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Era of Good Feelings. American Politics During
Era of Good Feelings
Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings 1815�24 describes a period in
United States political history in which partisan
bitterness abated.
The phrase Era of Good Feelings was coined by Benjamin
Russell, in the Boston newspaper, Columbian Centinel,
on July 12, 1817, following the good-will visit to Boston
of President James Monroe.
Era of Good Feelings Overview
Overt political bitterness declined because the Federalists
had largely dissolved and were no longer attacking the
president, then causing an era of good feeling because
there was only one political party.
During Era of Good Feelings The nation was politically
united behind the Democratic-Republican Party.
The Era of Good Feelings started after the War of 1812.
The Hartford Convention of 1814-15 underscored the
perceived disloyalty of the Federalists during the war.
During Era of Good Feelings Nationalism surged even though
there were no redress of pre-war grievances at the Treaty
of Ghent, but America had survived the onslaught of a
mighty military power, Britain.
During Era of Good Feelings Americans had even scored a
few land and sea victories.
The battles of the Thames, Lake Champlain and Baltimore
were all American victories, victories attained against
the world's largest and most prestigious navy.
During Era of Good Feelings The USS Constitution was
able to defeat HMS Guerriere, USS United States defeated
HMS Macedonia, the USS Enterprise defeated the HMS Boxer,
and American vessels defeated British in the Battle of
Lake Erie.
During Era of Good Feelings These victories instilled
pride in the new nation.
President Monroe paid little attention to party in
dispensing patronage.
During Era of Good Feelings In the election of 1820,
Monroe was re-elected with all but one electoral vote.
A myth has arisen that one elector deliberately voted
against him so that George Washington would remain the
only unanimously elected president.
During Era of Good Feelings factually, the elector
disliked Monroe's policies;
at the time he cast his vote, he could not have known
that his would be the only one to prevent a unanimous
election.
Slavery had come to the forefront as a national issue,
but Henry Clay's negotiation of the Missouri Compromise
ameliorated the crisis. The solution was to balance
admission of Missouri Territory as a slave state,
with the admission of Maine as a free state.
During Era of Good Feelings the issue of slavery was
part of the larger issue between the North and the
South of economic and social sectionalism. At this time,
local politics were still largely conducted without party labels
or party conventions.
The Era of Good Feelings gave a pause to bitter debates
over the protective tariff and the Second National Bank.
Florida was acquired from Spain to general acclaim.
President Monroe promulgated the Monroe Doctrine,
advising European powers against attempts to reassert
their control over former colonies in the New World.
The Monroe Doctrine boldly asserted the status of
the United States as a full-fledged nation, and this
gained the administration popular support during a
time of increased nationalism.
"…We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable
relations existing between the United States and those
powers to declare that we should consider any attempt
on their part to extend their system to any portion of
this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.
With the existing colonies or dependencies of any
European power we have not interfered and shall not
interfere.
But with the Governments who have declared their
independence and maintain it, and whose independence
we have, on great consideration and on just principles,
acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for
the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any
other manner their destiny, by any European power in
any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly
disposition toward the United States…" �The Monroe Doctrine,
December 2, 1823
End of the Era of Good Feelings
After the Panic of 1819 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820,
the national mood grew more tense. However, the relentless
daily bitter attacks by one party against the other did not
resume until about 1828. Before 1820, the Democratic-Republican
Party members of Congress had met in caucus and decided on
the party's presidential candidate.
That system collapsed in 1824 as five men competed: John
Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun, William H. Crawford, Henry
Clay and Andrew Jackson.
Calhoun took himself out of the running by deciding to seek
the Vice Presidency. The other four formed regional coalitions
with state politicians and pursued the electorate. At the polls,
turnout was light because there were no parties to mobilize voters.
Then, because no one received a majority in the electoral college,
the decision on the presidency went to the House of Representatives.
Clay, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives, swung
the election to Adams, who then appointed Clay as Secretary of
State. The result outraged Jackson and his supporters. They
alleged that a "corrupt bargain" had taken place and
immediately began their crusade to regain the "stolen" presidency.
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