The Era Of Good Feelings Sectionalism

The Era of Good Feelings. Just the name itself has a beautiful ring and meaning to it and readers often picture a lush and populated country when hearing the phrase. But a question usually arises in one’s mind when thinking about this era: how wonderful was the Era of Good Feelings for it to deserve such a label? The triumph that came with causing the War of 1812 to come to a draw led to Americans having feelings of nationalism and sectionalism. The years following the War of 1812 acted as a time for the economy to evolve and transition to an independent country. The growth of nationalism and sectionalism were the heart of the Era of Good Feelings; it was the time for America to get to know herself.

As the Era of Good Feelings flowered, the entire country and its inhabitants benefitted greatly. The United States during the 1820s was not very populated compared to modern times (E). John C. Calhoun,

In Thomas Jefferson’s letter to John Randolph in the spring of 1820, Jefferson shared his fear of America’s increasing isolation from the rest of the world (F). However, Randolph’s letter to Congress written in 1816 expressed how isolation could help improve the nation’s economy (A). His letter clearly implied how a strong economy was better than a stable international one because the money would stay in the United States. John Quincy Adams’ November 7, 1823 diary entry brought out his fear of sending a minister to protest “against the interposition of the Holy Alliance.” This shows how the United States refused to engage in foreign affairs (H). In the Era of Good Feelings, sectionalism was a very important thing; it improved the feeling of nationalism, helped the economy, and strengthened relationships between the states. But good things always have a consequence, and the result of sectionalism forced the people to rely on each other for their