Excellent History Essay Example

Major political events helped to shape the new nationalist fervor of a young America. In this essay I will discuss how the election of 1800, the Louisiana Purchase (1803), War of 1812 and culminating in the election of James Monroe and the “era of good feelings.”
The election of 1800 between John Adams (Federalist party) and Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican party) was a highly politicized and volatile event. Neither presidential candidate managed to gain a majority of the votes and the Constitution held the House of Representatives, Federalist-controlled at the time to break the tie. The modern political party system as is currently understood today was in its infancy during this period. This is an important point to remember as both parties each felt the other was attempting to subvert the newly formed government and the Constitution. The tense political environment coupled with renewed fears of a civil war made it difficult to envision a united nation.
The House of Representatives declared Thomas Jefferson the victor and the issue of tie-breaking was resolved with the passage of the twelfth amendment. The election of 1800 was crucial for the exchange of power between opposing parties when the Democratic-Republicans took over from a Federalist-regime. This ensured the continuity of the nation was in tact and the democratic experiment would continue.
Nest, the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 was another event that greatly enhanced the prestige of the nation and not only doubled the territory of the United States but emented the notion that the American people and its cultural and social continuity would be furthered by Manifest Destiny—the principle that America was destined to govern the continent through Providence. The Louisiana Purchase by President Jefferson included what is present day fifteen U.S. states furthered westward expansion, increased American manufacturing and facilitated a stronger federal government to implement initiatives to allow settlers an opportunity to put down roots in the new American land.
The War of 1812 restored American glory and validated U.S. independence. Having fought to uphold American ideals despite the efforts by the great powers of the age, Great Britain and France the waging of the “second war of American independence” proved to be victorious for the Americans. Although the U.S. wanted to remain neutral in the conflict between the French and English, the U.S. could not remain isolated when its national interests were at risk. The U.S. emerged victorious and the national mood of the country resulted in an upsurge of American nationalism. Furthermore, the Battle of New Orleans to which General Andrew Jackson was able to successfully defeat the British cemented the elated mood of the nation.
The weakening of the Federalist Party during this period helped to create a more united political mood aided by a booming economy helped to usher in the “era of good feelings” and propel the election of James Monroe in 1817. James Monroe, running under the Democratic-Republican Party secured a landslide victory, being the only viable active national party at the time was able to implement major economic policies favored by Federalists such as creation of a national bank, federally funded internal improvements and protective tariffs to help incubate American manufacturers. The ruling party realized the importance of implementing these measures that were Federalist-inspired. The “era of good feelings” would soon escalate to a period rife with sectional factionalism and discontent.