United States History

February 1st, 2022

The Era of Good Feeling in the Young Nation

The Era of Good Feeling was one of change. This era brought one of the greatest

inventions, it brought another political view, new opportunities, and the first depression. The new

inventions, the political view, the economical imbalance, and the reformed era were some of the

challenges the United States, as a country, faced. In this period people were so happy that they

called it “The Era of Good Feelings”, after the 1812 war with Britain.

While America got involved with the war, with James Madison as the President, and led

to an unsuccessful war against the British, this brought the first depression and the loss of power

to a political party. When James Madison stepped down and President Monroe entered the

country, “The Era of Good Feeling” started. Until the economical crisis of 1819 better known as

The Panic of 1819. This was caused by an economic contraction in the United States and in the

World, due to the war. It all started with the economic expansion that suddenly stopped, meaning

that all the banks in the United States fail to function and the mortgages were foreclosed. If one

couldn't pay for their property the bank would take away their house and their farms.

This led to a constant decrease in prices that damaged the agricultural and manufacturing

industry. That caused an increase in unemployment. Most Americans were affected and ended up

living in poverty, whilst the government did nothing. The biggest problem was that the B.U.S.

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(The Bank of the United States), started giving out loans but people could not pay them back.

But this event led to the creation of the dollar and people not trusting their own government.

Americans wanted to get involved in what was happening to the country.

In 1819, the United States of America had 11 free states and 11 slave states, however, this

equilibrium is thrown into doubt when Missouri wanted to get involved as a slave state. Slavery

was a huge problem back then. Some wanted the annulment of slavery whilst others wanted to

expand slavery. Congress, seeing that there was going to be a misbalance in the scale and that the

states would start fighting because of this, offered a deal. The Tallmadge amendment was the

arrangement that the government proposed which was effective for a while. This amendment was

about that Missouri could keep their slaves but they had to emancipate the children of slaves and

they couldn't import more slaves into their territory. After the present generation passed away,

the Tallmadge Amendment effectively banned slavery in Missouri but Southerners felt that if

Congress could abolish slavery in Missouri, what was to stop them from doing so throughout the

South?

But after quite a lot of discussion, the Congressmen finally came to a settlement known as the

Missouri Compromise. Missouri could come in as a slave state and the Talmadge amendment

would not apply but to keep the balance, they made up a new state in the Northeast called Maine

and it would be a free state.

A country, for it to be successful, in most aspects, it needs honesty. A clear example

would be with the Panic of 1819, Americans trusted the government because everything was

going well, more banks were opening up, they were giving out loans, and so on, but they never

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told the country about the investments President Maddison did on war, and that the country was

going to have its first depression. Another condition would be that they support education and

that education should be less expensive and/or free. They should add more classes, such as S.D,

Mental Health, Economy, How to manage money, etc. Good Education = Good Students and

students are the future of one's country. If they know how and what’s happening because they are

smart and they had an excellent education, someone suitable would lead the country, would make

the economy grow and creative minds, have the craziest and most brilliant ideas.

Citation

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Heimler’s History, The Era of Good Feelings, the Missouri Compromise, and the Monroe

Doctrine [AP U.S. History Review], November 3, 2017

The Era of Good Feelings, the Missouri Compromise, and the Monroe Doctrine [AP U.S.…

David Budas, Early Presidential Administrations- Monroe Administration- Slide 06 Panic of

1819, February 8, 2017

Early Presidential Administrations- Monroe Administration- Slide 06 Panic of 1819

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Era of Good Feelings". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7

Apr. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/event/Era-of-Good-Feelings.