Era of Good Feelings

The Era of Good Feelings (also called the Era of Good Feeling, as first used in the Boston Columbian Centinel on July 12, 1817), approximately 1816–1824, was an era of very weak partisanship during the administration of U.S. President James Monroe. The Federalist Party, which had opposed the War of 1812 and verged on disloyalty and secession, virtually collapsed. It ran candidates in only a few remote areas. The dominant Democratic-Republican Party (usually called the "Republican Party") almost ceased to function. President Monroe deliberately sponsored a non-partisan spirit of nationalism and national unity, reinforced by his triumphal tours to all sections of the country. The era ended in 1824 when multiple candidates sought the presidency, and the Republican Party caucus in Congress, which formerly had selected presidential candidates, collapsed. There was an economic downturn in 1819 which sourced politics in some states, especially Kentucky. The slavery issue flared and was resolved by the Missouri Compromise. Neither issue changed the overall national mood of nonpartisanship and low turnout, which marked the end of the First Party System.

See also

• First Party System