2004-2-25
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VOICE ONE:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the
Voice of America.
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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:
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:
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.
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VOICE ONE:
You have been listening to the Special English program, THE
MAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Tony Riggs and Larry West.
Our program was written by Frank Beardsley.