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VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by theVoice of America.

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As we said in our last program, President James Madison retiredafter two four-year terms. His Republican Party chose another manfrom Virginia, James Monroe, as the next presidential candidate. Theopposition Federalist Party had almost disappeared by the time ofthe election in 1816. It did not meet to chose a presidentialcandidate. However, three states -- Connecticut, Delaware, andMassachusetts -- promised to vote for Federalist Rufus King.

VOICE TWO:

James Monroe easily won theelection. He would serve two terms. Monroe was sworn-in as presidentin February, 1817. A few months later, he began a long trip to 13states. Everywhere he stopped, the people welcomed him warmly. Evenin New England the crowds were large. The president returned toWashington after three and a half months. He was tired. But he waspleased with the way the people of the United States had acceptedhim.

VOICE ONE:

Not everyone was happy that Monroe had been elected. After all,he was the fourth American president from Virginia. The situationcaused hard feelings among political leaders in other states,especially the states of New England. Monroe tried to improve thissituation. He wanted to give the top four jobs in his cabinet to menfrom each of the nation's four major areas: the northeast, thesouth, the west, and the middle Atlantic coast. This would helpimprove unity. And it would help the president get expert knowledgeabout each of those parts of the country. Monroe was not able to dowhat he wanted. He got cabinet ministers from only three of the fourareas. The west was not represented.

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The top cabinet job -- Secretaryof State -- went to John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts. Adams wasthe son of former President John Adams. John Quincy Adams had been aFederalist, like his father. But he became a Republican during thepresidency of Thomas Jefferson. Adams had served his country in manyways. He had served as minister to Russia. And he had been the chiefnegotiator at the peace talks with Britain following the War of1812. President Monroe asked Henry Clay of Kentucky to be Secretaryof War. But Clay refused. The president could find no otherwesterner who would take the job as Chief of the War Department. Sohe gave it to John C. Calhoun, a Congressman from South Carolina.William Crawford of Georgia, another southerner, continued asTreasury Secretary. And William Wirt of Virginia became head of theJustice Department.

VOICE ONE:

One of the first problems facing President Monroe was eastFlorida. It was the territory which is now the state of Florida inthe southeastern United States. At that time, the territory belongedto Spain. But Spain controlled only a few towns in the area. Therest was controlled by criminals, escaped slaves, and former Britishsoldiers. There also were native American Indians of the Seminoleand Creek tribes. Sometimes, people from east Florida would crossthe border and attack American citizens. One serious fight involvedSeminole Indians and people just across the border in the state ofGeorgia.

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General Andrew Jackson was ordered to March against the Indians.He was a hero of the War of 1812 against Britain. Jackson sent amessage to President Monroe. He said: "Let me know in any way thatthe United States wants possession of the Florida territory. And in60 days, it will be done."

Jackson received no answer to his letter. He believed the silencemeant that he was free to seize Florida. He quickly gathered a forceof soldiers and marched toward Florida.

VOICE ONE:

General Jackson failed to capture any Indians. But he seized twoSpanish towns: Saint Marks and Pensacola. He also arrested twoBritish subjects. The two men were tried by a military court. Theywere found guilty of spying and giving guns to the Indians. Bothwere executed. Jackson left soldiers at several places in Florida.Then he returned to his home in Tennessee.

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President Monroe called a cabinet meeting as soon as he learnedof Jackson's actions. All the ministers, except Secretary of StateAdams, believed that Jackson had gone too far. But they decided notto denounce him in public. Secretary Adams prepared messages toBritain and Spain about the incidents. His message to Britaincarefully stated the activities of the two British subjects inFlorida and explained why they were executed. Britain agreed not totake any action.

VOICE ONE:

Adams's message to Spain explained the situation this way: Spainhad failed to keep the peace along the border as it had promised todo in a treaty. The United States had sent soldiers into Floridaonly to defend its citizens on the American side. The United Statesrecognized that Florida belonged to Spain. But if Americans wereforced to enter Florida again -- in self-defense -- the UnitedStates might not return the territory to Spain. Spain had a choice.It could send enough soldiers to keep order in Florida. Or it couldgive Florida to the United States.

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Spain really had no choice. At that time, Spain's colonies inSouth America were rebelling. All had declared their independence.Jose de San Martin led the struggle in Argentina. Bernardo O'Higgenswas in Chile. And Simon Bolivar created the Republic of GreatColumbia in the north. Spain's forces could not be sent to Florida.They were needed in South America. So the King of Spain agreed togive Florida to the United States. In exchange, the United Statesagreed to pay five-million dollars to American citizens who haddamage claims against Spain.

VOICE ONE:

The Florida Treaty was signed in February, 1819. The AmericanSenate quickly approved the treaty. But the King of Spain delayedhis approval for almost two years. He had hoped the United Stateswould agree to one more demand. He did not want the United States torecognize the independence of the rebel Spanish colonies in SouthAmerica. The United States rejected the King's demand. It said Spainmust approve the Florida treaty. . . Or it would take Florida on itsown. The threat succeeded. Spain approved the treaty.

VOICE TWO:

Many Americans believed that theUnited States should recognize the independent republics in SouthAmerica. The speaker of the House of Representatives, Henry Clay,agreed. He said recognition would help protect the rights andliberties of the new republics. He said it would lead to economicties with the United States. And he said it would make the newrepublics follow the lead of the United States in diplomacy andforeign policy. As a result of all this, Clay said, the UnitedStates would become the leading nation in the Americas.

VOICE ONE:

Secretary of State Adams disagreed. He did not believe that thenew republics could develop free and liberal forms of government. Healso feared that United States' recognition of the South Americanrepublics would lead to trouble with European nations. At the end ofthe Napoleonic Wars, some of the nations of Europe joined in anagreement to keep the peace. They agreed to help each other put downrebellions. Such rebellions were defeated in Spain and Italy.Britain refused to be part of the agreement. And it did not want thealliance to interfere in South America. Britain had a good tradewith the new republics. Britain proposed a joint statement with theUnited States. The statement would say that neither country wouldseize Spanish colonies in the New World. And both would oppose anyeffort by Spain to give its American territory to another Europeannation.

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At first, President Monroe thought he would accept the Britishproposal. He asked former Presidents Jefferson and Madison for theiradvice. Both urged him to accept it. Secretary of state Adams,however, disagreed sharply. He said the United States should actalone in protesting European interference in south America.President Monroe finally accepted the advice of his Secretary ofState. He included Adams's ideas in his message to Congress in 1839.They became known as the "Monroe Doctrine". That will be our storynext week.

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VOICE ONE:

You have been listening to the Special English program, THEMAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Tony Riggs and Larry West.Our program was written by Frank Beardsley.