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Era of Good Feelings. American Politics During 

Era of Good Feelings

Era of Good Feelings

The Era of Good Feelings 1815�24 describes a period in 

United States political history in which partisan 

bitterness abated. 

The phrase Era of Good Feelings was coined by Benjamin 

Russell, in the Boston newspaper, Columbian Centinel, 

on July 12, 1817, following the good-will visit to Boston 

of President James Monroe.

Era of Good Feelings Overview

Overt political bitterness declined because the Federalists 

had largely dissolved and were no longer attacking the 

president, then causing an era of good feeling because 

there was only one political party. 

During Era of Good Feelings The nation was politically 

united behind the Democratic-Republican Party. 

The Era of Good Feelings started after the War of 1812. 

The Hartford Convention of 1814-15 underscored the 

perceived disloyalty of the Federalists during the war. 

During Era of Good Feelings Nationalism surged even though 

there were no redress of pre-war grievances at the Treaty 

of Ghent, but America had survived the onslaught of a 

mighty military power, Britain. 

During Era of Good Feelings Americans had even scored a 

few land and sea victories. 

The battles of the Thames, Lake Champlain and Baltimore 

were all American victories, victories attained against 

the world's largest and most prestigious navy. 

During Era of Good Feelings The USS Constitution was 

able to defeat HMS Guerriere, USS United States defeated 

HMS Macedonia, the USS Enterprise defeated the HMS Boxer, 

and American vessels defeated British in the Battle of 

Lake Erie. 

During Era of Good Feelings  These victories instilled 

pride in the new nation. 

President Monroe paid little attention to party in 

dispensing patronage. 

During Era of Good Feelings In the election of 1820, 

Monroe was re-elected with all but one electoral vote. 

A myth has arisen that one elector deliberately voted 

against him so that George Washington would remain the 

only unanimously elected president. 

During Era of Good Feelings factually, the elector 

disliked Monroe's policies; 

at the time he cast his vote, he could not have known 

that his would be the only one to prevent a unanimous 

election.

Slavery had come to the forefront as a national issue, 

but Henry Clay's negotiation of the Missouri Compromise 

ameliorated the crisis. The solution was to balance 

admission of Missouri Territory as a slave state, 

with the admission of Maine as a free state. 

During Era of Good Feelings the issue of slavery was 

part of the larger issue between the North and the 

South of economic and social sectionalism. At this time, 

local politics were still largely conducted without party labels 

or party conventions.

The Era of Good Feelings gave a pause to bitter debates 

over the protective tariff and the Second National Bank. 

Florida was acquired from Spain to general acclaim. 

President Monroe promulgated the Monroe Doctrine, 

advising European powers against attempts to reassert 

their control over former colonies in the New World. 

The Monroe Doctrine boldly asserted the status of 

the United States as a full-fledged nation, and this 

gained the administration popular support during a 

time of increased nationalism.

"…We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable 

relations existing between the United States and those 

powers to declare that we should consider any attempt 

on their part to extend their system to any portion of 

this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. 

With the existing colonies or dependencies of any 

European power we have not interfered and shall not 

interfere. 

But with the Governments who have declared their 

independence and maintain it, and whose independence 

we have, on great consideration and on just principles, 

acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for 

the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any 

other manner their destiny, by any European power in 

any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly 

disposition toward the United States…" �The Monroe Doctrine, 

December 2, 1823

End of the Era of Good Feelings

After the Panic of 1819 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820, 

the national mood grew more tense. However, the relentless 

daily bitter attacks by one party against the other did not 

resume until about 1828. Before 1820, the Democratic-Republican 

Party members of Congress had met in caucus and decided on 

the party's presidential candidate. 

That system collapsed in 1824 as five men competed: John 

Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun, William H. Crawford, Henry 

Clay and Andrew Jackson.

Calhoun took himself out of the running by deciding to seek 

the Vice Presidency. The other four formed regional coalitions 

with state politicians and pursued the electorate. At the polls, 

turnout was light because there were no parties to mobilize voters. 

Then, because no one received a majority in the electoral college, 

the decision on the presidency went to the House of Representatives. 

Clay, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives, swung 

the election to Adams, who then appointed Clay as Secretary of 

State. The result outraged Jackson and his supporters. They 

alleged that a "corrupt bargain" had taken place and 

immediately began their crusade to regain the "stolen" presidency.