Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/282

 230 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS war which had just been concluded has sometimes been called our second war of independence; cer tainly the year 1815, which saw the end of the long strife between France and England, marks an im portant era in American history. Our politics ceased to be concerned mainly with foreign affairs. So suddenly were men s bones of political conten tion taken away from them that Monroe s presi dency is traditionally remembered as the &quot;era of good feeling.&quot; So far as political parties were concerned, such an epithet is well applied; but as between prominent individuals struggling covertly to supplant one another, it was anything rather than an era of good feeling. Mr. Adams s prin cipal achievement as secretary of state was the treaty with Spain, whereby Florida was ceded to the United States in consideration of $5,000,000, to be applied to the liquidation of outstanding claims of American merchants against Spain. By the same treaty the boundary between Louisiana and Mexico was established as running along the Sabine and Red rivers, the upper Arkansas, the crest of the Rocky mountains, and the 42d parallel. Mr. Adams defended the conduct of Gen. Jack son in invading Spanish Florida and hanging Arbuthnot and Ambrister. He supported the policy of recognizing the independence of the re volted colonies of Spanish America, and he was the principal author of what is known as the &quot;Monroe