The Era of Good Feelings (or Feeling) is usually placed between the Treaty Of Ghent (1814) and the election of John Quincy Adams in 1824. It was marked by three characteristics: nationalism, prosperity, and party unity. Although the War of 1812 (1812-15) ended in a stalemate, Americans came to believe that it was a great triumph. In part, this sense of pride stemmed from the war’s last battle, the Battle of New Orleans (January 8, 1815), which was a tremendous victory for American arms. In part, too, just the idea of having fought the greatest power on earth to a standstill represented a victory for the republic. With the war behind them, Americans could concentrate on their own continent, acquiring Florida in 1819 and coveting much of the rest of the continent. Everything seemed possible, and this optimism spread to the economy as a wild economic boom swept the nation. Land speculation was rampant, fed by the expansion of banking within the states and in the creation of the Second Bank of the United States. Cotton prices, too, increased dramatically leading to greater production. Good feelings even seemed to enter politics. The first party system, pitting Federalists against Democratic-Republicans, disintegrated in the wake of the Hartford Convention. The Federalists had been losing ground since 1800, and their opposition to the war destroyed them as a national force. James Monroe won the 1816 election, 183-34, in the electoral college; by 1820, single-party government led to a 231-1 electoral college margin—and the single vote was for a member of Monroe’s own cabinet.
Although the pride in American nationhood continued, neither the booming economy nor the party unity could last. The panic of 1819 led to a recession that continued into the 1820s. Democratic-Republican politicians soon divided into warring camps and gave birth to a second-party system. By the time John Quincy Adams was elected president in 1824, growing conflicts over slavery and other issues had brought the Era of Good Feelings to an end.
Further reading: George Dangerfield, The Era of Good Feelings (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952; Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1989).
World History
