During the presidential administrations of Monroe and Adams, the theme of nationalism is more prominent than the theme of sectionalism. Nine Examples of this are the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817, the Erie Canal, Noah Webster's American Dictionary, Samuel Slater, the National Road, Industrialization, The Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the Convention Line of 1818, and finally the landmark Supreme Court case of McCulloch versus Maryland. In this essay, I will describe how each of these examples contributed to nationalism during the presidential administrations of Monroe and Adams.
The Treaty of Ghent in 1815 and the Rush-Bagot Agreement in 1817 promoted nationalism by keeping America out of war with England. Both the Americans and the British passed the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812, and also established that any future disputes between them would be resolved by arbitration. America and England also passed the Rush-Bagot Agreement, which stated that no battleships would be allowed on the Great Lakes, which could now only be patrolled with small vessels.
U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (LO...
Engraving of Noah Webster, from the frontispiece o...
Monroe ParkThis was important in avoiding an inadvertent confrontation which could start a war. With these measures, America could avoid war with England, which greatly promoted nationalism. That is how the Treaty of Ghent and the Rush-Bagot Agreement promoted nationalism in America.
The Erie Canal contributed to nationalism by connecting the west with the rest of the nation. The Erie Canal, which extended from Albany to Buffalo, connected the port city of New York with the Great Lakes. Ships could now travel north on the Hudson River, and products could be placed in barges and small vessels, which could travel to the Great Lakes on the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal promoted nationalism by connecting the west with the rest of the country. The west could now easily receive shipments from...