The War of 1812 led to the demise of the Federalist era. The extinction of the Federalist era was followed by an “Era of Good Feelings” where politics and campaigns drastically changed. Political campaigns and elections changed between 1814 and 1840 because of various political views and seemingly radical methods on leading the nation. The “Era of Good Feelings” was during the Monroe presidency between 1816 and 1824. It was unlike any other era in America because there was only one party, the Democratic-Republicans. There was less political tension because there was only one party and most Americans were content with it. As always, there were other small political parties but they didn’t compare to the superior Democratic-Republicans that …show more content…
He was the war hero from the Battle of New Orleans during that War of 1812 that made him gain supporters. Originally from the West, Jackson appealed to the common man. During the election of 1828, political campaigning changed because candidates campaigned out towards society. During Jackson’s inaugural speech, he let common folk in the White House to make it seem like it was everyone’s home. Jackson also came up with the “spoils system,” where he appointed members from his campaign to national seats. This was biased in terms of equality because not everyone would have a chance in being a senator or a representative. Usually, the cabinet members weren’t appointed by the president, so this system made some people angry (Document D). Jackson was a popular president because he expanded the voting rights. He allowed white men who owned property to be able to have a vote. The number of voters definitely increased 16.7% from 1824 to 1828 due to Jackson’s Democratic-Republican campaigning. More people being allowed to vote meant that the nation was heading towards total suffrage (Document A). James Kent, a known scholar, proclaimed that universal male suffrage would inevitably be harmful to the nation. He also claimed that Democracy is tyrannical and unjust (Document B). However, even though Jackson didn’t allow women or blacks to vote, suffrage extended throughout his …show more content…
Henry Clay was a Whig and the Jacksonians were Democratic-Republicans. The Whig party was created to be anti-Jackson, so the two dueling parties were bitter enemies. The Whig party was increasing in popularity and support for Clay became apparent in the 1832 election between Clay and Jackson (Document F). The Whigs greatly supported the bank’s recharter in 1836, while Jackson was against the bank. Jackson liked small pet banks throughout the states because each state could then have control over their own finances. Back by popular demand, Jackson once again won his seat in the presidential chair in 1832 and vetoed the Whig’s proposal on the recharter of the bank in
The period after the War of 1812 during the presidency of James Monroe is often referred to as the “era of good feelings” because of a feeling of nationalism, a feeling of pride and national unity. The end of the Federalist Party also provided the nation with a feeling of nationalism, for there was no political opposition toward the Republicans. This title, however, may not be the most accurate label for this particular time period, for this time period marked the beginnings of sectionalism, with heated debates over tariffs, the National Bank, and most importantly, over slavery.
Another reason why Andrew Jackson’s presidency was different was because of his attack on the Bank of the United States. In 1832, Andrew Jackson vetoed the bill to recharter the bank. Jackson believed the bank had an unfair advantage over the other banks. The national bank would get all the federal tax revenues instead of the state or private banks. Also the bank’s president, Nicholas Biddle would extend loans to the men in the congress at lower rates of interest than he would do to regular people. Because Jackson thought the bank was unjust he took away its federal charter and the bank became a state bank. Jackson appointed a secretary of treasury after his reelection in 1832. The secretary of treasury placed all government funds in certain state banks, otherwise known as the pet banks. The national bank became the Philadelphia bank for a while until it went out of business.
The period after the war of 1812 was labeled “The Era of Good Feeling” by historians. Some people believe that this is an accurate label of this time period, but others disagree. Due to the emergence of sectionalism- concern with local interests, and nationalism- patriotic feelings and self pride, people had mixed feelings about this time period. Many people felt that times were high, and that nationalism and sectionalism could only bolster the union, while others thought that it was sectionalism and nationalism that caused disunion. Some of the documents used in this essay support the claim that the period after 1812 was an era of good feelings. Other documents will oppose this claim with proof from their own perspectives.
The Jacksonian Democrats were very important in the revolutions in political democracy that took place during this period. During this period universal white male suffrage took place and was the first step towards the revolution of the common man in politics. Also, Jackson's acceptance and support of the two-party system helped create a more democratic America in which people with similar views could unite in their support of a singular candidate. Many "working men" of this time period had felt they had been taken advantage of and misrepresented by tyrannical aristocrats who treated them poorly (A). Jackson used this to his advantage with emotionalized speeches exploiting class differences. However, it should be said that during this time period the amount of voters increased dramatically which means that more Americans were involved in American politics (D). Jackson's use of the "Kitchen Cabinet" kept his knowledge of critics and the wants and needs of the people up
“The Era of Good Feeling” was a time of increased nationalism and prosperity for the nation. This of course is not completely true, debates over many important issues created a crack in the outward appearance of harmony during President Monroe’s two terms. These issues include sectionalism, foreign policy of isolationism and the rights of states vs. the rights of the federal government.
In addition to creating a more democratic country, Jackson also tried to establish equal economic opportunity for the people of America. The best example of this is the vetoing of the charter of the Bank of the United States. The bank was a huge monopoly. It was ran by aristocrats, most of which were from England. Nicholas Biddle, who was the president of the bank, often used funds from the bank to lend money to the members of Congress, thus wining their support.
During the Era of Good Feeling, while westward expansion was booming, a sense of unity and nationalism emerged as a result of the post-war reconstruction period as well as the decline of the federalist party; however, the Panic of 1819 caused a severe economic depression making this period not an Era of Good Feelings. Although the one party system was somewhat beneficial during the Era of Good Feelings, creating a false sense of political unity between the people, poor economic decisions lead to a depression. Sectionalism also increased between the northern and southern states over slavery, adding to political tensions between states and the federal government.
The Era of Good Feeling was a time where only one political party reigned, sense of
In the years following the War of 1812, the “Era of Good Feelings” evolved between the years 1815 and 1825. In the first half of this period, there was a strong sense of nationalism throughout the United States. However, political changes and economic differences between the states warped this nationalism into the sectionalism that divided the country into north, south and west regions. Celebrations of unity within the United States soon turned into disagreements concerning representation within the government and the differences within the national government caused by the emergence of different Republican factions. States distanced themselves from working collectively in a united economy. They were largely concerned with
Jackson also gave government jobs to regular people. This was called the spoils system. He appointed people to federal jobs depending on whether they had campaigned for the Democratic Party. Anyone currently in office who was not a democratic was replaced with a democrat. This was called the spoils system because it promoted a corrupt government. He also believed in rotation in office. He wanted to make it possible for more democrats to have government jobs, so he limited a person's time in office to one term. The spoils system showed how one man was no better than another and helped build a strong two-party system.
Since the creation of the United States Constitution, the many leaders of our nation took different roles in trying to attain perfectionism for their country. From the federalist views of John Adams to the democratic views of Jefferson, America was experiencing the endeavor that was being a young nation in the midst of the 19th century. The emergence of John Quincy Adams in 1820 started an “Era of Good Feelings” with exceptional political advancements and economic achievements. While Jackson’s democratic views were not always what were expected, during his presidency, the country grew national and world attraction. Through periods of boom and bust, political and economic changes in America undeniably helped reshape society between the years 1820 and 1848 with the emergence of new and innovative advancements.
Andrew Jackson was probably one of the most powerful and influential presidents during his time at the white house. He was hated, yet loved by many. Jackson was an American soldier, who gained fame as a general in the U.S and served in both houses of Congress. He was soon elected the seventh president of the United States. After Jackson took charge, he wanted immediate change as to how the government was being run. For starters, he came with a new idea of voting. Allowing the common people to vote for whom they believe was the right person for the job. Before the introduction to
Jackson, uneducated as he was, was a very shrewd man. Using the spoils system, he all but totally replaced the cabinet from the previous administration. By rewarding the men who had helped him reach his current state, he made it clear that the middleclass could improve their condition. The cabinet was no longer filled with wealthy men of status, but instead of more every day people.
Andrew Jackson, whose presidential term lasted from 1829-1837, was the first president to ever be chosen by the people to lead. Because he was not born into a rich family, people felt that they could relate to him better. He too preferred supporting the common public over the wealthy aristocrats. During Jackson’s period in office he was able to shift the majority of power in the United States to farmers and small businesses in the western part of the country. Jackson vetoed many bills in order to benefit common people and also created the spoils system to balance out his cabinet. Like Jefferson, Jackson was extremely opposed to the Bank of the U.S., believing that it would only make the wealthy even
Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy both have roots dating back to the Era of Good Feelings, when James Monroe created a golden climate of liberalism and national unity. As a result of the War of 1812, Monroe spoke of his policies and beliefs and in 1817, peace, liberty, prosperity, and progress flourished throughout the nation (Garraty 200). The Era of Good Feelings came to an end because of the “corrupt bargain” in 1824. The transition from Jeffersonian to Jacksonian Democracy involved scandalous events that undermine the authority of the president and the government itself. Each Democracy had different views: politically, socially, economically and religiously. Jackson’s idea of democracy, furthermore, is an accurate representation