War of 1812 magnifies need for internal improvements and stronger national government. Distinct patterns of American growth and expansion: areas of fur trading, plantations, and farms. Monroe elected president; “Era of Good Feelings.” War with Indians and economic depression of 1819. The Missouri Compromise temporarily resolves sectional differences; Monroe Doctrine asserts U.S. preeminence in hemisphere.
The Unfinished Nation is an introduction to the significant events that shaped American history, divided into two parts of 26 programs each. Part I covers Early Colonization to Reconstruction (1877), and Part II spans Reconstruction (1865) to the Information Age. The programs features interviews with leading scholars and historians, locations of historic interest, and supporting materials that utilize, as appropriate, historic artifacts, manuscripts, photographs and archival footage to bring our history to life.
