Era Of Good Feelings Research Paper

The claim the “Era of Good Feelings...was something of a misnomer” (242) is valid due to the consequences of the economic panic that erupted in 1819. This panic was the first since Washington’s time, and it caused the new nation to face a plethora of problems, including deflation, depression, bankruptcies, bank failures, unemployment, soup kitchens, and over-crowded debtors’ prisons. The main contributor of the catastrophe of 1819 was the over speculation of land prices in the frontier lands. The involvement in this popular form of outdoor gambling caused the Bank of the United States to fall heavily into debt since the cheap price of western land caused the government to lose profit. The financial disaster that arose from the panic had a negative
Tension between North and South had been prevalent in the nation from when the North decided to outlaw slavery even though the South did not. During the so called “Era of Good Feelings,” the desire of Missouri to become a slave state caused the tensions to reach their height. Through the proposal of the Tallmadge Amendment, the House of Representatives, made mostly of New Englanders, was able to prevent the plans for Missouri’s statehood. The Tallmadge Amendment prohibited the introduction of more slaves and allowed for children of slave parents to be gradually liberated in Missouri. Since slavery benefited the South as it was a source of cheap labor, the Southerns were enraged by the amendment and feared that Northerners might try to wipe slavery out of all Southern states. Although the amendment was vetoed and the Missouri Compromise was passed, the different views on slavery continued to create tension and caused a growing divide within the nation. This divide disunified the United States, hindering the progress and advancement of the nation. The presence of sectionalism during the “Era of Good Feelings” validates the claim that the “Era of Good Feelings…was something of a misnomer”