#51
VOICE ONE:
As we said in our last program, President James Madison retired after two four-year terms. His Republican Party chose another man from Virginia, James Monroe, as the next presidential candidate. The opposition Federalist Party had almost disappeared by the time of the election in 1816. It did not meet to chose a presidential candidate. However, three states -- Connecticut, Delaware, and Massachusetts -- promised to vote for Federalist Rufus King.
VOICE TWO:
James Monroe easily won the election. He would serve two terms. Monroe was sworn-in as president in February, 1817. A few months later, he began a long trip to 13 states. Everywhere he stopped, the people welcomed him warmly. Even in New England the crowds were large. The president returned to Washington after three and a half months. He was tired. But he was pleased with the way the people of the United States had accepted him.
VOICE ONE:
Not everyone was happy that Monroe had been elected. After all, he was the fourth American president from Virginia. The situation caused hard feelings among political leaders in other states, especially the states of New England. Monroe tried to improve this situation. He wanted to give the top four jobs in his cabinet to men from each of the nation's four major areas: the northeast, the south, the west, and the middle Atlantic coast. This would help improve unity. And it would help the president get expert knowledge about each of those parts of the country. Monroe was not able to do what he wanted. He got cabinet ministers from only three of the four areas. The west was not represented.
VOICE TWO:
John Quincy Adams
The top cabinet job -- Secretary of State -- went to John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts. Adams was the son of former President John Adams. John Quincy Adams had been a Federalist, like his father. But he became a Republican during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Adams had served his country in many ways. He had served as minister to Russia. And he had been the chief negotiator at the peace talks with Britain following the War of 1812. President Monroe asked Henry Clay of Kentucky to be Secretary of War. But Clay refused. The president could find no other westerner who would take the job as Chief of the War Department. So he gave it to John C. Calhoun, a Congressman from South Carolina. William Crawford of Georgia, another southerner, continued as Treasury Secretary. And William Wirt of Virginia became head of the Justice Department.
VOICE ONE:
One of the first problems facing President Monroe was east Florida. It was the territory which is now the state of Florida in the southeastern United States. At that time, the territory belonged to Spain. But Spain controlled only a few towns in the area. The rest was controlled by criminals, escaped slaves, and former British soldiers. There also were native American Indians of the Seminole and Creek tribes. Sometimes, people from east Florida would cross the border and attack American citizens. One serious fight involved Seminole Indians and people just across the border in the state of Georgia.
VOICE TWO:
General Andrew Jackson was ordered to March against the Indians. He was a hero of the War of 1812 against Britain. Jackson sent a message to President Monroe. He said: "Let me know in any way that the United States wants possession of the Florida territory. And in 60 days, it will be done."
Jackson received no answer to his letter. He believed the silence meant that he was free to seize Florida. He quickly gathered a force of soldiers and marched toward Florida.
VOICE ONE:
General Jackson failed to capture any Indians. But he seized two Spanish towns: Saint Marks and Pensacola. He also arrested two British subjects. The two men were tried by a military court. They were found guilty of spying and giving guns to the Indians. Both were executed. Jackson left soldiers at several places in Florida. Then he returned to his home in Tennessee.
VOICE TWO:
President Monroe called a cabinet meeting as soon as he learned of Jackson's actions. All the ministers, except Secretary of State Adams, believed that Jackson had gone too far. But they decided not to denounce him in public. Secretary Adams prepared messages to Britain and Spain about the incidents. His message to Britain carefully stated the activities of the two British subjects in Florida and explained why they were executed. Britain agreed not to take any action.
VOICE ONE:
Adams's message to Spain explained the situation this way: Spain had failed to keep the peace along the border as it had promised to do in a treaty. The United States had sent soldiers into Florida only to defend its citizens on the American side. The United States recognized that Florida belonged to Spain. But if Americans were forced to enter Florida again -- in self-defense -- the United States might not return the territory to Spain. Spain had a choice. It could send enough soldiers to keep order in Florida. Or it could give Florida to the United States.
VOICE TWO:
Spain really had no choice. At that time, Spain's colonies in South America were rebelling. All had declared their independence. Jose de San Martin led the struggle in Argentina. Bernardo O'Higgens was in Chile. And Simon Bolivar created the Republic of Great Columbia in the north. Spain's forces could not be sent to Florida. They were needed in South America. So the King of Spain agreed to give Florida to the United States. In exchange, the United States agreed to pay five-million dollars to American citizens who had damage claims against Spain.
VOICE ONE:
The Florida Treaty was signed in February, 1819. The American Senate quickly approved the treaty. But the King of Spain delayed his approval for almost two years. He had hoped the United States would agree to one more demand. He did not want the United States to recognize the independence of the rebel Spanish colonies in South America. The United States rejected the King's demand. It said Spain must approve the Florida treaty. . . Or it would take Florida on its own. The threat succeeded. Spain approved the treaty.
VOICE TWO:
Henry Clay
Many Americans believed that the United States should recognize the independent republics in South America. The speaker of the House of Representatives, Henry Clay, agreed. He said recognition would help protect the rights and liberties of the new republics. He said it would lead to economic ties with the United States. And he said it would make the new republics follow the lead of the United States in diplomacy and foreign policy. As a result of all this, Clay said, the United States would become the leading nation in the Americas.
VOICE ONE:
Secretary of State Adams disagreed. He did not believe that the new republics could develop free and liberal forms of government. He also feared that United States' recognition of the South American republics would lead to trouble with European nations. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, some of the nations of Europe joined in an agreement to keep the peace. They agreed to help each other put down rebellions. Such rebellions were defeated in Spain and Italy. Britain refused to be part of the agreement. And it did not want the alliance to interfere in South America. Britain had a good trade with the new republics. Britain proposed a joint statement with the United States. The statement would say that neither country would seize Spanish colonies in the New World. And both would oppose any effort by Spain to give its American territory to another European nation.
VOICE TWO:
At first, President Monroe thought he would accept the British proposal. He asked former Presidents Jefferson and Madison for their advice. Both urged him to accept it. Secretary of state Adams, however, disagreed sharply. He said the United States should act alone in protesting European interference in south America. President Monroe finally accepted the advice of his Secretary of State. He included Adams's ideas in his message to Congress in 1839. They became known as the "Monroe Doctrine". That will be our story next week.
VOICE ONE:
Narrated by Tony Riggs and Larry West.
Written by Frank Beardsley.
#52
VOICE ONE:
As we reported last week, Spain asked Europe to help it put down a rebellion among Spanish colonies in latin America. Some of these colonies had overthrown their Spanish rulers and declared themselves independent. Britain wanted no part of the Spanish proposal. Britain was trading heavily with these new Latin American countries. Spanish or even French control of this area would destroy or limit this trade. So Britain proposed a joint statement with the United States that neither country wanted any of Spain's territory in the New World. Britain also wanted the United States to join in opposing the transfer of any of Spain's American territories to any other power in Europe.
VOICE TWO:
Most of President James Monroe's advisors urged him to accept the British offer. Secretary of state John Quincy Adams opposed it. He did not believe the United States should tie itself to any European power, even Britain. Monroe accepted the advice of his Secretary of State. He included Adams' ideas in his message to Congress in December, 1823. This part of the message became known as the "Monroe Doctrine. " The president said no European power should, in the future, try to establish a colony anywhere in the Americas. He said the political system of the European powers was very different from that of the Americas. Monroe said any attempt to extend this European system to any of the Americas would threaten the peace and safety of the United States.
President James Monroe
VOICE ONE:
The president also said the United States had not interfered with the colonies of any European power in South America and would not do so in the future. But, said Monroe, a number of these former colonies had become independent countries. And the United States had recognized their independence. We would see it as an unfriendly act, he said, for any European power to try to oppress or control these new American countries in any way. At the same time, Monroe said, the United States never had -- and never would -- take part in any war among the European powers. This statement of Monroe's was only part of a presidential message to Congress. But it clearly stated one of the most important of America's foreign policies.
VOICE TWO:
The nation had continued to grow during Monroe's term as president. A number of new states were added to the union. Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, and Alabama all became states before 1820. Louisiana had become the first state to be formed from part of the Louisiana territory that the United States bought from France. The rest of this great area was given the name of the Missouri territory. By 1819, there were enough people in part of the Missouri territory for that part to become a state. It would be known as the state of Missouri. But Missouri could not become a state without the approval of Congress. And this approval was almost impossible to get.
VOICE ONE:
The problem was slavery. Slaves were not new in America. Spain had brought them to the west indies hundreds of years before. In 1619, a ship brought 20 African slaves to Jamestown, Virginia. These black men were sold to farmers. Over the years, the use of slaves spread to all the American colonies. There were many more slaves in the agricultural south than in the north. The farms in the north were smaller and needed less man-power. But in the south, farms were much larger, and needed many men. Slaves were the least expensive form of labor. Most of the northern states had passed laws before 1800 freeing slaves. Even the southern states made it illegal to import more slaves from Africa. But those southerners who already owned slaves believed they were necessary, and they refused to free them.
VOICE TWO:
Slavery had been legal when France and Spain controlled the Louisiana territory. The United States did nothing to change this when it purchased the area. So slavery was permitted in the Missouri territory at the time it asked for statehood. A New York congressman, James Tallmadge, offered an amendment to Missouri's request to become a state. Tallmadge proposed that no more slaves be brought into Missouri, and that the children of slaves already there be freed at the age of 25. His proposal started a debate that lasted a year. Supporters of Tallmadge argued that his proposed amendment was constitutional. The constitution, they said, gave Congress the right to admit new states into the union. This also meant, they said, that Congress could refuse to admit new states unless these states met conditions demanded by Congress.
VOICE ONE:
Supporters of the amendment also said small farmers of the north and east could not compete with the southern farmers and the free labor of slaves. They argued that these northern and eastern farmers had as much right to the land of Missouri as anyone else. The Louisiana territory had been paid for by the taxes of all Americans. Those opposed to slavery also argued that slave-holding states would be given too great a voice in the government if Missouri joined them. Under the constitution, three of every five slaves were included in the population count to decide membership in the House of Representatives. In the past, each time a slave state was admitted to the union, a free state also had been admitted. This kept a balance in Congress.
VOICE TWO:
Southerners had an answer for each argument of those supporting the Tallmadge amendment. They agreed that Congress had the constitutional right to admit or reject a state. But they said Congress did not have the right to make conditions for a territory to become a state. William Pinkney of Maryland argued that states already in the union had joined without any conditions. If Congress, he declared, had the right to set conditions for new states, then these new states would not be equal to the old ones. The United States no longer would be a union of equal states. The debate was violent on both sides. Representative Howell Cobb of Georgia told Tallmadge: "You have started a fire. All the waters of the oceans cannot put it out. Only seas of blood can do so."
VOICE ONE:
Henry Clay
The House of Representatives passed the Missouri bill with the Tallmadge amendment. It was rejected by the Senate. The people of Missouri would try again for statehood when the new Congress met in 1820. By this time, another free state was ready to enter the union. Maine -- with the permission of Massachusetts -- asked to become a separate state. Once again, a New York congressman tried to put a condition on statehood for Missouri. He offered an amendment that Missouri should agree never to permit any kind of slavery inside its borders. House Speaker Henry Clay said that as long as any kind of condition was put on Missouri, he could never permit Maine to become a state. Clay was not strong enough to prevent the House from approving statehood for Maine. This bill was sent to the Senate for its approval. The Senate, however, joined the Maine bill with the one for unlimited statehood for Missouri. Senators refused to separate the two.
VOICE TWO:
Finally, Senator Thomas of Illinois offered a compromise. He said Missouri should be admitted as a state permitting slavery. But, he said no other state permitting slavery could be formed from the northern part of the Louisiana territory. The compromise was accepted. And Congress approved statehood both for Missouri and Maine. But they would not become states until President Monroe signed the bills. President Monroe had to make a difficult decision. He was a slave-holder. Many of his friends urged him to veto the bills, which would limit slavery in the Louisiana territory. And electors would soon be chosen for the next presidential election. Still, a decision had to be made. That will be our story in the next program of THE MAKING OF A NATION.
VOICE ONE:
Narrated by Tony Riggs and Larry West.
Written by Frank Beardsley.
#53
VOICE ONE:
President James Monroe
In the spring of eighteen-twenty, President James Monroe faced a difficult decision. His first four years as president were coming to an end. He wanted to be elected again. But he had to decide something that might force the presidential electors to choose another man. Congress, after much bitter debate between north and south, had approved a bill giving statehood to Missouri....A part of the Louisiana Territory. Southern lawmakers wanted Missouri to permit slavery. The northerners wanted no slaves in Missouri. A compromise was reached. Missouri could have slaves. But nowhere else in the northern part of the Louisiana territory would slavery be permitted.
VOICE TWO:
Many southerners were not satisfied. The compromise closed the door against slavery entering large new areas of land. Southerners -- like all other Americans -- had a right to settle in the new territory. President Monroe was a slave-owner. He understood the feelings of the south. His friends urged him to veto the compromise bill, because it limited slavery in the territory. Monroe believed the compromise was wrong -- but not because it kept slaves out of the territory. The president did not believe the Constitution gave Congress the right to make such conditions. Monroe even wrote a veto message explaining why he could not approve the compromise. But he did not use the veto. He also understood the strong feelings of those opposed to slavery. He believed there might be civil war if he rejected the compromise. So Monroe signed the bill. Missouri had permission to enter the union as a slave state.
VOICE ONE:
The crisis seemed ended. But a few months later, a new problem developed. Missouri wrote a state constitution that it sent to Congress for approval. One part of this constitution did not permit free black men to enter the state. The constitution was immediately opposed by a number of congressmen. They charged that it violated the United States Constitution. The United States Constitution said citizens of each state had the rights of citizens of each of the other states. And since free black men were citizens of some states, they should have the right to be citizens of Missouri. The debate over this lasted several months. Former House Speaker Henry Clay finally proposed a compromise that both sides accepted. Missouri could become a state if its legislature would make this promise: It would never pass any law that would violate the rights of any citizen of another state. This second compromise ended the dispute over slavery in Missouri and the Louisiana Territory.
VOICE TWO:
The compromise of eighteen-twenty settled the crisis of slavery for more than twenty years. But everyone knew that the settlement was only temporary. Former President Thomas Jefferson used these words to explain his feelings about the compromise: "This question -- like a fire bell in the night -- awakened and filled me with terror. I understood it at once as the threat of death to the union. It is hushed, indeed, for the moment. But," said Jefferson, "This is a reprieve only. . . Not a final settlement." Monroe's decision to approve the compromise did not hurt his election chances in eighteen-twenty. There was at this time really only one party -- the Republican -- and he was its leader. The opposition Federalist party was dead. It was no longer an election threat. Monroe was the only presidential candidate in the election of eighteen-twenty. He received the vote of every elector, but one. William Plumer of New Hampshire voted for John Quincy Adams. He explained later that George Washington had been the only president to get all the electoral votes. Plumer said he did not want anyone to share this honor given to Washington.
VOICE ONE:
Monroe's first four years as president had been successful. He had increased the size of the United States. Florida now was part of the country. And the problem of slavery had been temporarily settled. There had been economic problems -- some of the worst in the nation's history. But the situation was getting better. The nation was growing. As it grew, new problems developed between its different sections. There were really three separate areas with very different interests. The northeastern states had become the industrial center of the nation. The southern states were agricultural with large farms that produced cotton, rice, and tobacco. Much of the work on these farms was done by slave labor. The western states were areas of small farms where grain was produced with free labor. It was a place where a man could make a new start. . . Could build a new life. The land did not cost much. And the fruits of a man's labor were his own.
VOICE TWO:
This division of the nation into different sections with opposing interests ended the one-party system of Monroe's administration. The industrial northeast wanted high taxes on imported products to protect its industry from foreign competition. This part of the country also believed the national government should pay for roads and waterways to get their products to markets. The south did not agree to high import taxes. These taxes raised the prices on all goods. And import taxes on foreign goods might cause foreign nations to raise import taxes on southern cotton and tobacco. The south also opposed spending federal money for roads and canals. The mountains through the southern atlantic states would make road-building difficult and canals impossible. The western states supported government aid in the building of roads and canals. The Ohio and Mississippi Rivers were the only inexpensive transportation systems for moving their products to markets. The westerners also supported high taxes on imports, because they believed such taxes would raise the prices of their agricultural products.
VOICE ONE:
John Quincy Adams
The separate interests of these different sections produced an exciting presidential election campaign in eighteen-twenty-four. Each section had at least one candidate. Several had more than one. The campaign began almost as soon as Monroe was elected for the second time. At one time, as many as sixteen men thought of themselves as presidential possibilities. By eighteen-twenty-two, the number had been reduced to six men. Three of them were members of Monroe's cabinet: Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Treasury Secretary William Crawford, and Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. Adams was the only northern candidate. He was an extremely able man. There were few jobs in government he could not do, and do well. But he was not the kind of man that people liked. He was cold, questioning, and had a sharp tongue. His father was John Adams, the second president of the United States.
VOICE TWO:
Henry Clay
Treasury Secretary Crawford was a southerner -- born in Virginia -- and a large land-owner in Georgia. Crawford had received some votes when the Republicans chose Monroe as their presidential candidate in eighteen-sixteen. He was a good politician and was supported by most southern Republicans. War Secretary Calhoun also was a southern candidate. But he had much less support than Crawford. His home state -- South Carolina -- first named another man as its candidate. When that man died, they named Calhoun. The west had two candidates in the election of eighteen-twenty-four. One was Henry Clay of Kentucky -- "Harry of the West" -- a great lawyer, congressman, Speaker of the House, and senator. The other was Andrew Jackson -- "Old Hickory" -- the hero of New Orleans [battle of New Orleans during the war of 1812]. Jackson was poorly educated, knew little about government, and had a terrible temper. He was a fighter, a man of the people. The sixth candidate was Dewitt Clinton of New York. He was governor of that state and leader of the commission that built the Erie Canal. But New York presidential electors were chosen by the legislature, which was controlled by Clinton's enemies. So Clinton's chances were poor.
VOICE ONE:
Treasury Secretary Crawford was clearly the leading candidate two years before the election. But he had a serious illness in the autumn of eighteen-twenty-three. He could not meet with the cabinet for months. He could not sign official papers. Crawford did go back to work. But he was only a shadow of the man he had been. "He walks slowly, like a blind man," wrote one reporter. So that took Secretary Crawford out as a possible candidate for the coming election.
VOICE TWO:
Narrated by Tony Riggs and Larry West.
Written by Frank Beardsley.
