The Era of Good Feelings
After the War of 1812 the Federalist Party collapsed
This lasted about 10 yearsPolitical ideas of the Federalists lived onSuccession of Presidents
Sec. of State Madison follows Jefferson Sec. of State Monroe follows Madison Sec. of State John Quincy Adams follows Monroe
The Virginia Dynasty
Presidents from Jefferson to MonroeAll well-cultured gentlemenGenerally dull and not activistLittle accomplished beyond Louisiana
Purchase and the War of 1812
Infrastructure
New forms of transportation built and developed Roads – Turnpikes and road networks connected cities Steamboats – Added the ability to travel upriver Canals – manmade waterways to connect ports and
waterways Most famous was Erie Canal that connected Lake Erie
with the Atlantic Railroads – Huge advancement in shipping freight and
peopleThese allowed for the growth of factories in
the North
How to pay for this?
Construction projects expensive but necessary
The tariff was the main source of revenue for U.S. govt.
Tariff = Tax on Imported Goods
Subsidies
A subsidy is money given from the govt. to a private group such as an industrial business, charity, or commercial group, usually to guarantee some service in return
Examples: Airlines, Planned Parenthood, Housing, Farmers
Sometimes subsidies can be good, sometimes bad
The Problem
Most imports coming into the SouthTherefore the South contributes greatly to
the budgetMost of the tariff money going to projects in
the NorthTariff quickly becomes an issue between
North and SouthGovernment waste exacerbates the problem
Collins vs. Vanderbilt
New steam technology applied to trans-Atlantic shipsCuts the passage from Europe to U.S. to two weeksEdward Collins proposes to Congress a business plan…
vs.
Adams-Onis Treaty
Feb. 1819 the U.S. purchases Florida from Spain
Cost $5 millionDetermined the disputed border between
Mexico and the Louisiana TerritoryPrompted the Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine
Spain weak after losing most of its holdings in the Americas
France weak also after the final defeat of Napoleon
The U.S. looks to prevent a comeback in the Americas
The Monroe Doctrine
How could the U.S. enforce this?Helped by Great Britain
Britain also does not want to see Spain or France comeback
Little real effect from the Monroe Doctrine until after the Civil War (Will play a major role in HIS 1302)
The Missouri Compromise
In 1819 Missouri ready to apply for statehoodWanted to become a slave stateThis would destroy the 11-11 free state /
slave state balanceMuch fighting until Compromise in 1820
The Missouri Compromise Terms
Missouri comes in as a slave stateMaine comes in early as a free stateIn the future:
*the Unorganized Territory will be closed to slavery*the Arkansas Territory will be open to slavery*the dividing line will be 36, 30
The Election of 1824
Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay
All ran as Republican candidatesNo opposition partyThe election was a 3-way splitNobody won a majority of electoral votesWho becomes President?
The Corrupt Bargain
Under the 12th Amendment (at the time) the House of Reps. would vote on who became President
Henry Clay was Speaker of the HouseClay sways the house to vote for AdamsAdams wins and appoints Clay as Secretary
of StateJackson & supporters infuriated
The Tariff of Abominations
Adams and Jackson fought over the tariff after Adams elected
North wanted to raise tariff to protect businesses
South argued it was unconstitutional for govt. to control economy
The issue will return under Jackson’s presidency
The Election of 1828
By 1828 the landowning requirement was removed from voting
Far more poor people able to voteAdams unpopular after Corrupt Bargain and
TariffDirty political campaign on both sidesJackson wins by a landslide
Andrew Jackson
A rough man from the frontier
War hero and generalStrong temperStrong executive,
unlike previous presidents
The Spoils System
Jackson begins the policyFires many executive branch employees after
taking officeReplaces them with his own selectionsEnsured loyalty of the branchAllowed greater corruption in government
Jackson as President
Jackson a strange mix of pride and humilityBelieved that the government should be open
to the peopleHe literally opened the White House to the
public on numerous occasions
Three Key Issues Under Jackson
The Nullification Crisis concerning the TariffThe Trail of Tears concerning the Native
AmericansThe renewal of the Bank’s charter
The Nullification Crisis
1832 Congress lowers the Tariff but only slightly
South disappointedSouth Carolina responds by declaring the
Tariff void in their stateThe problem?State trying to overrule federal law
The Nullification Crisis
Jackson sees this as an attack on the Constitution
Congress granted him the Force Bill which allowed him to use the military to enforce customs laws
South Carolina is unsupported by other states and backs down
Congress also passed a bill that would reduce the Tariff over the next few years
Indian Policy
By the 1820’s many Cherokees remained in Georgia
They assimilated into Southern lifeMany owned slaves and grew cottonAlong with other tribes owned 33 million
acres in the SoutheastCherokees resisted all offers to get them to
move
Indian Policy
Two key changes Jackson elected Gold discovered on Cherokee lands
Georgia tries to force the Cherokee to leaveJackson backs them up with the Indian
Removal ActSupreme Court initially denies the Cherokee
a hearing
Indian Policy
Georgia began seizing Cherokee propertyChristian missionaries who protested were
jailedSupreme Court finally tries to interveneJackson blatantly ignored their decisionFinally began a forced removal to the
Oklahoma territory
The Bank
Functions of the Bank Lent to merchants Expedited foreign trade Handled private and business checking accounts Issued paper money backed by gold Held deposits from federal govt. Transferred govt. funds around the country Central bank of the economy Could force state banks to limit credit or encourage
them to lend
The Bank
Jackson hated banks, especially “The Bank”This represented the feeling of many farmers
and SouthernersThey believed the Bank gave the federal govt.
too much power over the economyBank’s charter was set to expire in 1836Nicholas Biddle was the head of the BankApplied for renewal of charter in 1832
The Bank
The renewal passes CongressJackson vetoes itUnleashed a storm of protest from
businessmen, state bankers, and economistsJackson called a tyrant for overriding the will
of the people
Manifest Destiny
One of the most important ideas of the early 1800’s
Term coined by John L. O’Sullivan, a NY magazine editor
Asserted the right of the U.S. to “overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government.”
Manifest Destiny = The belief that the U.S. should expand to the Pacific Ocean
The Oregon Country
Early pioneers moved cross country, mostly fur traders
Territory was shared with the BritishExplored and mapped the routes across the
continentHelped to create the Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail
Long & dangerous
Many geographic obstacles
Thousands of Americans went in the early 1840’s
Texas (Yay!)
In the 1820’s Mexico gave Moses Austin a land grant to settle Americans in Texas
Moses’s son Stephen F. Austin established the first American colony in Mexico
By 1835 20,000 Americans in Texas, with slaves
Mexico resisted numerous attempts to buy Texas by the U.S.
Texas
Changes in the Mexican government made things uncomfortable in Texas
Santa Anna becomes dictator and is hostile to American settlers
Santa Anna marches north in 1835 to disperse growing dissent
This act of aggression prompts armed response
First fight came in Feb. 1836
The Alamo
187 Texans defending against over 4,000 Mexicans
The Alamo was an old mission near San Antonio
Texans led by William B. TravisTrying to buy time for Sam Houston to form
the armyHeld out for 13 days, even though
surroundedSanta Anna hoped to avoid a fight, but
ultimately chargedHeroic action spurred the independence
movement
Texas Applies for Annexation
Harrison elected in 1840, died after 1 month in office
John Tyler became President in 1841Texas had applied for annexation in 1836Jackson was too close to the end of his termVan Buren was too unpopularTyler finally able to secure annexation
Texas Annexation
2 reasons people opposed Texas would enter as a slave state Mexico would probably declare war
Senate refused to pass annexation treaty until March 1845, just before Tyler leaves office
James Polk elected in 1844, takes office in 1845
Polk a strong proponent of Manifest Destiny
Issues with Britain
Increased U.S. presence in Oregon leads to conflict
Britain and U.S. both claiming key territory
The U.S. declares “54-40 or fight!”
Britain goaded by MexicoUltimately a treaty was
signed in 1846 cutting the territory in half
The Slidell Mission
John Slidell sent to Mexico to negotiateOffered to pay Texas debts owed to Mexico
for $3.25 millionOffered $5 million for New Mexico and $25
million for CaliforniaExpected the mission to succeedInstead Mexico refused to meet with Slidell
The Border Issue
The treaty granting Texas independence claimed the border was on the Rio Grande
The Mexican govt. claimed it was invalidOnce Texas annexed this becomes a U.S.
problemPolk sends Gen. Zachary Taylor to the Rio
Grande as a defensive measureMexico considers this an invasion and an act
of war
War with Mexico
Gen. Zachary Taylor led army to the Rio Grande
Nicknamed “Old Rough-and-Ready”Charismatic general, liked by his men, also a
WhigFirst battle at Palo Alto in Texas, May 8, 1846Taylor then crosses the Rio Grande into
Mexico at MatamorosDue to discipline issues, Taylor forced to
move further south, towards Monterrey
Politics Interferes
Taylor succeeds at Monterrey, generously allows Mexican army to withdraw
Draws criticism from U.S. governmentStill, Taylor a popular figurePolk (Democrat) unwilling to let a Taylor
(Whig) take credit for the final victoryOrders Taylor to hold Monterrey but
transfers most of his army to Winfield Scott in New Orleans
The Last Campaign
Gen. Winfield Scott to lead an attack on Mexico City from New Orleans
Scott not nearly as popular as TaylorNicknamed “Old Fuss-and-Feathers”The plan was to land at Veracruz and march
to Mexico CityAfter a series of battles Mexico City fallsSanta Anna flees
Negotiations
Remnants of Mexican govt. left to negotiate surrender
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the war in 1848
Forced Mexico to sell all territory between the Pacific and Texas for $15 million
Also paid $3.5 million in debt to MexicoTreaty somewhat unpopular, but still passed
the Senate
Results
Mexican War achieved Manifest DestinyOnly one more land purchase before the final
borders of the 48 contiguous statesIronically, the land added almost killed the
U.S.In many ways, the Mexican War was a
forerunner to the Civil War
Religious Change
Charles Grandison Finney
Key figure in the Second Great Awakening
Focused on revival and new converts
Gave rise to Perfectionism
Religious Change
Many denominations created or changed significantly
Many key Calvinist and Orthodox doctrines rejected
Growth in major denominations: Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian
New or small groups also grew: Unitarians, Mormons, Oneidans
Perfectionism
New belief propagated in 2nd Great Awakening
Believed that human beings could become perfect and completely rid themselves of sin
Sin defined as selfishnessArgued that people could become entirely
selflessThis applied both on individual and corporate
levelsGave a strong religious impetus for social
reform
Social Change
Religious change will in turn affect social change
Many reform movements Prisons Asylums Temperance Women’s rights Antislavery
Antislavery
Grew with religious revivalStill a mix of viewsSome people completely abolitionistOthers simply against expansionRace often not a factor
Lincoln
“I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality…
Lincoln
And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything.” Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Sept. 1858
Lincoln
I have never said anything to the contrary, but I hold that notwithstanding all this, there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man. I agree with Judge Douglas he is not my equal in many respects – certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral or intellectual endowment. But in the right to eat the bread, without leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man.” Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Aug. 1858
Lincoln
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help save the Union…
Lincoln
I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.” Letter of Abraham Lincoln, Aug. 1862
Immigration
Largest group from Ireland, followed by Germany
Millions immigrated during the 1840’s and 1850’s
Irish especially faced discrimination when they arrived
Anti-immigration known as “Nativism”
Reasons for Nativism
Irish were CatholicStereotypes about immigrantsImmigrants usually poorImmigrants took jobs and lowered wagesLittle assimilation on the part of immigrantsImmigrants led to urbanization, lowering
quality of life in the cities
Urbanization
Massive increase to city populationsMostly happened in the NorthOne result of the Industrial RevolutionA trend that still continues todayLed to many problems within the cities