Nationalism: An Introduction

In the first half of the nineteenth century, American nationalism meant pride in being a democratic society – for the white males at least – and differentiation between the United States and European monarchical countries. The turning point that caused nationalism to emerge in the United States was undoubtedly the War of 1812, where, although the country might not have entered the war as one piece, it emerged from battle unified. During this period, the United States was also being eyed as an up-and-coming nation by global powers. Nationalism developed as a way to separate itself not only militarily from Europe, as the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 did, but culturally and ideally as well. Many writers, artists, social reformers, political movements, and economic developments emerged in the Antebellum Era that belonged to a unique and fledgling national identity, distinct from any other region in the world.  

"Allegiance to No Crown. US Coin Values Advisor. http://www.us-coin-values-advisor.com/images/Allegiance%20to%20No%20Crown.jpg"

Political Developments

Louisiana Purchase: In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought an immense tract of land from Napoleon Bonaparte, the dictator of France, at possibly the best land deal in history. At the time of the negotiation, France and Britain were in another fierce rivalry; Britain was leading the world in the high seas and France was attempting domination in Europe. The last French stronghold in North America at the turn of the nineteenth century was the lucrative port of New Orleans. Napoleon decided to sell not only the port, but a walloping acreage to the United States, in hope that the sale might empower the Americans. As a result, he hoped they might withhold Britain from further grabs of power. Although Jefferson’s actions were not strictly constitutional, it secured fertile land for the American people migrating westward, established future American power in the continent, and the Lewis and Clark explorations of the territory became a part of the American heritage. It gave birth to the urge of American expansion that would later be called Manifest Destiny.

"Louisiana " and the Louisiana Purchase. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1912. Map No. 4.

"A joke about the Louisiana Purchase. Pinterest https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2e/57/2e/2e572e9eeefce0d00214820d661d25d7.jpg"

Embargo Act: In an attempt to coerce France and English into peace, Thomas Jefferson, now in his second term, passed the Embargo Act in 1807, which forbade trade with all nations. Not only did this fail, as France had land in Europe to support itself and Britain had economic ties with Latin America, but the American economy staggered. New England’s economy, relying primarily on shipping, struggled under the new act. The agricultural producers of the south also experienced financial loss as they were producing more than they could export. Because of increased illicit trade in 1808 and widespread resentment, the Embargo Act was repealed in 1809. Despite the financial hardships, during this period American industry was allowed to begin and flourish, as the public could no longer import manufactured goods from Europe. The first factories emerged, marking the beginning the Industrial Revolution in the Western Hemisphere and the start of American economic self sufficiency.

"Cartoons by William Charles. Yesterday's Papers. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzYWZvsWFO36Tg8VRieSSt1ElHqL4MScOhFnhSmyZ8WwGfbeQYqiQrT7indiL1BReYGs5OOR7mpNFSDqSFyYfrxvhqgx_pEH6CdS2q9uRzm1zGcEdi6O1f4VkPhj49uHYR7GyoZPD3LM/s1600/030_William_Charles_Embargo_Cartoons_1811.jpg

War of 1812: The War of 1812 began when, due to the effects of Macon’s Bill No.2, America had to declare an embargo against Britain and, to Madison’s dismay, take part in a European war. During the meeting of the Twelfth Congress in 1811, “war hawks” advocated for war against Britain to end British impressment of American sailors, to face hostile Indians armed by the British, to expand into British territory, and to defend America’s honor. War was declared on June 15, 1812. The war itself was small-scale and ended with all territories restored to the original occupants. Nevertheless, the war yielded great consequences. America was respected by other world powers, and so were American diplomats, for going to war with a giant like Britain and emerging relatively unscathed. The Federalist Party died after the Hartford Convention, leading to a politically united country. Indians relinquished yet more territory north of the Ohio River, allowing American expansionists to continue migrating. Above all was a heightened nationalism that emerged, where the country rejoiced in unison the outcome of the war.

"Battle of New Orleans. Haysville Library. 

https://haysvillelibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/battle-of-new-orleans.jpg

"Invasion. BizarroComics. http://bizarro.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/172/2013/07/bz-06-25-10-invasion.jpg"

John Marshall Supreme Court Decisions: Despite serving when anti-Federalist Thomas Jefferson was in office, Chief Justice John Marshall’s court decisions each served to empower the national government or individual rights at the expense of the states. A stronger government meant a growing national spirit, and withholding states’ rights meant less chance for the states to challenge the authority of the federal government, putting a commercial focus on the central government. It also meant that people feared the state legislations less, since Marshall established property and corporation rights to reduce state influence, creating a more stable and predictable environment for businesses.

1. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): This case was about Maryland’s right to tax the bank notes issued by the Bank of the United States, and if the federal government even had a right to create a federal bank. Marshall ruled in favor of the National Bank, and declared that states had no power to tax any federal policies. This established that the federal government’s word was the law of the land, overriding any state’s legislature. Thus, people in various states would identify more with the powerful federal government rather than remain loyal to only one state.
2. Dartmouth College v. Woodward: The state of New Hampshire in 1819 tried to change the charter of Dartmouth College, originally granted by King George III, to a state charter. The court held that the charter was a valid contract, and that states do not have the right to unilaterally interfere with contracts relating to private parties. In effect, private corporations were protected. This made it easier for businesses to flourish without being dominated by states, reducing sectionalism.
3. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824): Marshall’s court overturned a New York law that gave the state the right to tax and regulate steamboats that were passing through the Hudson River. The justification was that the Constitution gave only the federal government the right to regulate interstate commerce; New York had no claim to its monopoly. Keeping interstate commerce controlled by a party more powerful than the states decreased inter-state competition and disputes that would come in the way of national pride.
   
   "John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States. William and Mary Law. marshall-475x265.jpg"

"John Marshall. Collegehumor. http://0.media.collegehumor.cvcdn.com/53/71/248b14d3bbfabe33909a68aa84496af0-oh-john-marshall-youre-adorable.jpg" 

Adams-Onís Treaty: In the wake of the Anglo-American convention in 1818 , where the US and Britain came to agreements on various territories, the ratification of West Florida by Congress in 1819, and the series of Latin American revolutions that happened in the early nineteenth century, Spain was beginning to feel vulnerable. Forced to leave Florida unprotected to quell their colonies in South America, General Andrew Jackson took the initiative to seize important Spanish posts while on a mission to catch Native American criminals. The nationalistic Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, demanded huge concessions of land from Spain; Spain agreed. The acquisition of Florida and Spanish claims to Oregon in exchange for relinquishing U.S. claims to Texas bolstered nationalism by continuing the expansionist idealism that emerged after the Louisiana Purchase.

"John Quincy Adams. People Don't Have to Be Anything Else Wiki. https://robinengelmandotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/433px-john_quincy_adams_-_copy_of_1843_philip_haas_daguerreotype.jpg"

The Monroe Doctrine (1823): As Latin American Revolutions in the 1820’s released their colonial chains, European powers wanted to destroy the democratic saplings, and perhaps recolonize the continent. Americans, afraid that their republican experiment would be threatened by Europe, and the British, concerned for their Caribbean sugar islands, both were eager to keep the rest of Europe away from the Western Hemisphere. Americans felt protective of their country, and so Secretary Adams wrote a statement that said the era of colonization and intervention had ended in the Americas; in exchange, the U.S. would not interfere in European affairs. Although this warning was in backed up by the powerful British, who wanted complete access to Latin American markets, it increased America’s influence in the world and its sense of isolationism. The United States also took upon itself the role of the protector of the Americas.

"Monroe Doctrine. The Huffington Post. http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1991295/images/o-MONROE-DOCTRINE-facebook.jpg"

Henry Clay's American System

Henry Clay devised a system that, if there was federally supported infrastructure, funded by high tariffs and an organized national bank, the United States would be completely self-sufficient, with all regions interconnected and a stimulated economy.

Cultural Developments

Art
Hudson River School: This was the first native artistic group in the United States. It was strongly nationalistic in the way that it celebrated American beauty in landscapes. Many artists travelled to the interior of America, which was not yet densely settled, and romantically depicted the views in a nationalistic spirit. Another significant aspect of this group was that all artists were American trained, meaning that the U.S. didn’t borrow artistic styles from Europeans, and American artists were free to develop their own themes.  

"View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/08.228"

"The Beeches. Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ap/original/DT75.jpg"

Rocky Mountain School: German-born Albert Bierstandt, in early 1864, exhibited his colossal landscape of the Rocky Mountains in a gallery in New York City. It became immediately popular and received positive criticism, both nationally and internationally. He became a leading artist in the United States, so many other artists decided to follow his example and explored the Rockies for strictly artistic purposes during the 1860s and 1870s. The painting conveyed the sublime of nature in the West, as if depicting what a Western settler would see on his pilgrimage. Such beauty encouraged travel and exploration Westward and increased American pride in its nature.

"The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. h2_07.123.jpg"

"Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Versatile Blog. .Albert_Bierstadt_Among_the_Sierra_Nevada_Mountains_m.jpg"

Genre Artists: American artists in the 1830s, due to a more varied artistic demand, strayed from portrait commissions and began to depict scenes of everyday life. They favoured depictions of family life in rural settings, reinforcing a positive American identity. Later, artists turned to backcountry America and the West to paint a wider view of American life. Artists included subtle political statements in their work, especially messages having to do with the treatment of immigrants, women, and blacks. During the years of the Civil War, many artists had the urge to stay away from militant or political topics in their work and focus on women – who began to take new roles in society – and children, which expressed the longing for pre-war innocence. Artists were free to express distinctly American issues and life through their work, creating with it a sense of united American identity.

"Cider Making. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_66.126.jpg"

"Young Mother Sewing. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_29.100.48.jpg"

Architecture

Jefferson preferred Classical Revival over Georgian style because choosing the former severed the ties between England and the United States. Georgian architecture was employed in almost all English-speaking or English-influenced countries, and Jefferson rejected the style because of its correlation with Great Britain. He still employed classical Roman, Greek, Chinese, and Italian styles, but modified these traditions to his own taste. Much of the material was also made in Charlottesville rather than imported from Europe. Jefferson believed in developing as an independent nation, and he founded the idea of purely American architecture. In the University of Virginia, for example, he built Neoclassical pavilions, symbolizing the classics as a base for a proper education. He also erected the Rotunda, which, although inspired by the religious Pantheon in Rome, served as a shrine to knowledge. The United States prides itself on being a country founded in secularism and democracy; the latter was displayed with the revival of Greek style. The fact that Monticello and the University of Virginia were built in relatively rural areas expressed Jefferson’s reverence in a self-sufficient, agrarian America.

"Monticello West Lawn with Pond. Like, link, share. http://likelinkshare.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/BigImg_Monticello_WestLawnwithPond_1.jpg"

"Rotunda of UVA. Tamar Ziff, fourth-year"

Literature: Before the War of 1812, surges of creative literary talent were focused on political papers and nonfiction arguments on domestic crises. The only literature available to U.S. citizens was texts imported from Europe, and international literary circles scoffed at American writings. However, because of the surge in nationalism after the war, America became a considerable force in the global arena. The “era of good feelings”, in which there were no competing political parties, diverged writers’ attention from politics and gave them the freedom to explore different topics. Through these uniquely American pieces, the rest of the world became acquainted with American lifestyles and a national culture generated.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson’s first book, Nature (1836) first reached only a small audience, but its discussion of nature, divinity, and individualism was what founded the Transcendentalist Movement. The movement believed that truth was not discovered by observation alone, social and religious individualism, self-reliance, discipline, and in each person’s undeniable “inner light”, which can guide the way to truth and divine contact. It called for Americans to abandon conventional, European lifestyles and to embrace experimentation. This line of thought influenced many later authors, including Jack London and Louisa May Alcott, and helped break culturally from European influence.

"Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Armstrong Economics. http://s3.amazonaws.com/armstrongeconomics-wp/2015/04/Emerson-Ralph-Waldo.jpg"

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Puritan background was very obvious in his most famous book, The Scarlet Letter (1850), where he delves into the psychological effects of sin, the omnipresence of evil, and the Calvinist obsession with sin. He rejected optimistic Transcendentalism and his works are famous for their directness and clarity. His use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter was masterful, as he turned a seemingly meaningless piece of garment into a sign of moral wrongdoing. Hawthorne managed to criticize classical Calvinist belief by portraying the “adulteress” as a good person, not just a sinner, but he also acknowledged this thinking as the founding of America. The universality of guilt and choices and a melancholy literary style was adopted by Herman Melville and Edgar Allen Poe, two other affluent American writers.

"Hawthorne. Literature Run. https://literaturerun.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/hawthorne.jpg"

"Literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Cartoon Stock. https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/literature-nathaniel_hawthorne-sequel-book-novel-novelist-jsh120412_low.jpg" 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Paul Revere’s Ride”, one of Longfellow’s most widely read and influential poems, was published on the eve of the Civil War, December 18, 1860. It was about Paul Revere’s heroic call in the Revolutionary War, to warn the citizens of Lexington and Concord that the British were marching towards them. Longfellow’s intention was to create a national hero (in the poem, Revere’s importance was exaggerated) in times of fragmentation and national upheaval. Readers embraced Paul Revere as a symbol of the hopeful beginnings of the republican experiment and as an example of a great past. The poem served to remind Americans of the unity of the country before the tension between the North and the South, and how togetherness freed the people from the tyranny of the British not too long before. Longfellow also influenced the theme of “freedom” in American literature

"Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Northshore.edu. http://myweb.northshore.edu/users/ccarlsen/poetry//gloucester/images/DSC_0015.jpg"

"Life on the Left Bank. Peter Paul Payak. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ff/97/17/ff9717848a9beeb81d7547548e76237e.jpg"

Political Cartoon

"The American Work Ethic c. 1840"

This political cartoon is written from a British point of view, criticizing American pride in the "Protestant work ethic" that was so famed, when slavery still existed.

Works Cited

Works Cited

"American Encounters." American Encounters. High Museum of Art, 12 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <https://www.high.org/Art/Exhibitions/American-Encounters.aspx>.

"American Passages - Unit 4. Spirit of Nationalism: Authors." American Passages - Unit 4. Spirit of Nationalism: Authors. Annenberg Lerner, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <https://www.learner.org/series/amerpass/unit04/authors-4.html>.

"The Architectural Politics of Thomas Jefferson." The Architectural Politics of Thomas Jefferson. University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/jeff/jeffarch.html>.

Christen, Catherine A. "Facts On File History Database Center." Facts On File History Database Center. Encyclopedia of American Environmental History, Vol. 4., 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=EAEH0593&DataType=AmericanHistory>.

"Digital History." Digital History. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3528>.

"HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOWA Maine Historical Society Website." Longfellow's Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.hwlongfellow.org/works_paul_reveres_ride.shtml>.

"Hudson River School | American Art Movement." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/art/Hudson-River-school>.

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the American People. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

Kevin J. Avery. "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." The Hudson River School. Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hurs/hd_hurs.htm>.

"Nathaniel Hawthorne | American Writer." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Nathaniel-Hawthorne>.

Nationalism and Sectionalism. Rep. Wicked School District, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.wyckoffps.org/cms/lib7/NJ01000588/Centricity/Domain/140/Nationalism_and_Sectionalism.doc>.

Weinberg, H. Barbara, and Carrie Reborra Barratt. "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." American Scenes of Everyday Life, 1840–1910. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sept. 2009. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/scen/hd_scen.htm>.

Finally, my thoughts on Jackson's presidency?

"Thoueauly unimpressed.  fyeahenglishmajorarmadillo.tumblr.com. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4f/c2/85/4fc285d7e2597f48447c6a2a6a3e9f03.jpg"