Era of Good Feelings Begins with Monroe Presidency, Masking Corruption as "Era of Good Stealings"

James Monroe assumes the presidency, inaugurating what becomes known as the “Era of Good Feelings” (1817-1825)—a period marked by the collapse of the Federalist Party and an end to bitter partisan disputes, creating nearly a decade of one-party Democratic-Republican dominance. The era reflects a sense of national purpose and desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812, with Monroe’s presidency so closely associated with this apparent harmony that his name and the era become virtually synonymous. The Federalist Party, which had been discredited by the Hartford Convention’s secessionist threats during the War of 1812, effectively dissolves as a national force, leading to a period of one-party rule and relative surface political calm.

However, beneath this veneer of harmony lie significant problems that lead some historians to label this period the “Era of Good Stealings,” pointing to widespread corruption and mismanagement that one-party dominance enables. Although the period has often been characterized by its lack of partisan conflict, Democratic-Republicans are deeply divided internally over economic policy, sectional interests, and slavery expansion, with a new political system forming from the old Republican-Federalist competition. The absence of meaningful political opposition creates conditions where accountability mechanisms weaken and corruption flourishes without partisan scrutiny. Economic crises, particularly the Panic of 1819, expose underlying issues in the economy and banking system, revealing how the Second Bank of the United States’ fraud and speculation contributed to financial instability that harms ordinary citizens.

The Era of Good Feelings demonstrates how one-party political dominance, even when achieved through legitimate electoral victory rather than suppression, can undermine democratic accountability by eliminating competitive oversight and enabling systematic corruption. The period establishes patterns where the absence of organized opposition allows those in power to pursue self-dealing and factional interests without effective challenge—dynamics recurring from Gilded Age Republican dominance in northern states through modern single-party control in various regions. The era’s eventual collapse with the bitterly contested 1824 election and subsequent “corrupt bargain” reveals how suppressed political conflict and accountability deficits ultimately produce explosive factional battles, as accumulated grievances and corruption erupt when elite consensus fractures. The “Era of Good Stealings” label captures an essential truth: political harmony often masks rather than prevents corruption, and robust opposition serves democracy better than superficial unity.