consul, to slavery, and compelled him to purchase his liberty and that of his family by the payment of a large ransom. Several American merchantmen were captured by the Algerine pirates, and their crews reduced to slavery. The excuse offered by the dey for these outrages was that the presents of the American government were not satisfactory.

The government of the United States determined to compel the Barbary powers to make a definite settlement of the questions at issue between them and this country, and in May, 1815, Commodore Decatur was despatched to the Mediterranean with a fleet of ten vessels, three of which were frigates. He was ordered to compel the dey to make satis

faction for his past outrages, and to give a guarantee for his future good conduct. On the voyage out Decatur fell in with the largest frigate in the Algerine service, near Gibraltar, on the 17th of June, and captured her after a fight of thirty minutes. On the 19th another Algerine cruiser was taken. The fleet then proceeded to Algiers, but upon its arrival found the dey in a very humble frame of mind. The loss of his two best ships, and the determined aspect of the Americans, terrified him into submission, and he humbly sued for peace. He was required to come on board of Decatur's flag-ship, and there sign a humiliating treaty with the United States, by which he bound himself to indemnify the Americans from whom he had extorted ransoms, to surrender all his prisoners uncon

ditionally, to renounce all claim to tribute from the American government, and to cease from molesting American vessels in future.

The difficulty with Algiers having been satisfactorily settled, Decatur sailed to Tunis and Tripoli, and demanded of the government of each of those countries indemnity for some American vessels which had been captured by the British in their harbors with their connivance. The demand was coupled in each case with a threat of bombardment, and was complied with. About the middle of the summer Commodore Bainbridge joined Decatur with the " Independence," 74, the "Congress," and several other vessels, but the energetic Decatur had settled all the difficulties, and had so humbled the Barbary powers that they never again renewed their aggressions upon American commerce. The American fleet then visited the principal ports of the Mediterranean. The brilliant record made by the navy during the war with England secured it a flattering reception everywhere.

In the autumn of 1815 the Indian tribes deprived of the support of Great Britain made peace with each other and with the United States. The northwestern frontier was thus secured against the further hostility

of the savages.

The finances of the country were in a wretched condition at the close of the war. All the banks but those of New England had suspended specie payments, and none were now in a condition to return to a specie basis. The public debt was over $100,000,000, and there was a general lack of confidence throughout the country. Mr. A. J. Dallas, the secretary of the treasury, in view of the general distress, proposed to abolish a number of the internal taxes which had been levied for the support of the war. In their place he advised the imposition upon imports from foreign countries of duties sufficiently high not only to afford a revenue, but also to protect the manufactures which had sprung up during the war, and which were threatened with ruin by the competition of European goods. The president, in his annual message, warmly recommended such a course. Another important measure was also enacted. The charter of the first Bank of the United States expired in 1811. Efforts had been made, without success, to obtain its renewal, and Mr. Madison, in January, 1814, had vetoed a bill for this purpose which had passed both Houses of Congress. In the spring of 1816 a bill was passed by Congress chartering a new Bank of the United States for twenty years, with a capital of $35,000,000, and received the president's signature on the 10th of April. It was located in Philadelphia, but had branches in other States. It gave the people a uniform currency, good in all parts of the country, and redeemable on demand in gold and silver, and thus

did much to remedy the financial difficulties of the times. Somewhat later a law was passed requiring that all sums of money due the United States should be paid in gold or silver coin, "in treasury notes, in notes of the Bank of the United States, or in notes of banks payable, and paid on demand, in

specie."

On the 19th of April, 1816, the Territory of Indiana was admitted into the Union as a State, making the nineteenth member of the Confederacy.

The presidential election took place in the fall of 1816. Mr. Madison having declined to be a candidate for a third term, the Democratic party nominated James Monroe, of Virginia, for President, and Daniel D. Tompkins, of New York, for Vice-President, and elected them by large majorities over the Federal candidates, who were: For President, Rufus King, of New York; for Vice-President, John Howard, of Maryland.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF JAMES MONROE AND JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

Inauguration of Mr. Monroe-His Tour through the Eastern States-Admission of Mississippi into the Union-Troubles with the Indians-General Jackson's Vigorous Measures against the Spaniards in Florida-Purchase of Florida by the United StatesIllinois becomes a State-The First Steamship-Maine admitted into the Union-The Slavery Question-The Missouri Compromise-Admission of Missouri as a State-The Fourth Census-Re-election of Mr. Monroe-The Tariff-Protective Policy of the Government-Recognition of the Spanish Republics-The Monroe Doctrine-Visit of Lafayette to the United States-Retirement of Mr. Monroe-John Quincy Adams elected President-His Inauguration-Rapid Improvement of the Country-Increase of Wealth and Prosperity-Internal Improvements-The Creek Lands in Georgia ceded to the United States-Death of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams-The AntiMasons-The Tariff of 1828-Andrew Jackson elected President of the United States.

AMES MONROE was inaugurated President of the United States, at Washington, on the 4th of March, 1817. He had served during the revolution in the army of the United States, and had entered Congress soon after the formation of the government as a representative from Virginia, and had won great credit by his services in that body. He had been secretary of state during the eight years of Mr. Madison's administation, and had greatly increased his fame by his discharge of the difficult and delicate duties of this position. He was a man of amiable and conciliatory character, and was popular with both parties. In his inaugural address he declared his intention to administer the government in accordance with the principles of Washington, and the sentiments of this document were warmly applauded throughout the country by Federalists as well as Democrats. The administration of Mr. Monroe covered a period generally known in our political history as "the era of good feeling." Party lines were almost blotted out, and the people of the country were more united than at any previous or subsequent qeriod in the support of national measures.

JAMES MONROE.

A few months after his inauguration President Monroe made a tour through the Eastern States. He was received with marked attention everywhere, and the Federalist city of Boston entertained him with the cordial hospitality which is one of her characteristics.

On the 10th of December, 1817, the western portion of the Territory of Mississippi was admitted into the Union as the State of Mississippi. The eastern portion of the former Territory was erected into the Territory of Alabama, for which a government was provided by Congress.

Towards the close of the year 1817 the Seminole Indians, whose lands lay within the Spanish province of Florida, began to commit depredations along the borders of Georgia and Alabama Territory. They were joined by the Creeks, and their operations soon became so important as to demand the immediate action of the federal government. General Gaines, commanding the federal troops in Alabama, attempted to check the Indians, but his forces were inadequate to the task, and he was compelled to ask assistance of the government. General Jackson, commanding the southern department, was ordered to call out the militia and take the field against the Indians. He collected a force of one thousand mounted Tennesseeans, and in March, 1818, invaded the

Indian country, and in a few weeks laid it waste; the villages and cornfields were burned, and the cattle captured or killed.

In

Being satisfied that the Spaniards in Florida had incited the Indians to make war on the United States, General Jackson, as soon as he had punished the Indians, marched into Florida and seized St. Marks, on Appalachee bay, the only fortified town of the Spaniards in that part of Florida. An armed American vessel, cruising off the Florida coast, hoisted the British colors, and two prominent hostile Creek chiefs, were decoyed on board, and were summarily hanged by order of Jackson. one of his forays against the Indians Jackson captured two British traders, Robert C. Ambrister, or Ambuster, and Alexander Arbuthnot. They were accused of aiding the Indians, were tried and found guilty by a court-martial, and were promptly hanged. The Spanish governor indignantly protested against the invasion of Florida, but Jackson, unmoved by this protest, advanced in May to Pensacola, the seat of the Spanish provincial government, which place was immediately surrendered to him. The Spanish governor fled to Fort Barrancas, below the town. Jackson attacked the fort and compelled it to surrender after a brief resistance,