- The creation of the Second Bank of the United States in 1816 was a controversial issue that divided the country.
- Some, like President James Monroe, believed that a national bank was necessary to regulate the economy and facilitate commerce.
- Others, led by Andrew Jackson, argued that the bank was a monopoly that favored wealthy elites and threatened states' rights.
2. The Tariff of 1816:
- The Tariff of 1816 was a protective tariff designed to protect American industries from foreign competition.
- It was popular in the North, where manufacturing was growing, but unpopular in the South, where it raised the cost of imported goods.
3. The Missouri Compromise:
- The admission of Missouri as a slave state in 1820 led to a fierce debate over the expansion of slavery into the territories.
- The Missouri Compromise resolved the crisis by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also drawing a line at 36°30' north latitude, above which slavery would be prohibited.
4. The Indian Removal Act:
- The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a law passed by the US government that authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties with Native American tribes to exchange their lands in the eastern United States for lands in the West.
- This law was controversial because it forced Native Americans to leave their ancestral lands and move to unfamiliar territory.
These were just some of the major issues that divided the country at the end of the Era of Good Feelings. These issues would eventually lead to the rise of political parties and the development of a more polarized political landscape in the United States.