Presidency of James Monroe its claims to lands north of parallel 54°40′ north, and also agreed to open Russian ports to U.S. ships. Five new states were admitted to the Union while Monroe was in office: During James Monroe’s first term, the country had suffered an economic depression and slavery had emerged as a divisive issue. Despite these problems, the collapse of the Federalists left Monroe with no organized opposition at the end of his first term, and he ran for reelection unopposed, the only president other than George Washington to do so. A single elector from New Hampshire, William Plumer, cast a vote
Era of Good Feelings good feelings" and a general mood of optimism emerged with hopes for political reconciliation. Monroe's landslide victory against Federalist Rufus King in the 1816 presidential election was so widely predicted that voter turnout was low. A spirit of reconciliation between Republicans and Federalists was well underway when Monroe assumed office in March 1817. As president, James Monroe was widely expected to facilitate a rapprochement of the political parties in order to harmonize the country in a common national outlook, rather than party interests. Both parties exhorted him to include a Federalist in his cabinet to symbolize the new era of