Was the Era of Good Feelings an Accurate Title?

Many know the time after the War of 1812 as the “Era of Good Feelings”(1815-1825), but this title is far from the truth and was largely inaccurate. There were reasons for Americans to take pride in their country, but many there were many problems politically, economically, and socially. Sectionalism ran rampant underneath the facade of nationalism.

The social tensions between the North and South caused a great divide between the two. In one letter, Thomas Jefferson believed that the Missouri Compromise (Document F) would be the demise of the nation since slavery was one of the causes of sectionalism. This compromise only added on to the differences between the North and South, and by admitting Missouri as a slave state, it helped with the progression of slavery. Regional differences also fed the flames of sectionalism, as most of the population and major cities in the country were based in the North (Document E). In South Carolina, the majority of the population consisted of Black slaves and freemen, while the minority was White. After Vesey’s Revolt (Document G), paranoia had spread further amongst the White population, and South Carolina took a stronger grip on the Black population. In the process of creating stricter slave laws, the Negro-Seamen Act of 1822 was passed. Supreme Court ruled this act as unconstitutional, as it violated their foreign neutrality policy, but South Carolina nullified their ruling. South Carolina’s outright refusal to comply with the federal government most likely led to further social tensions.

In addition, there were economic and political strains between both regions. Many Southerners felt targeted by the tariff on foreign goods put by the government, as this would benefit the industrial North while the South would suffer (Document A). Republicans believed that they defeated factionalism as four Republican candidates ran in the presidential election of 1824(Document I), but this would only cause political rivalries to form, and thus, sectionalism.