Era Of Good Feelings Dbq Analysis

To give the period after the War of 1812 the name of “Era of Good Feelings” would be somewhat-inaccurate. America’s victory in the war surely did unite the states and brought upon some “good feelings” such as unity and growth as a thriving nation, but these good feelings were not all that came out of the war. The states were heavily separated even after the war with conflicts amongst each other and within themselves. Examples of America’s sectionalism come from their social, political, and economic differences, all in which pertain to distrust between the northern and southern parts of the country. Despite all of this, however, there is no denying that there was a sense of pride and togetherness during this time period.

Firstly, there were

When Congress issued tariffs on foreign goods, Southerners believed that Congress favored the North since this tariff would benefit them. John Randolph spoke of this issue, arguing that Congress was being unfair since the South was not benefiting from the actions of Congress at all while the North benefited (Doc A). As for political conflict, there was a clear case of factionalism and political rivalry in 1824 (Doc I). With these conflicts amongst the varying factions and political parties, the political tension and sectionalism within America continued to grow. Accusations and anger from the South further separated them from the North, which did not contribute “good feelings” to the country at

Senses of nationalism were still evident and showed through America’s celebrations over their victories. Even after several years from when Revolutionary War ended, the people of America still celebrated it in 1819 (Doc C), showing how Americans can come together despite their differences. With America as a whole, the Rush-Bagot Agreement, Adams-Onis Treaty, and Monroe Doctrine were actions that were greatly supported by the people and would further assist in the advancement of the country (Doc H), providing great confidence for the people of America with their conflicts against Europeans. Another factor to America’s sense of national pride is the attempt to promote general welfare by uniting the country with a system of roads and canals made by John C. Calhoun (Doc B) despite his plan being shot down by the government. Even so, these events undeniably contributed to the existing senses of pride and unity within the nation. All in all, the title of the “Era of Good Feelings” is a somewhat-inaccurate title for the time period after the War of 1812. Considering the large amounts of sectionalism that spawned from social, economic, and political issues, these “good feelings” could not have been based off of these disputes and disagreements. Calling the time period the “Era of Good