An Agrarian Republic, 1790-1824

Chapter 9

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast

By 1800 2/3rds of the population still lived within 50 miles of the coast Typically lived on farms in or small towns

It took two days to get from NYC to Philadelphia; 4 days to Boston Horse & carriage only went 3-4 mph

Population was increasing rapidly however 1790-1800 pop. went from 3.9M-5.3M No one knew that within 50 years we would be

throughout the entire continent By 1850 we were populating from Atlantic to

Pacific

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast Vitus Bering sailed under the Russian Flag to explore

the Aleutian Islands He died, but his crew brought back otter furs, discovery of

Alaska, and report on Atlantic waterways By the 1750s Russian and Siberian trappers were exporting

furs from Russian America Russians were sometimes brutal, taking the furs by

force The Inuits and Aleuts grew tired of Russia’s behavior The Aleuts lead the Aleut Revolt in 1762, destroying a

Russian fleet They were eventually destroyed, and became intermarried

with the Russians The Russians settled all the way down to just north of San

Francisco Bay, into Spanish-claimed territory

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast Spain feared encroachment into their fur trade

from the Russians and British Their navy explored the entire West Coast, and laid

claim to the Columbia River The Spanish establish missions throughout California,

the largest of which was Los Angeles Spain tried to keep its territory out international trade,

but California soon started trading with the US The Spanish took control of New Orleans following

the Seven Years War The city’s population was extremely diverse, with

French, Cajun, English, German, Irish, Creole, and African residents

1/3 of the Africans were free people who had the same rights as whites

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast New Orleans gained prominence as a port and

international shipping center Numerous boats from American settlements upriver

made their way to New Orleans The Americans were well aware that any foreign

power controlling New Orleans had the ability to choke off trade

People also began settling along the Missouri River, using it as another route for trade This led to the development of St. Louis

Within the US itself, the greatest population boom occurred west of the Appalachians Kentucky (1792) and Tennessee (1796) were the first

trans-Appalachian states admitted to the union

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast People began to move west in the early 1800s

They typically moved as family groups Journeys were long and difficult

Cincinnati began as a military fort defending settlers against Miami and Shawnee Indians People tended to live communally because of fear

of Indian attacks Cincinnati grew into the gateway of the interior

northwest (Ohio and Illinois) The growth of Cincinnati and increased

shipping along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers added to the importance of New Orleans

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast The most important cities in the east were the

Atlantic seaports Charleston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston

Charleston was very diverse, with many ethnicities and languages Center of the slave trade until 1808

Baltimore came to prominence as a tobacco port Merchants sought ways to tap the Ohio Valley’s

resources Philadelphia Quakers were developers of

commerce and banking Philadelphia was considered to be the nation’s cultural

and intellectual center Capital through the 1790s

The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast New York soon outgrew the other cities

Used British auction system to sell imported goods from Britain

Shipping, banking, insurance, and supporting industries become the largest in the country

¼ of all American shipping was owned by New York merchants

Boston was the capital of Massachusetts Industry diversified into shipbuilding, shipping,

banking, and insurance While these cities remained dependant on

Europe, other cities that traded to the west began to thrive

A National Economy In 1800, 94% of Americans lived in communities of

less than 2,500 Middle states:

Four or five families would farm the same piece of land for themselves or others

Most crops were grown for home use, and most goods such as clothes and tools were made at home

Surpluses were sold within the local community (only 20% were sent out of town)

Southern states: Plantation agriculture was commercial and international Demand for rice and tobacco declined, meaning slave owners

were seeing little return on their large capital investments (slaves)

In the 19th Century, cotton became the staple crop of US foreign trade

A National Economy The world economy was still dominated by

Britain and France The US was subject to their whims and duties

Read page 235 – 236; Shipping and the Economic Boom

The Jefferson Presidency Jefferson started his presidency by

symbolically showing the difference between himself and his predecessors Rather than riding in a fancy carriage, he walked

to the Capital, rejecting the elaborate methods of Adams and Washington

It was a peaceful transition from one party to another, showing that a divided nation does not have to end up in revolt or dictatorship

Jefferson’s years in France made him believe they were incapable of guaranteeing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

The Jefferson Presidency Jefferson feared the industrialization he saw

going on in the East Rampant industrialization could lead to the social

injustice and disparity he had witnessed in Europe. Jefferson dreamed of an agrarian republic, based

on family farms A man who depends on himself for his own wellbeing

will be more inclined to look out for the common good of the community

Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God

The Jefferson Presidency Thomas Malthus wrote Essay on the Principle

of Population He postulated that an impending population crisis

would lead to widespread poverty and starvation Jefferson uses Malthus’ work as the impetus

for American expansionism Constant movement west caused high mobility,

creating unstable communities Overfarming caused soil exhaustion Fostered a violent hostility toward Indians

Jefferson’s Home: Monticello

Ariel View West front

The Jefferson Presidency When Jefferson took office, he promised to cut

all taxes, reduce the military and government staff, and eliminate the national debt He kept all of his promises Jefferson believed a small government was the

key factor in a successful republic Their were only 130 federal officials when

Jefferson took office The main duty of the federal government for

average citizens was the postal service Issues such as education, road maintenance, law

and order, economic control, and welfare rested with the state or local governments

The Jefferson Presidency Small government explains why it took so long

to develop the federal city The designs developed by Pierre L’Enfant went

unfinished due to lack of funds The President’s House lacked a staircase to the second

floor until 1808 The center portion of the Capitol did not exist; the

House and Senate were connected by a boardwalk

The Jefferson Presidency Jefferson did attempt to have a somewhat

bipartisan administration He kept some Federalist officials on board

In the last minutes of his administration, Adams appointed several Federalists to federal judgeships The Democratic-Republican congress retaliated by

repealing the Judiciary Act, denying the appointees their jobs

William Marbury sued James Madison, Jefferson’s Secretary of State, to get his appointment back

The Jefferson Presidency In Marbury v Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall

ruled that the Supreme Court had final authority over interpretation of the law (pleasing the Federalists), while also ruling that the Court could not force the executive branch to appoint Marbury to a post that technically no longer existed (pleasing the Democratic-Republicans) This case solidified the power of judicial review Also helped delineate the three branches and their

role in the government Under Marshall’s tenure as Chief Justice, the

Supreme Court became a powerful unifying and nationalizing force

The Jefferson Presidency In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte reacquired Louisiana

from Spain in a secret treaty This drainage area for the Mississippi and Missouri

Rivers could be used to stage attacks against the British in Canada

When Jefferson learns of the agreement, he rightfully fears it will disrupt commerce and force the US into military action The Spanish commander of New Orleans closed the

port to American ships Jefferson offered to buy New Orleans for $2 million

(would have gone up to $10 million) Napoleon, in need of cash, offered the entire Louisiana

territory to the US for $15 million (828K square miles, or 529.9M acres, ~2¢ per acre)

James Monroe, special envoy to France, signed the deal which more than doubled the size of the US

Louisiana Purchase

The Jefferson Presidency Jefferson came under fire because of his history as a

strict constructionist The Constitution did not provide the President the authority

to purchase land Jefferson is willing to take the criticism because he believes

the purchase is vital to the future of the nation The initial plan for Louisiana was to quickly remove its

French culture and replace it with American institutions However, given that there were only 6,000 Americans among

a population of 43,000, this doesn’t happen The governor of the Lower Louisiana Territory assists in

incorporating French civil law rather than English common law Even to this day, Louisiana’s legal system is based on civil

law

The Jefferson Presidency Spain was upset about the sale of Louisiana

because it created a second vague boundary between the US and Spanish territory

Internal violence in Spain led to trouble in its New World colonies Two populist revolts in Mexico were squashed by Spanish

loyalists The revolutionary leaders were executed

In 1812, a Mexican named Bernardo Gutiérrez led a band of American adventurers in an invasion of Texas They captured San Antonio and executed the governor,

declaring independence An army of Spanish loyalists pillaged the territory, destroying

its economy All of this action had many Americans looking to

expand to the Southwest

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America Jefferson’s success in his first term carried him

to a second term Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (Fed.) lost 162-14 in

the electoral college His second term will not be as successful as his first

Jefferson’s initial promise of keeping neutral became more difficult during the Napoleonic Wars Britain was upset that the US “evaded” the naval

blockade of France by claiming neutrality Britain began seizing American ships, angering

American’s as they violated the spirit of neutrality 6000 Americans were impressed into the British

Navy between 1803-1807

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America Committed to staying neutral and maintaining

shipping rights, Jefferson tried to negotiate with the British Negotiations, diplomatic protests and even threats left

the British unphased In 1806 Congress passed the Non-Importation Act,

boycotting British goods Jefferson, in desperation, imposed the Embargo Act in

1807 This act forbid in imports or exports going into/out of any

foreign ports The American economy came to a standstill: exports fell from

$108M to $22M in one year, send the country into a deep depression

Federalists, pointing out that our Navy was too weak because of Jefferson, began speaking against him and the Embargo…to a willing crowd

Ograbme or Dambargo

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America Jefferson will leave office accepting a defeat in

his policy of “peaceable coercion” Madison (Dem.) will win the election despite a

backlash against his party for the Embargo Act Americans viewed the act as “attempting to cure

corns by cutting of the toes” The French were unphased by the act, as were the

British (if anything it made life easier for them) In 1809, Congress rescinded the Embargo Act Other acts were passed (Non-Intercourse Act,

Macon’s Bill #2) to stop hostilities towards American ships, to no avail

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America Jefferson’s presidency had internal issues with

trade as well The natives were not supposed to be forced off their

lands according to the Indian Intercourse Act of 1790, but westward expansion was America’s “destiny”

Jefferson did not want to move/kill them, instead he wanted them to coexist with us; after all, everyone should be a yeoman farmer He directed governors to “promote energetically” the ideal

Jefferson, indifferent to religion himself, supported the Christianization of Indians Unfunded and unsupported, the policy only weakened and

divided the already disoriented tribes

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America After the LA Purchase Jefferson “offered” lands to

the natives in present day MO area He said that it would not be settled by whites for

centuries 20 years later the natives had to be moved again

because MO was admitted as the 1st trans-Mississippian state

Having only 3 choices; acculturation, removal, or extinction many natives were split between accommodating and armed resistance Tecumseh, leading the Shawnees, choose resistance William Henry Harrison, Gov. IN Terr., made many

“treaties” with the natives taking their lands Tecumseh’s brother, Tenskwatawa, preached refraining

from consumption of American goods (alcohol, clothes, etc)

Renewed Imperial Rivalry in North America Tecumseh would take his brother’s message and turn

it into a pan-Indian military movement He also had British support, who sent guns and food The alliance was primarily defensive until the Treaty of Fort

Wayne (1809) that gave away 3M acres of native land Tecumseh said that the land belonged to all natives and

thus one tribe could night sign it away He warned that any surveyor who came on the land risked his life

In Nov. 1811 Harrison marched 1000 soldiers into Tippecanoe Tenskwatawa’s men led attacks on Harrison’s men Each side lost 150 men, Harrison claimed victory, yet the natives

not killed moved on to kill others in the IN and southern MI areas forcing settlers to flee

War of 1812 Britain’s involvement with Tecumseh’s attacks was

the second of two grievances that Madison cited when asking Congress to declare war on Britain The first was shipping rights On June 81, 1812 Congress declared war on Britain

War Hawks, such as Henry Clay (KY) and John C. Calhoun (SC), will seek to end British involvement in America They believed in expanding and controlling others They wanted to invade (control) FL to keep slaves from

hiding They wanted to control Canada to keep the British off

their borders

War of 1812 By this point, the Embargo Act had negatively

affected the British, so they were in the process of adopting more conciliatory policies

Americans were divided on going to war (Federalists=no) Other problems included Jefferson’s “economizing” the

military America first attempted the invasion of Canada

British/Indian forces captured Detroit and Fort Dearborn (Chicago) until American forces burned York (Toronto)

Cap. Oliver H. Perry defeated the British and reclaimed Lake Erie (during the battle Tecumseh was killed)

The invasion of Canada proved that neither side could gain ground on the other

The most significant part of this struggle: Canadians gained a sense of solidarity and agreed to never be invaded/absorbed by the US

War of 1812 The war in the South was similar to the war against

Tecumseh The British allied with the natives (Red Sticks) and Spaniards The Americans allied with the Red Sticks’ enemies, the

Cherokee, Choctaws and Chickasaws (and a few Creeks) With Andrew Jackson leading, the Red Sticks took the worst

defeat in the Indian wars (800 killed) At the end of the Creek War (1814) the US gained 23M acres

in the Treaty of Fort Jackson (Jackson earned the name Sharp Knife)

US failed to capture FL from Spain, Mobile was captured in 1813, and Pensacola in 1814 (could hold it) In 1815 Jackson earned his fame in the Battle of New Orleans The peace treaty had actually been signed before the battle

War of 1812 In the most humiliating battle of the war, Britain

burned Washington forcing the President and Congress to flee Dolly Madison is remembered for saving the portrait of

George Washington as the president’s home burned In the naval battle, Britain quickly blockaded the

coast line US forces withheld them from advancing on Baltimore

and Fort McHenry It was during Francis Scott Key’s time on the under

British control where he sat offshore as it appeared that Baltimore was burning that he wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” (to be adopted as the national anthem under Woodrow Wilson ~100 years later

War of 1812 In 1814 representatives from 5 New England states

came together for the Hartford Convention Initially there was talk of secession due to the war Ultimately, they came up with a list of grievances and

sent them to Congress By the time the message reached Congress, peace had

been reached with Britain, making the grievances a joke The Treaty of Ghent was signed 12/24/1814

Did not discuss issues of impressment or neutrality rights

Britain did agree to withdraw troops from the west The war accomplished little more than helping

Americans finally feel independent of Britain This is the last war the US ever fought against Britain This was also the last gasp for Natives, by 1815

Americans were expanding again

Defining the Boundaries The Era of Good Feelings (1817-1823) brought

political unity on the agenda of America Westward expansion and national development were key

By 1820 25% of the population lived west of the Appalachians Many sought to get away from overpopulated farmlands

of the east, plus threat of native attacks were diminished The price, now dropped from the Land Ordinance of 1785

prices, made westward movement most attractive To deal with the “squatters” problem Congress passed

the Land Act of 1820 setting the price at $1.25 per acre with a minimum of 80 acre purchase Still had many farmers who could not afford this price

Defining the Boundaries The Second Great Awakening began in the 1790s

in New England By 1800 it had spread throughout Protestant churches

across the country The most common “event” during this was camp meetings

These meetings had as many as 20,000 in attendance (western towns only had ~2000 in them)

People would clap, sing, pray This led to an increased importance of religion in westward

expansion Camps were the first time new settlers would come together in

an area Churches were often the first public buildings built In absence of resident ministers, farmers would become lay

preachers Women were usually the largest percent in the crowd and

played large role in planting new churches

The Second Great Awakening

Defining the Boundaries James Monroe (last of the VA dynasty—

Jefferson, Madison, Monroe) won the election of 1816 (183-34 against Rufus King, Fed.) This is the last election the Federalist Party ran a

candidate In the election of 1820, Monroe ran unopposed

and nearly elected unanimously (231-1) By this time it appears that the Federalist Party has

disappeared, however, the Democratic-Republicans had adopted many of the Federalists’ beliefs

Monroe is the first since Washington to tour the country, going as far as Detroit Even in Federalist stronghold Boston, he was

welcomed warmly

Defining the Boundaries Monroe sought a government of national unity

The included people from both North and South, Democratic-Republican and Federalist in his cabinet positions

He chose John Q. Adams as Sec. of State, and John C. Calhoun as Sec. of War

Monroe supported the American System (associated with Henry Clay, Speaker of the House) The American System (initially proposed by Hamilton)

broke with Jefferson’s agrarian society and endorsed: A national bank Tariff on imported goods National system of roads/canals

Defining the Boundaries Because the Democratic Republicans were

willing to accept that the federal government needed to play a role in commercial development, the Federalists were willing to accept Monroe as President Congress chartered the Second Bank of America in

1816 for 20 years (farmers not happy) The Tariff of 1816 was the first serious protective

tariff in American history After the war of 1812 cheap British goods flooded

American markets, making it hard for Americans to sell their goods

Congress responded with a tariff on wollens, cottons, iron, leather, hats, paper, and sugar

Defining the Boundaries The 3rd part of the American System was roads

and canals Projects such as a road going from Cumberland, MD to

Vandalia, IL was needed Monroe, as Madison had, vetoed bills to spend money

on local projects These three components of the American System

—bank, tariffs, and roads—were agreed upon during the Era of Good Feelings and will become the source of heated debate and divison

Adams, as Sec. of State, was one of the most important people during the Era of Good Feelings He established the border with Canada at the 49º in

the Rush-Bagot Treaty 1817 He also established a policy of coexistence with Britain

in the debate territory of Oregon

Defining the Boundaries Adams greatest work was the Adams-Onís

(Transcontinental) Treaty After Jackson illegally entered FL and proved that he could

take it, Adams convinced Spain to cede FL to the US, give up claims to LA and OR territory

In exchange the US agreed to give up claims to TX and assumed the $5M that Americans were trying to get from Spain in legal suits

Monroe’s greatest foreign policy (written by Adams) is called the Monroe Doctrine (1823) Written after South American colonies became independent

(European nations were attempting to help Spain regain them) Britain initially wanted to help US (Adams declined their offer) The Doctrine calls for end to European colonization in the

Western Hemisphere, any interference would be met with force

In return we would not interfere with European affairs, or their remaining colonies

Defining the Boundaries Fortunately, Britain still decided to help

enforce such a policy (our military was too weak to follow up our claim) The US would finally be able to back it up at the

end of the century The policy was enough to convince Russia to

give up its claim to the OR territory, accepting the 54º 40´ as the southern border

The excitement of the diplomatic successes were dulled by the Panic of 1819

Defining the Boundaries The Panic of 1819 was a delayed reaction to the

end of the War of 1812 Demand for American goods went down throughout

the world as Britain was able to offer goods again Domestically, the Panic was brought on by land

speculation gone crazy Speculators bought land and then sold it for up to $100/acre Getting loans from “wildcat” banks, many citizens could not

afford the loan, especially when demand for goods went down

The Second Bank of the US forced state banks to foreclose on bad loans, ruining small farmers and leading to a 6 year depression

When the banks failed, taking creditors with them, the farmers protested, blaming the Bank of the US

Defining the Boundaries Urban workers were not untouched by the Panic

Because of the decline in demand, they were getting laid off

The South argued that the protective tariffs needed to be reduced since they were making less money off of cotton

The North argued that the tariffs needed to be higher to increase domestic demand for their goods The North eventually won the argument and the tax went

up Southerners began to wonder about the federal

government The Panic gave Andrew Jackson a strong platform to

stand on

Defining the Boundaries The issue of slavery would be revived in 1819 when

the northern and southern settlers collided in MO In 1819 MO applied for statehood as a slave state Northerners (where slavery had been abolished) did not

want slavery to expand and destroy the balance in the Senate

Southerners believed that Congress did not have the right to limit slave expansion since it was a property matter

Some argued in favor of MO gradually becoming a free state, others said no slaves This is the first time the South openly threatens to secede

Henry Clay, earning the nickname “The Great Pacificator,” created the first of many compromises he would accomplish

Defining the Boundaries The MO

Compromise ME would be

admitted as a free state and MO would be admitted as a slave state (keeping balance in Senate)

From here out slavery was to be prohibited north of the 36º 30´ and permitted south of the line