After the War of 1812, there was a sense of national unity and purpose that characterized the years that followed. President James Monroe even tried to eliminate political parties by downplaying his own affiliation. It’s been coined the “Era of Good Feelings” because of this desire for unity, but of course not everyone experienced these “good feelings”. Slavery continued in the south, despite the international ban on the slave trade, and Native Americans continued to be persecuted as the United States expanded west.