-The American System
-New ventures in land and water transportation
-Aggressive diplomacy
-The Monroe Doctrine

[SLIDE 1]

With the Republicans able to claim victory in the war, Federalist opposition was silenced. They had already undergone a loss of support because of the extremist Essex Junto's actions, which many found treasonous. Madison had been an embattled president during the war, but the unified nationalism that emerged from America's perceived victory propelled him into a series of new domestic and foreign initiatives after the war. Madison's successor, James Monroe, continued in this era of unified goodwill.

[SLIDE 2]

Following the war, Madison proposed an aggressive economic policy. He encouraged the building of roads and canals to facilitate trade, promote national unity, and to make it easier to settle the lands that had been part of Tecumseh's Confederacy.

Henry Clay had been born in Virginia but went to Kentucky to seek his fortune. He came to Congress as a leader of the War Hawks and a critic of President Madison. When Madison proposed an aggressive economic policy, Clay became an ardent supporter. The sort of sweeping interference in domestic affairs contemplated went against the original principles of the Republicans, who had wanted a very limited federal government. Although Republicans had vehemently opposed Hamilton's Bank of the United States, and eliminated it in 1811, now they wanted to recreate it.

[SLIDE 3]

The British blockade and the American embargoes during the war had caused the number of cotton-spinning mills in the Northeast to burgeon. After the war, these new industries warranted protection from renewed trade with England. Against some cries about government interference, most in the Northeast were grateful for the assistance of protectionist tariffs that were put in place, beginning in 1816.

[SLIDE 4]

Large-scale resources were necessary to make the large-scale improvements necessary to transportation. Government would have to step in. Another War Hawk, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, introduced legislation to create a national transportation program to connect the South and the West to the rest of the U.S. Madison vetoed the bill, believing that the government expenditure for economic development was unconstitutional, but Calhoun convinced him a connecting road was necessary for national security and for the functioning of the post office. This would be the first national road.

[SLIDE 5]

Despite the beginnings of a national road, water was still the easiest mode of transport, particularly for heavy cargoes, but the waterways of the country simply didn't connect in an continuing network. Before the war there had been only a limited effort to construct connecting canals. The most successful of these was the 350 miles of the Erie Canal connecting Buffalo and Albany, NY. Another problem was solved with the invention of the first commercially successful steamboat, credited to Robert Fulton, and then, after the war, its successful modification by Henry M. Shreve. Shreve's boat was adapted to function on most of the inland rivers, which Fulton's design couldn't maneuver. 

[SLIDE 6]

American confidence ushered in a period of militant nationalism. Barbary pirates had taken advantage of the War of 1812 to resume harrying American ships. After the war, Madison had dealt with the situation by sending ten warships to threaten Algiers, forcing the city and the pirates to sign treaties to cease tribute collection, release hostages, and pay restitution.

[SLIDE 7]

In 1816, James Monroe was an overwhelming victory over his Federalist rival and became the fifth president of the U.S. on March 4, 1817. Monroe had served in the Continental Army and then studied law under Thomas Jefferson and was a delegate to the Continental Congress. As a delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, he actually opposed ratifying the Constitution. He was a governor of Virginia, had helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase for Jefferson's administration, and during the War of 1812, he had served as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War. As president, he assembled his Cabinet with members representing the interests of all parts of the country, including John Quincy Adams as his secretary of state.

[SLIDE 8]

The 1814 Treaty of Ghent did not cover all the issues remaining between Britain and the U.S. John Quincy Adams, as secretary of state under Monroe, was tasked with smoothing out some remaining details. This was done in the 1817 Rush-Bagot Agreement and the Convention of 1818.

[SLIDE 9]

A number of Creeks had moved into Florida as a result of the Creek War and the cession of their land, joining with other Indians already there and collectively known as Seminoles. Northern Florida also harbored a number of fugitive slaves and free blacks, who were known as Black Seminoles. General Andrew Jackson wanted to invade the area, but Secretary of War Calhoun only authorized military activity in southern Georgia. Jackson, nevertheless, invaded over the border into Florida, angering the Spanish government. Although Calhoun wanted Jackson court martialed, Secretary of State Adams used the attack to maneuver Spain into an untenable position. He declared the invasion to have been self-defense and stated that if Spain didn't police its territory, the U.S. would have to. This meant that the U.S. might seize Florida in a unilateral action. With that possibility on the horizon, Spain made the best deal it could.

[SLIDE 10]

Spain in fact was not able to police its New World territories, not in Florida or elsewhere. Spain's colonies were taking advantage of its weakness to rebel and declare themselves independent. Some European countries were ready to assist Spain in regaining its territory, but Britain, which had been happily trading with the new republics and didn't want Spain to regain its power, suggested an alliance with the U.S. to prevent European meddling in Latin America. Not wanting to play second fiddle to England, the U.S. decided to act unilaterally and made its own statement, essentially telling Europe it had no claims on the New World and should stay home.

[SLIDE 11]

The Monroe Doctrine was formulated at a time when nearly all the New World colonies of Spain and Portugal were achieving independence. The doctrine was intended to shore up the newly independent states of Latin America and to prevent the New World from being a continual battle ground for European powers. This would leave the U.S. free to exert its own influence in its own hemisphere.