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The Second Great Awakening
Calvinism began a counterattack against liberal views in the 1790s. The Second Great Awakening began among educated people such as Reverend Timothy Dwight, president of Yale college in Connecticut. Dwight’s campus revivals motivated a generation of young men to become evangelical preachers. In the revivals of the early 1800s, successful preachers were audience centered and easily understood by the uneducated; they spoke about the opportunity for salvation to all. -
Marbury V. Madison
Jefferson wanted to block the Federalist judge appointed by his predecessor, President John Adams. One of Adams “midnight appointments”, William Marbury, sued for his commissions. The case went to the Supreme Court in 1803. Marshall said the Judiciary Act of 1789 had given to the Court greater power than the Constitution allowed. Therefore, the law was unconstitutional, and Marbury would not receive his commission. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Territory encompassed a large and largely unexplored tract of western land through which the Mississippi and Missouri rivers flowed. Jefferson sent ministers to France with instructions to offer up to $10 million for both New Orleans and a strip of land extending from the post eastward to Florida. Napoleon's minister seeking funds for a war against Britain offered to sell not only New Orleans but also the entire Louisiana territory for $15 millions. -
Embargo Act of 1807
As an alternative to war, Jefferson persuaded the Democratic-Republican majority in Congress to pass the Embargo Act in 1807. This measure prohibited American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port. Since the United States was Britain's largest trading partner, Jefferson hoped that the British would stop violating the rights of neutral nations rather than lose U.S. trade. The embargo, however, backfired and brought greater economic hardship to the United States than to Britain. -
The Panic of 1819
The Era of Good feeling was fractured in 1819 by the first major financial panic since the Constitution had been ratified. The economic disaster was largely the fault of the Second Bank of the United State, which has tightened credit in a belated effort to control inflation. Many state banks closed and unemployment, bankruptcies, and imprisonment for debt increased sharply. As a result of bank panic and depression, nationalistic beliefs were shaken. -
Revolution of 1828
Adams sought reelection in 1828. But the Jacksonians were now ready to use the discontent of southerners and westerners and the new campaign tactics of party organization to sweep Jackson into office. Jackson’s party resorted to smearing the president and accusing Adams’ wife of being born out of wedlock's. Supporters of Adams accused Jackson’s wife of adultery. Jackson won, handily, carrying every state west of the Appalachians.
