James Monroe The Fifth President 1817 - 1825

1. James Monroe The Fifth President 1817 - 1825

2. When he took his oath of office, he made an inauguration speech: “Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success ever so complete. If we look to the history of other nations, ancient or modern, we find no example of a growth so rapid, so gigantic, of a people so prosperous and happy… the heart of every citizen must expand when he reflects how near our Government has approached perfection.”

3. Because of the Federalist’s strong opposition to the War of 1812, it was seen very unfavorably and eventually faded away into extinction. James Monroe, a Republican was elected in a landslide victory. Because the White House was still under construction when he first go to office, he decided to take a tour of the country. He was greatly welcomed everywhere even New England, “the enemy’s country.” In Boston, so many people came to see Monroe in a place where opposition to the Federal governments recent decisions was strong, that the local paper called this the “Era of Good Feelings.”

4. Panic of 1819: An Economics Lesson of Supply and Demand When the War of 1812 ended, many Europeans were eager to buy American goods, so the cost of the goods went up. What was the American reaction? Did anyone say, they bought more land to produce more goods for sale? Then you are right! How did they make those land purchases? Did you say they borrowed money to purchase the land? Then you are right, again! What do you think happened when a couple years later the price of farm goods dropped? Were you thinking, people couldn’t pay back the money they borrowed? Then you were right!

5. What happens when someone can’t pay for their mortgage? They lose their land! What happens to banks when people can’t pay back their loans, the money the bank lent to them and expected back with interest? Collapse! “No employment for industry – no demand for labor – no sale for the Product of the farm – no sound of the hammer, but that of the auctioneer!” Thomas Hart Benton, Senator who travelled from Missouri to Washington in 1820

6. The issue of slavery came up for debate again. • - 1787 – the Northwest Territory was deemed a no slavery area • 1804 - Every state north of Delaware had abolished slavery • 1808 – The importation of slaves had ended • 1819 – When Missouri applied to be a state, the first from the Louisiana Territory • it requested the right for legal slavery A man from New York, Representative James Tallmadge, proposed an amendment to the Missouri statehood bill that would end slavery in a generation – a goal to keep slavery out of the Louisiana Territory. Many saw this as a threat to the balance of power in Congress.

7. Problems between the North and the South in Congress: • 1788 – When the Constitution was adopted, North and South were equal • in power • 1819 – the North had gained in population and controlled the majority of • seats in the House of Representatives. The Senate was evenly divided which • allowed Southern slave states to block bills that were against their interests. • --- To maintain this equality of power, it was essential for the South • to have Missouri join the United States as a slave state. • -- this caused the debate to rage for months, and terms like • Civil War and sectionalism were mentioned without emotion

9. Missouri or Louisiana Compromise: Henry Clay created a compromise that stated since Maine was about to become a free state, Missouri could be admitted as a slave state without disrupting the balance of power. The Compromise also included the provision that the Louisiana Territory from 36 degrees north, 30 minutes, or the southern boundary of Missouri, north, could never be slave states. Both the North and the South were satisfied with this. Henry Clay

10. “I have favored this Missouri Compromise, believing it to be all that could be effected under the present Constitution, and from extreme unwillingness to put the Union at hazard. If the Union must be dissolved, slavery is precisely the question upon which it ought to break. For the present, however, this contest is laid asleep.” - John Quincy Adams, 1820

11. Post War of 1812 Issues the U.S. Had to wrap up with Britain: • The U.S. recognized the right of Great Britain to occupy Canada, and they set the • boundary between the two countries at the 49th Parallel straight west to the Rocky • Mountains. They agreed to jointly occupy the Oregon Territory

12. Florida had become an issue as well – many runaway slaves from Georgia were heading there and Seminole Native Americans were attacking and raiding settlements in Georgia. The United States bought Florida from Spain in 1819 for $5 million and gave up their claim to Texas, which was originally believed to be part of the Louisiana Purchase.

13. The Monroe Doctrine Through a variety of independence movements in Central and South America, Spain had lost many of its colonies. The Americans were sympathetic to their independence movement. However, many monarchs in Europe were talking about helping Spain regain its colonies. Monroe declared that Europe and its monarchical systems of government should stay out of this side of the world! Europe thought his speech was “haughty and arrogant,” but Americans were proud to hear this strongly worded statement.

14. Pop Culture – early 1800’s style Uncle Sam’s Birth: A man named Samuel Wilson supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and stamped them U.S. As he was known as “Uncle Sam”, the U.S. government started to be known as Uncle Sam. The British humor magazine “Punch” created the character we know with the white beard, top hat, and striped pants.

15. SPORTS Boxing was one of the most popular sport, and a freed slave named Tom Molineaux was the most famous American boxer. He sailed to England in 1810 to fight an English champion, Tom Cribb. In the 40th Roudn, Tom lost! In the rematch, which he also lost, 40,000 people came to see the fight!

16. Other popular sports were horse racing, ten pin bowling, rowing, and gouging – a frontier sport where the winner plucks out the eyeball of his opponent. In the Ohio River Valley, people grew their thumbnails long for this purpose.

17. WHITE HOUSE The fire that destroyed the White House , during the war, the outer walls were still intact, but smoke stained the walls. They were white washed to Cover the smoke damage, but the effect was so striking, that the mansion was now known as the White House.

18. Gerrymandering: the practice of redrawing districts to favor one party or a particular group of voters.