The Presidents from 1810 to 1836 had the difficult task of keeping the United States safe from the European powers, a task they performed successfully. A
"Frigid Conflict" period began around 1810-1814, and was primarily due to worsening relationships with European countries. The buildup of the U.S. Navy to protect U.S. ships from impressment (kidnapping of sailors) occurred during this time, and as the U.S. Navy increased in size and the large European wars winded down, so did impressment. The Presidents from 1810-1836 also oversaw the industrialization of the United States into one of the most formidable economic powers in the world, and the growth of the American military to hold its own on its home territory. The "Era of Good Feelings" from 1820-1828 saw a decrease in partisanship, and a growing respect the political parties (Federalists and Democratic-Republicans) had for each other. By 1828, the Tariff issue would be decided in favor of the more industrialized northern states. Several new states had joined the United States: Indiana in 1816, Illinois in 1818, Missouri in 1820, and Maine in 1824. Several diplomatic close calls existed, but they did not lead to war… yet. Trouble would be brewing on the horizon in 1837, but this was a bit in the future. The United States was able to stay neutral in the various European wars and rebellions that occurred in this period, and make profits from all sides involved.
Large amounts of immigration had arrived in the United States from 1820 onward, spurred by beliefs in the “Land of Opportunity”—many of these immigrants worked the growing factories and other industrial enterprises. Many of them suffered dangerous working conditions and little pay, but they would soon be able to find their voice. For by the late 1830s, writers would take to sharing the plight of the immigrant worker in the “dark satanic mills”, and the American people would start to listen.
The slave trade (not just the transatlantic but also the interstate) was banned in 1820 under the James Monroe administration. This was considered one of the crowning achievements of the Monroe administration. Westward expansion continued, the economy continued to hum, and no foreign disasters occurred. Monroe had grand plans for helping protect the independence movements and recently independent countries in South America such as ‘Gran Columbia’ from European powers, but did not see much success in passing those plans through Congress. After all, many Congressmen questioned the ability of the United States to support any such doctrine, and the idea was placed on the back burner for now. There was also a fear that such a protection would lead to a US war with European powers, which while the country was busily professionalizing its own military and expanding its industry, a war not fought on US soil against a major European power was seen as a terrible idea. Monroe also supported large amounts of westward expansion, seeing it as “America’s destiny” to expand to the Pacific Ocean coast discovered by Lewis and Clark all those years ago. With westward expansion came the formation of new farms and enterprises stretching to the western territories and later, the new states.
The early 1830s saw the development of several new cultural factors. The first was the "Second Great Awakening", where religion took a greater role in the lives of many Americans. This period saw religious revival that helped with some reforms in America, and was a product of the "market revolution" spurring industrialism. Social and geographic mobility issues also contributed to the formation of the "Second Great Awakening" . Besides with religion, the "Second Great Awakening" also helped with the formation of the temperance movement, concerning alcohol, and also the formation of other moral, social, and reform movements. New branches of Christianity formed or became popular, and many of the converts were women. Women also played a large role in the reform movements, such as the push for universal education in the 1830s. Dorothea Dix spearheaded a movement to improve the treatment of the mentally ill. In one dramatic case, Cane Ridge, Kentucky saw a massive meeting of 25000 people in the "Camp Meeting" led by the prominent preacher Charles, G. Finney.
The main tenets of the "Second Great Awakening" were these
- People need to readmit God and Jesus into their lives
- God's grace obtainable by faith and good deeds
- Needed to reject rationalism that threatened beliefs
- Predestination vanished
The Year was 1836. Emancipation year, as slavery was to cease to exist that year. The expansion of slavery, as well as the slave trade, were banned earlier, and by Emancipation year most of the states had already freed their slaves. Many of the more religious people, due to the “Second Great Awakening” had saw this prophesized year, 60 years since the hallowed First Independence Year, as a year of great tidings. Plans were made of a bureau called the “Freedmen’s Bureau” to serve black Americans once slavery ended—often giving them plots of land and the supplies needed for successful agriculture. And it was official that on July 4, 1836 that slavery would cease to exist.
The cost of freedom was immense. It was often said that the “Panic of 1837” was partially due to the large cost used to free the slaves and attempt to provide for them once slavery was over.
When the day finally came, speeches were sent and given out, and the Negro would be forever free in the United States of America. The famous writer Emerson stated that “Americans were finally beginning to live up to their Founding Fathers’ ideas and making them proud. There still are plenty of injustices to solve, though, and we need to raise attention to them.” These would include racial discrimination, especially in the workplace. Often times, African Americans were the “last hired and first fired” of the employees. The system of "tenant farming" developed, but was quickly derided as abusive and at one point, called "slavery by another name". It would be removed several years later, but clearly, America needed to still make large strides to become the "land of the free, and the home of the brave" that it saw itself as.