Monroe's first term was a great success. He sent Andrew Jackson to protect the southern border from marauding Indians and escaped slaves using Spanish Florida for protection. Jackson invaded Spanish Florida, overthrowing the Spanish governor, crushing the Seminole Indian resistance and destroying their villages. Jackson also executed two British citizens who had been illegally supplying the Indians with arms and inciting them to commit atrocities against the Americans. The entire episode convinced Spain that they could not hold or govern Florida, making them more willing to consider selling Florida to the United States.
The Rush-Bagot Agreement demilitarized the Great Lakes, easing tensions with England, and the Convention of 1818 granted fishing rights to Americans in certain Canadian waters and settled the boundary between Canada and the United States from Minnesota to the Rockies.
The Adams-Onis Treaty gave Florida to the United States and settled some boundary disputes between the United States and Spain. Spain also gave up all claims to the Oregon Territory.
The only dispute that interrupted the Era of Good Feelings was the tension created over Missouri's application for statehood as a slave state. There was a balance in the Senate between slave and free states at eleven each. Missouri's entry would upset that balance. Debate over the slavery issue in the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase territory became intense and acrimonious. Henry Clay forged a compromise called the Missouri Compromise, or Compromise of 1820.
Under the provisions of the Missouri Compromise, Missouri would enter the Union as a slave state. To maintain the balance in the Senate, Maine would enter as a free state. Up to that time, Maine had been the Northern District of Massachusetts, but had been working to become a separate state. The remainder of the Louisiana Purchase territory would be divided into slave and free territory along the line of 36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, which formed the southern boundary of Missouri. With this compromise in place, tensions eased and the Era of Good Feelings continued for another four years.
In 1820, Monroe ran for re-election. This time the Federalist Party had no candidate, official or otherwise. Monroe carried every state. He did not, however, win unanimous re-election in the Electoral College. One elector voted against Monroe.
