becoming one of the only Presidents to survive an economic collapse
- Slavery
- Congress abolishes the African slave trade in 1808 with little resistance
- in 1819, there are 11 free states and 11 slave states
- begin to see a North-South, free-slave divide
- the West also plays a role, and they mostly support slavery, because most of the pioneers were from slave states such as Virginia and Kentucky
- in 1812, Louisiana had entered the Union, and the balance of the Louisiana Territory was organised into the Missouri Territory
- in 1819, Missouri petitions for entrance as a slave state, supported by the South
- the anti-slavery provision of the Northwest Ordinance is ignored by this point
- provisions to be a state are to have 60,000 people, which Missouri has
- Missouri is the first area west of the Mississippi River to apply for statehood
- this is converted into a sectional issue, indicating the short-lived-ness of the Era of Good Feelings
- each section is concerned that the other groups will become more powerful
- the North opposes this, as it would upset the North-South balance
- Talmadge, a New York Congressman, introduces an amendment stating that no slaves may be brought into Missouri, and that slaves born in Missouri must be freed at the age of 25
- this is also known as the "Missouri Emancipation Amendment"
- the South objects, fearing a precedent for all land west of the Mississippi River, and the possible interference of Congress with slavery in the other slave states
- because of population growth, the North controlled the House, so it passed easily, but trouble arose in the equally free-slave Senate
- the primary issue at stake was economic/political, the moral question was a far second
- the amendment becomes trapped in the Senate
- The Missouri Compromise (1820)
- prepared by Henry Clay, the "Great Compromiser"
- Missouri is admitted as a slave state, and Maine is separated from Massachusetts to be admitted as a free state (with approval of Massachusetts legislature as required by the Constitution)
- Congress prohibited slavery in all other parts of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36° 30' Parallel; Missouri will be the only state north of the Parallel to have slavery
- maintains the balance of power in the Senate
- the compromise will last for 34 years, but it's only putting off the issue - it will have to be confronted later
- both sides gave something up to make a gain, and both are happy
- the North preserved the balance in the Senate
- the South got to expand slavery, and most didn't think the rest of the Louisiana Purchase would be colonised anyway