Nationalism In The Era Of Good Feelings

“Nationalism(n.) - loyalty or devotion to a nation, especially an attitude, feeling, or belief characterize by a sense of national consciousness” (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). Nationalism was a crucial part of America’s success during the War of 1812; nationalism was reflected in the post-war period through increased national pride, emphasis on national issues, increase in power and scope of the national government, and a growing sense of American identity (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). The first to arise which was the driving force behind American victories against the British was nationalism. This nationalism was expressed in four ways; patriotism, political, economical and cultural. American patriotism

was one of the biggest reasons why the American patriots continued to fight against the British. This patriotism was expressed through words and mostly symbols. Symbols such as the Bald Eagle, Liberty Cap, Columbia, Uncle Sam and the Great Seal generated hope and confidence throughout the war and postwar Americans. It took 6 years to think of a symbol to represent America, and towards the end the decision was between the Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle. Franklin pointed out, "the eagle is a bird of bad moral character" because he was a scavenger that stole food from other birds; he enjoyed and suggested the turkey due to its domesticality, usefulness and taste. After a final vote, the Bald Eagle was chosen became the American symbol because of its originality to North America. This animal represents the freedom that all Americans should have and now possess. Today, efforts are being made to save this beautiful creature from becoming extinct; extinction would destroy the meaning of the American symbol.

All of the other symbols influenced people during that time to join the Rebels and fight against the British for their freedom, including political freedom. Another form of nationalism that was expressed was the political nationalism. In 1816 , "The area of Good Feelings" began. "The Era of Good Feelings" marked a period in the political history of the United States that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812. During this era, the One Party rule emerged. The One Party rule states "A single-party state, one-party state, one-party system, or single-party system with one federal party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution" (Neal 1). Also, president James Monroe brought upon the collapse of the Federalist Party and an end to the bitter partisan disputes between it and the dominant Democratic-Republican during the First Party System. “President James Monroe strove to downplay partisan affiliation in making his nominations, with the ultimate goal of national unity and eliminating parties altogether from national politics”(Hickey

1). His actions increased political success and ultimately political moral and confidence. The political success achieved created a much more efficient and widespread economy as well, leading to the economic nationalism. In the beginning of the War of 1812, America was faced with the problem of fast transportation of supplies for the war and goods for the citizens. Fortunately, years of Embargo and blockades helped manufacturing to develop greatly, and allowed cheap goods from Britain to flood the American market. In 1816, Henry Clay, an American lawyer, politician, and skilled orator who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate and House of Representatives, called for the “American System”. The American System was intended to promote economic development and diversification, reduce dependence on imports, and tie together the different sections of the country. One of many plans created by this system was the construction of the Erie Canal. This canal was 363 miles long and connected Lake Erie to the Hudson River, which decreased supply transportation cost dramatically. The Erie Canal decreased the price of shipping one ton of grain from Buffalo to New York City from $100 to $5, and shortened the time from 20 days to 6. Also, potato prices dropped 50% which hurt New England farmers because they relied solely on their high prices for potatoes; once these prices were cut in half, that meant half the money made.

So, they eventually moved West towards the canal to grow other crops. Due to its convenience and significant importance, new towns and cities formed along the edges of the canal which transformed the “Trans-Allegheny” west into a highly populated area. This migration to the west brought new forms of culture, increasing America’s cultural nationalism. The increase in cultural nationalism brought new forms of literature and new people to teach it. In 1820, Noah Webster, an American writer, wrote the Webster's New American Dictionary. This dictionary consisted of every word known at that time and ultimately increased the knowledge of other writers such as Washington Irving. Washington Irving wrote the famous stories Rip Van Winkle; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Sketch Book. Also, the cultural nationalism brought upon the idea of poetry in America. The first American poet to gain recognition was William Cullen Bryant, who wrote Thanatopsis in 1817. To conclude, the American nationalism brought upon new forms of cultural and economic success and ultimately strengthened the American

society.