🇺🇸Honors US History Unit 5 – The Early Republic & Jacksonian Era

Key Events and Timeline

• Inauguration of George Washington as the first U.S. President (1789) marked the beginning of the Early Republic era
• Whiskey Rebellion (1794) tested the authority of the new federal government to enforce tax laws and maintain order
• Election of Thomas Jefferson (1800) represented a shift towards Democratic-Republican ideals and limited government
• Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the size of the United States and opened up vast new territories for exploration and settlement
• War of 1812 (1812-1815) asserted American sovereignty against British interference and fostered a sense of national identity
  • Resulted in the burning of Washington D.C. and the composition of the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key
• Era of Good Feelings (1815-1825) characterized by a period of relative political unity and optimism following the War of 1812
• Election of Andrew Jackson (1828) ushered in the Jacksonian Era and a new style of populist politics

Political Landscape and Party System

• Federalist Party, led by Alexander Hamilton, advocated for a strong central government, national bank, and industrial development
• Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored states' rights, agrarian interests, and strict interpretation of the Constitution
  • Evolved into the Democratic Party during the Jacksonian Era
• Two-party system emerged as a defining feature of American politics during this period
• Jacksonian Democrats championed the common man, westward expansion, and Indian removal
  • Opposed the Second Bank of the United States and the concentration of economic power
• Whig Party formed in opposition to Jackson's policies and advocated for internal improvements, protective tariffs, and a national bank

Economic Developments

• First Bank of the United States (1791-1811) established to manage the country's finances and stabilize the currency
• Industrial Revolution began to transform the American economy, particularly in the Northeast, with the growth of factories and manufacturing
• Transportation revolution, including the construction of roads, canals (Erie Canal), and railroads, facilitated trade and westward expansion
  • Cumberland Road connected the East Coast to the Ohio River Valley
• Second Bank of the United States (1816-1836) served as a central banking system and regulated credit
  • Became a target of Jacksonian opposition and was eventually dissolved
• Panic of 1837 triggered a severe economic depression and highlighted the vulnerabilities of the American financial system

Territorial Expansion and Manifest Destiny

• Louisiana Purchase (1803) acquired a vast territory from France, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains
• Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) explored and mapped the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, paving the way for westward expansion
• Indian Removal Act (1830) authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi River
  • Led to the Trail of Tears, a tragic forced march of the Cherokee Nation
• Texas Revolution (1835-1836) resulted in the independence of Texas from Mexico and its eventual annexation by the United States
• Oregon Treaty (1846) established the 49th parallel as the boundary between the United States and British North America in the Pacific Northwest
• Mexican-American War (1846-1848) resulted in the acquisition of vast territories in the Southwest, including California and New Mexico

Social and Cultural Changes

• Second Great Awakening (early 19th century) sparked a religious revival movement that emphasized personal salvation and moral reform
  • Led to the growth of evangelical denominations such as the Baptists and Methodists
• Reform movements emerged to address social issues such as temperance, women's rights, and the abolition of slavery
  • Seneca Falls Convention (1848) marked the beginning of the organized women's rights movement in the United States
• Transcendentalism, an intellectual and literary movement, emphasized individualism, self-reliance, and the divinity of nature
  • Key figures included Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau
• Romanticism in art and literature celebrated emotion, imagination, and the beauty of the natural world
  • Hudson River School painters captured the grandeur of the American landscape

Key Figures and Their Impacts

• George Washington, as the first U.S. President, set important precedents and established the authority of the federal government
• Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, created a financial system that promoted economic growth and stability
• Thomas Jefferson, as the third U.S. President, championed individual liberties, limited government, and westward expansion
  • Oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Andrew Jackson, as the seventh U.S. President, embodied the spirit of the common man and shaped the Democratic Party
  • Implemented the Indian Removal Act and opposed the Second Bank of the United States
• Henry Clay, as a prominent politician and statesman, advocated for the American System of internal improvements and compromise
• John C. Calhoun, as a political theorist and Vice President, defended states' rights and nullification
• Daniel Webster, as a renowned orator and Senator, argued for national unity and against sectionalism

Controversies and Conflicts

• Nullification Crisis (1832-1833) tested the authority of the federal government and the doctrine of states' rights
  • South Carolina threatened to secede over the issue of protective tariffs
• Bank War (1832-1836) pitted President Andrew Jackson against the Second Bank of the United States and its supporters
  • Resulted in the removal of federal deposits and the eventual demise of the bank
• Slavery and abolitionism became increasingly contentious issues, with the rise of the Underground Railroad and the publication of anti-slavery literature
  • Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass emerged as prominent figures in the abolitionist movement
• Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831) sparked fears of slave uprisings and led to increased restrictions on the rights of African Americans
• Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832) challenged the legality of Indian removal and the sovereignty of Native American nations
  • The Supreme Court's rulings were largely ignored by the Jackson administration

Legacy and Historical Significance

• The Early Republic and Jacksonian Era laid the foundation for American democracy and the two-party system
• Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny shaped the geographical and cultural landscape of the United States
  • Set the stage for future conflicts over slavery and sectional differences
• Economic developments, such as the Industrial Revolution and the transportation revolution, transformed American society and set the nation on a path towards modernization
• Reform movements and social changes planted the seeds for future struggles for civil rights and equality
  • Women's rights, abolitionism, and temperance would continue to be important issues throughout the 19th and 20th centuries
• The legacies of key figures, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson, continue to be debated and reinterpreted by historians and the public
• Controversies and conflicts of the era, such as the Nullification Crisis and the Bank War, foreshadowed the growing tensions that would ultimately lead to the Civil War