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How accurate is the term era of good feelings
How accurate is the term era of good feelings
How accurate is the term era of good feelings
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The era of good feelings was a political period in the United States of America that was characterized by a sense of togetherness and love for the nation. This era was fueled by the delight of having won in the Napoleonic war. It is generally referred to as being the ‘era of good feelings’ to denote at time in history when the Americans developed a sense of nationalism and pride as well as love for their country. The period occurred in the wake of 1812 after an infamous war where America won. The period was characterized by political good will. The era of good feelings is associated with James Monroe who was became the president of the United States of America back in 1816[1]. The wave of nationalism strengthened the social fabric of the American population a great deal. The American success in the Napoleonic wars made America to re-establish a sense of belongingness and identity. Political misunderstandings declined gradually and America became an ideal country for all. …show more content…
"The Era of Good Feelings." Southern Review 51, no. 2 (2015): 210-223.
Holcombe, Randall. The Electoral College as a Restraint o American Democracy: Its Evolution from Washington to Jackson. Pdf.
Kolodny, Robin. "The Several Elections of 1824." In Congress & the Presidency: A Journal of Capital Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 139-164. Taylor & Francis Group, 1996.
[1] Goldblatt, Amanda. "The Era of Good Feelings." Southern Review 51, no. 2 (2015): 210-223. [2] Goldblatt, Amanda. "The Era of Good Feelings." Southern Review 51, no. 2 (2015): 210-223.
[3] Kolodny, Robin. "The Several Elections of 1824." In Congress & the Presidency: A Journal of Capital Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 139-164. Taylor & Francis Group, 1996. [4] Holcombe, Randall. The Electoral College as a Restraint o American Democracy: Its Evolution from Washington to Jackson.
The victory of the War of 1812 was a huge leap toward America becoming its own nation because of the national unity the win provided its citizens. The morale of the citizens lifted greatly because they managed to defeat the greatest military powers of the world and managed to survive. It also proved to the world that the american nation could defend itself from foreign threats. The victory improved America’s self confidence and faith in the military to defend the natiosn freedom and honor.
The United States is a privileged country with freedoms and opportunities many countries strive to achieve. People come into the United States in hopes to obtain these rights and make a better life for themselves; they strive to achieve “The American Dream.” Citizens are given the chance to vote, speak their mind, and live according to their desires without prejudice. However, the same government that promises hope has flaws that frustrate the American people; the Electoral College is one topic of debate. Many feel this system is a safe way to regulate who leads the country, while others feel that issues should be left to popular vote.
In order to understand and analyze the forces that shaped politics during this time period, political changes must first be examined. One of the biggest changes during this time period was the change in the number of voters. Between 1812 and 1840, the percentage of eligible voters in the United States presidential elections almost tripled, increasing from 26.9 to 80.2 percent while the percentage of states allowing voters to choose presidential electors more than doubled, rising from 44.4 to 95.8 percent, shown in Document A. By 1840, Rhode Island was the only state that didn’t allow all free men to vote.
Parsons, L. H. (2009). The Birth of Modern Politics: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
“Good Feelings” The “Era of Good Feelings,” beginning after the war of 1812 and lasting into the 1820s, is typically represented as a positive time in American history full of nationalism. However, in considering this time period, one should remember to examine both the positive nationalistic perspective and the negative sectionalist perspective. Socially, after the war of 1812, the American morale was strengthened and nationalism grew. Politically, the collapse of the Federalist party after the Hartford convention led to a more united voting population, having only one viable party to vote for. Economically, the national bank expanded its power and protective tariffs were issued, which were looked upon negatively in the south, causing division to occur.
Sidney M. Milkis, Michael Nelson. The American Presidency Origins & Development, 1776-2011. Washington DC: CQ Press, 2008.
It has led to many devastating losses throughout history, yet on the other side it has “resolved” conflict when the conflict was too troublesome to talk through. After the War of 1812, America was heading into one of the the worst depressions ever in American history. Despite the many failures, the time after the war were known as “The Era of good feelings.” This was an inaccurate label for the selected time period. It is inaccurately labelled the “Era of Good Feelings” because of the weak economy, the terrible attempts of the government to keep the U.S. as one nation, and different views on slavery. As Andrew Jackson once said, “Peace, above all things, is to be desired, but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain it on equable and lasting
Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom 1822-1832. Vol. 2. NY: Harper & Row, 1981. Print.
Shugart, Matthew. "Elections: The American Process of Selecting a President: A Comparative Perspective." Presidential Studies, 34, 3 (September 2004): 632-656.
Schlesinger, Arthur. History of American Presidential Elections. 2. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1971. 1300-1374.Print.
The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic...
Before choosing the Electoral College, the Constitutional Convention came up with several methods of selecting a president with those reasons under consider...
Love caused his logic and sensibility to fail him, and provoked him to commit monstrous acts that destroyed many lives. Through analysis of “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood, it can be concluded that one of her many intended lessons was to show the value and the powerful effects of love. Atwood successfully proved this lesson by using powerful examples of both successful and disastrous relationships to illustrate the positive and negative effects of love. Atwood truly demonstrated what it is like to follow your heart.
After the war of 1812, the period that followed was viewed as an “Era of Good Feelings”, mainly because of the emergence of one national party-the Republicans-and the growth of nationalism and a feeling of pride and national unity. However, this title was not correct for this time period, as sectionalism-the idea of being more concerned with the interests of you particular group or nation that with the interests of the larger group or country- began to grow and outweigh the nationalists-those who were loyal and proud to and believed of the importance of their country. Sectionalism brought with it tensions and conflict between the North and South, especially over tariffs, the National Bank, and slavery, which suggested that this era was not entirely full of “Good Feelings”.
"Electoral College Reform." Congressional Digest, vol. 96, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 8-32. EBSCOhost, proxygsu-