Abstract

The election of John Quincy Adams as president in 1824 saw the final stages of the so-called ‘Era of Good Feelings.’ Following the War of 1812 and the end of the Federalist Party, the United States entered a period characterized by high national pride and a single major political party, the Democratic-Republicans. Much of the scholarship around this period explains its ramifications on a national scale, such as works by historians Robert V. Remini and Daniel Walker Howe, and the consensus is that this period was still full of contentious politics. However, there is little work examining how the ‘Era of Good Feelings’ affected local politics, specifically during the election of 1824. Kentucky, home of presidential candidate Henry Clay, provides the ideal conditions to study these effects. This state was one of the few that was not politically homogeneous during this period and was more susceptible to the effects of the Era of Good Feelings. By comparing election returns from 1824 to later presidential races, this project explains how a single- party system impacted Kentuckians’ voting patterns in national issues. A large portion of the American public was indifferent to presidential elections during this period and the citizens that did vote were not bound to political parties to guide their decision. While national politicians continued to argue over major issues and state politics dominated smaller communities, the connection between ordinary citizens and national politics was severed. This project demonstrates that while historians rightfully claim there were few actual ‘good’ feelings on the national scale, there was still a significant impact on counties and states during this era.

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