Expanding Borders with James Monroe

Americans had gained a new confidence after winning the War of 1812. Thereafter came the election of 1816, where James Monroe ran unopposed of another party, but against five others of his own cabinet:

1. John C. Calhoun from South Carolina
2. Henry Clay from Kentucky
3. John QUINCEY Adams from Massachusetts
4. William H. Crawford from Georgia
5. General Andrew Jackson from Tennessee

Monroe and his wife set a new tone for the presidency, with greater emphasis on etiquette, style, and entertaining, had the executive mansion painted a brilliant white to cover the smoke stains from its burning during the war with England, the residence became known as the "White House".

There were fights over territories all over the country. Because of this, states were determined to safeguard their policies, despite the conflicts they created, which led to clashing economies. The Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1817 calmed conflict on the Great Lakes and the convention of 1818 fixed the border of Canada at the 49th Parallel.

By the early 19th century, the American Indians had lived in contact with Europeans for more than 200 years. Indians clothing reflected the combination of cultures. The intermingling worked both ways, for considerable numbers of English and Scots traders lived among the Indians. African Americans too often took refuge with the Creeks and Seminoles, so that by 1815 mixed ancestry had become common.

The removal of the British troops after the War of 1812, dealt a strong blow to the hopes of the American Indians. Alliances with the British, both actual and threatened had helped hold back the white Americans. Jackson used heavy-handed treaties to force Indians from their former land. Many of the natives resisted the removal, objecting that the treaties extracted by Jackson had been signed by Indians who had no authority to make such concessions. But whites insisted on lumping these diverse people into groups so they could be more easily dealt with. The U.S. government made it easy for white settlers to buy land and sold about a million acres a year throughout the next decade. After northern Indians' disastrous losses in the War of 2812, they posed little threat to white settlers. The grown numbers of white farmers made it difficult for Native Americans to hunt for a living. No matter what accommodations they made, however, the American Indians suffered repeated conflicts with whites who relied on shee numbers, trickery violence and the law to dispose native Americans of their land claims.