James Monroe

Served as president from 1817-1825
Era: The Era of Good Feelings

American Identity and Culture
Monroe’s presidency, which was from 1817 to 1825, was known as the Era of Good Feelings. During this period, there was a dramatic increase in optimism, nationalism, patriotism, and goodwill caused by the end of the War of 1812 and due to the Federalist Party being replaced by the Republican Party. The Americans were so patriotic that they tried to incorporate patriotism into every aspect of the American culture. Heroes from war, such as Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and John Trumball were emphasized in paintings. Although the period was named the Era of Good Feelings, there were internal problems and controversy over the topics of internal improvements, public land sales, the national bank, and tariffs.
Economic Transformation and Globalization
Before the War of 1812, Congress decreased tariffs on imported goods to increase government revenue. While during the War of 1812, many U.S manufacturing companies were forced to support the ongoing war by only producing war supplies. Therefore after the War of 1812 ended, factories no longer needed to produce war weapons resulting in Congress passing the tariff of 1816 which increased the rates of tariffs on imported goods to aid U.S manufacturing companies from going bankrupt since they would be competing against foreign manufacturing factories trying to flood American markets with their products. Thus, the tariff of 1816 became known as the first protective tariff and encouraged more people to start their own manufacturing companies.
In 1819, there was a depression known as the panic of 1819. This depression was caused by the Second Bank of the United States trying to control the inflation. During this period, the value of money decreased, state banks were out of business, unemployment increased, more people declared bankruptcy, and many were imprisoned for debt. The panic of 1819 struck the West the hardest. The Bank of United States was forced to foreclose many farmlands due to debt created by the War of 1812.
Environment
During the War of 1812, American troops moved into western Florida which was Spain’s territory. However after the war, Spain had a difficult time trying to govern Florida after the American troops left to the colonies in Southern America to put down the revolts there. With the troops gone, large groups of runaway slaves, Seminoles, and white outlaws flocked to Florida giving President Monroe an excuse to take action in Spanish Florida. With Monroe taking action, Spain feared the U.S would take Florida by force and therefore Spain decided to negotiate with the U.S. In 1819, the Florida Purchase Treaty was passed in which Spain gave the U.S all the territory in western Florida, Spain’s claims in the Oregon Territory in exchange for 5 million dollars and for the U.S to give up its claims over Texas.
Politics and Citizenship
John Marshall, appointed by President John Adams, was still the Supreme Court judge during Monroe’s presidency. During Monroe’s presidency, John Marshall made several rulings in which made him seem more in favor of a central government and property rights over states’ rights. In the McCulloch v. Maryland case which was about whether or not a state could tax a federal bank. With a loose interpretation of the Constitution, Marshall ruled that a state institution had absolutely no power over federal institutions, thus state institutions were not allowed to tax a federal institution. In the Cohens v. Virginia case, the Cohens were sued for selling lottery tickets created by the Congress. As a result of this case, the Supreme Court established judicial review which was the act that the Supreme Court could review a state court’s ruling that involved any authority of the federal government.
Slavery and its legacies in North America
During James Monroe’s presidency, slavery played a main role in the conflict between deciding whether the western lands should allow slavery or not. The Southerners who wanted to settle in the west demanded for the territory to allow slavery for their economic motives which were to use slaves for their labor in their cash crops fields. On the other hand, Northerners who wanted to settle in the west demanded for no slavery since they believed it was morally wrong and had no use for slaves. In 1819, when the Missouri territory applied to become a state, slavery caused controversy over the balance of slave states and free states. As a result, in 1820 the Missouri Compromise was ratified. The compromise stated that any territory north of the latitude 36º 30’line in the Louisiana Purchase territory would not allow slavery. The compromise also admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state and admitted Maine into the Union as a free state to settle the balance of slave states and free states.
War and Diplomacy
Although the War of 1812 ended, there were still many diplomatic problems between Britain and the United States. In 1817, Britain and the U.S agreed to a disarmament deal. In the Rush-Bagot Agreement, naval armament was limited in the Great Lakes region and border fortifications were extended between the U.S and Canada. In 1818, Congress passed the Treaty of 1818 which strengthened the relationship between Britain and the United States by sharing the right to fish near the coast of Newfoundland, the Oregon territory, and establishing limits in the northern region of the Louisiana Territory.
In 1823, President James Monroe, realizing the desires of Europe to colonize the United States, proposed the Monroe Doctrine which stated that the U.S would not accept any European power to interfere with the affairs occurring in the Western Hemisphere. Angered by Monroe’s words, the European monarchs could no longer seek any land from the Western Hemisphere or else they will face the wrath of the British navy.