American History: The Era of Good Feelings

The First Party System was short but sweet

Mount Rushmore in South DakotaPhoto byJéan BélleronUnsplash

The Summary was AI-assisted

Our country has evolved from its time of conception to now dramatically. In the two and a half centuries we have been one nation under God, we have seen many changes in our government.

There have been different political parties that once were and are no more. The Federalist Party and the Whigs were two of the most dominant back in the beginning of the American experiment.

One of the most interesting times to me was the Era of Good Feelings. A short-lived era but extremely necessary nonetheless. Before knowing about the era, and if asked, I might think it was the Hippie era of the '60s. I would be wrong.

I grew up in an era of Peace and Love yet, thinking back we were anything but a country steeped in peace. The same with the Industrial Era. It was also a time of civil disruption; poverty was high, and crime and injustice abounded.

To me, a feel-good era seemed so unlikely especially since it was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was difficult for me to imagine a moment in American history that should have been an Era of Good Feelings.

So, when did this time of political effervescence occur in this great country's history?

Directly after the Revolutionary War, we as a nation were desperately trying to pull a war-torn country back together again and begin to make a government by the people and for the people to work.

The representatives of the Continental Congress were constantly at odds with each other. One can only imagine how difficult it would have been to grasp the mindset of people trying to invent a government that they had only read about in ancient Greek history.

The Federalist Party was one of the original partisan groups. Within it were non-stop disputes with little being accomplished. Each state had its say and way of wanting to see things done. No one wanted to budge or compromise ergo, bringing our country's early progress to a snail's pace.

Then in 1812, the British returned to take back what they thought was theirs. The attempt failed and after burning the first White House to the ground they left never to try again. However, they also left the American people beaten up and ready for positive change.

In 1815, the war was over and the Federalist Party was fading as the First Party System took its place. The new party was called the Democratic-Republican Party. It lasted from 1815 to 1824, after which, the two parties separated into the two-party system we know today.

James Monroe was the President from 1817 - 1825, during the single-party era. He strived for national unity instead of constant partisan fighting. The United States needed to heal!

During this time the goal was to find national unity and a greater sense of patriotism. This allowed many positive things to be accomplished during this amazing decade.

Summary - AI assisted

Certainly! The Era of Good Feelings, which spanned from 1815 to 1824, was marked by a sense of nationalism and patriotism in the United States. Here are some major events that occurred during this period:

1. The American System: Proposed by Henry Clay, this economic plan aimed to strengthen the country by promoting internal improvements (such as roads and canals), a protective tariff, and a national bank.
2. Protective Tariff of 1816: The U.S. government enacted its first protective tariff, which aimed to protect American industries by taxing imported goods.
3. Rush-Bagot Treaty (1817): This treaty between the United States and Britain limited naval forces on the Great Lakes, contributing to improved relations between the two nations.
4. Convention of 1818: The United States and Britain agreed on the northern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase, establishing the 49th parallel as the border between the U.S. and Canada.
5. Adams-Onís Florida Treaty (1819): Also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, this agreement with Spain allowed the U.S. to acquire Florida and set the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase.
6. Missouri Compromise (1820): To maintain a balance between slave and free states, Congress admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Additionally, it prohibited slavery north of the 36°30’ parallel in the Louisiana Territory.
7. Monroe Doctrine (1823): President James Monroe declared that the Americas were off-limits for further colonization by European powers. This policy asserted U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

These events reflect the optimism and relative stability of the era, although underlying tensions related to sectional interests, slavery, and westward expansion were emerging - Britannica.com

References

Britannica.com - https://www.britannica.com/event/Era-of-Good-Feelings

Wikipedia.org - Era of Good Feelings - Wikipedia

Book - The Era of Good Feelings by George Dangerfield