Why Is the “Era of Goof Feelings” a Misnomer Essay

The period of James Monroe’s presidency has gained the term used worldwide as the â€Å"Era of Good Feelings†. It was adopted by this name because of Monroe’s action in visiting the U.S military basis and because of the spirit of nationalism and optimism gained by the people from the War of 1812. Foreign affairs exemplifies why this name is partly fact. However, the perception of unity that this era defines is somewhat misleading. Throughout this period, there were various problems that contradicted the era’s name. Some of the serious issues that divided the nation were economic depression and sectionalism. The first major fracture in â€Å"Era of Good Feelings† was an economic panic and depression that is frequently known as â€Å"The Panic of 1819†.†¦show more content†¦This amendment is known as the Tallmadge Amendment. This bill stated that no slaves could be brought into the state of Missouri and slaves born there would be freed at the age of 25. Southerners were bothered by this suggested law because they felt that it would threaten the sectional balance we had in our country and that Congress would attempt to abolish slavery in southern states. As a solution to this growing dilemma, Henry Clay proposed the Missouri compromise in 1820. This compromise, commonly known as â€Å"The Great Compromise†, stated three important things. One being that Missouri was to be admitted as a slaveholding state. Second, Maine was to be admitted as a free state, in order to keep the balance. Third, in the rest of the Louisiana territory north of latitude 36 º 30 , slavery was prohibited. Although this compromise was accepted by both sides of the country, it upset many Northerners, thus increasing growing sectionalism in our nation. Nevertheless, the â€Å"Era of Good feelings† was badly damaged by Americans’ torn feelings of sectional controversy over Missouri (North vs. South). The â€Å"Era of Go od Feelings† can also be exemplified with positive results. Our country’s Foreign affairs grew increasingly better during this time period. After the War of 1812, the United States adopted a more aggressive nationalistic approach in its relations with other nations. Americans were now proud to call themselves