The “Era of Good feelings, the period from 1817 to 1823, marked the end of the federalist party. New technology was coming out, there were big changes in government, agriculture was evolving, and transportation was becoming more and more advanced. History books coined the name “Era of Good Feelings” because they believe that people started to feel different and better. Now the question remains, did this really happen? The period following the War of 1812 was accurately labeled the “Era of Good Feelings,” due to the people’s peaking devotion to local interests, their loyalty to the U.S., and how the economy was beginning to change.
Sectionalism is when geographic regions develop different …show more content…
This was significant during this time because of all the United States’ recent victories. Nationalism was developing in the U.S. during this time just as fast as sectionalism. Document 2 is written by John C. Calhoun, a political theorist, who advocated for the construction of new methods of transportation, and ultimately, the American System. His intended audience are people who favor a stronger central government, are patriotic, and strive for unity, and his purpose was to persuade people to ‘bind’ together with a system of roads and canals to avoid conflict due to population growth. The new technology, and the program: Internal improvements that allowed for new methods of transportation had profound effects on the development of not just our economy, but on our nation as a whole. Cities and States were brought together, and a significant lasting union was made, contributing to society's overall pride, patriotism, and spiritedness. Document 4 is a picture of Fourth of July festivities and celebrations in Philadelphia. The Americans are depicted as happy, energetic, and proud to be and American. The purpose of this painting is to spark people’s patriotism, and pride for their country. Men, women, and children are seen hugging, celebrating, and spreading good vibes. Below there is a painting of the battle of New Orleans, a U.S. victory, and something to be proud of. Also, there is a …show more content…
In Document 5, Thomas Jefferson, the Author, talks about the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise is when Missouri applied for admission into the union and got in, however, another state: Maine had to also be admitted to prevent an upset in balance of slave states to free states. The “geographical line”(Doc. 5) mentioned in the document was the 36,30’ parallel, and was the line that separated slave states from free states. It is written from the point of view of a federalist, and its purpose is to warn people of the impending tension and doom of this massive, and ignored disagreement. This is sectionalism, it largely disproves the label of “Era of Good Feelings,” because of the increasing tension and anger between the north and the south. While sectionalism did create hostility between slave and non slave states, the overall ‘good feelings’ created by the increasing nationalism, and sectionalism during this time greatly outweighed the