Era of Good Feeling

Seth Mintz
#8
FRQ
Era of Good Feeling The period of time from 1815 until 1825 was considered an era of good feeling because Americans felt a very strong sense of nationalism because of their recent victory in the war of 1812.The Americans felt so much power in themselves that they wrote the Monroe Doctrine warning European countries about allying with the Latin American colonies, that were becoming independent. The American economy was booming at this point in time which adds to the era of good feeling. The recent invention of the cotton gin and the two major textiles company run by Lowell and Slater also helped the economy but led to their being more slaves because of the new need for labor. Socially, the advancements in transportation and the Marshall Court helped fuel the era of good felling in the United States. The first depression in 1819 was a terrible thing. Even though people were suffering, they still felt a sense of nationalism and that made the years of 1815 to 1825 an era of good feeling. Sectionalism, or only being loyal to your own section was also an ongoing problem that needed to be dealt with. There were constant arguments between the North and the South with each faction only loyal to their section and not to the entire nation as a whole. Even with all these problems the majority of people felt like these years were an era of good feeling. Americans felt a sense of nationalism from the years 1815 to 1825 causing those years to be an era of good feeling. People wanted so much to become a single nation they tried removing political parties to become one unified nation and that is why from a political standpoint it was an era of good feeling. During this time the Federalist Party collapsed which ended their arguments with the Democratic-Republican Party. The Federalist party collapsed because of its lack of support for the war of 1812. This left the Democratic-Republican party to rule on. This shows national unity adding to the era of good feeling. Another reason making the years of 1815 to 1825 an era of good feeling is that in 1820 President Monroe was re-elected winning all of the electoral votes except one because the people felt Washington should be the lone president who won unanimously. This also shows unity making those years an era of good feeling. From an economic standpoint the years from 1815 to 1825 were an era of good feeling because the economy was booming in these years. The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney and the idea of replaceable parts, substantially helped out the economy making it an era of good feeling. The improvements on transportation also helped out the economy and make it an era of good feeling. Since it was easier to travel from place to place it made trade easier and made a stronger middle class and later led to the market revolution which significantly helped out the economy. This also allowed easier trade with the Native Americans who were being pushed more and more westward. The only problem with these new inventions was that since there was more opportunities, more slaves were needed and the argument of slaves could split the country and stop the feeling of nationalism gained after the War of 1812. Still from an economic point of view the years 1815 until 1825 was an era of good feeling. The improvement in transportation made it easier for cultures to mix and ideas to spread so from a cultural and social standpoint the years from 1815 to 1825 should be an era of good feeling. The literature and art going on at the time definitely made it an era of good feeling. Many famous paintings and books were created, most famously the Webster Dictionary. However socially there was a very big down side and that is slavery. Slavery tore the nation apart and separated it into two halves the north and the south. This took away from the feeling of nationalism and made it a feeling of sectionalism, or only caring about your section of the land and not the nation as a whole. That is why culturally and socially the years from 1815 to 1825 were not an era of good feeling. From a Diplomatic point of view the years of 1815 to 1825 was an era of good feeling because the American wrote the Monroe Doctrine showing their strength. The Monroe Doctrine stated that all European countries must reframe from allying with the Latin American colonies, that were becoming independent. The document also states that no European country could come to our region of the world, separated by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This shows that the nation felt very powerful and a sense of nationalism so from a Diplomatic stand point these years were an era of good feeling. The period of time from 1815 until 1825 was considered an era of good feeling because Americans felt a very strong sense of nationalism because of their recent victory in the war of 1812. Although there were many problems like sectionalism tearing apart the feeling of nationalism but still all the good that was going on made the years from 1815 to 1825 an era of good feeling.