1) The Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a series of secret meetings held from December 15, 1814 to January 5, 1815 at Hartford, Connecticut. Delegates from the Federalist party from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont attended the Hartford Convention. 1 The Federalist Party was a political party which opposed President James Madison's trade policies (which continued President Jefferson's blockage of trade with Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars), as well as his continuation of the War of 1812.2 When Madison was re-elected in 1812 the discontent in New England intensified. In late 1813 Madison signed a more restrictive embargo act than any of those approved by Jefferson, this time prohibiting all trade between American ports (the coastal trade) and fishing outside harbors.3This conference occurred at a time in the war of 1812 "when American prospects seemed darkest".3 The purpose of the convention was to discuss "public grievances and concerns" , that is, among other things, the conduct of the war by the Democratic-Republican Party.4
Although the Federalist party was established with the idea of a stronger central government,5 this meeting/convention of New England Federalist adopted a strong states' rights position and expressed its grievances in a series of resolutions against military conscription and commercial regulations.6 The delegates of this convention argued that the Democratic-Republican Congress violated the Constitution by declaring an unwanted war.4 As a result, those states not did not approve of the war had a right to override the action of congress in declaring this war.4 "The report said that New England had a "duty" to assert its authority over unconstitutional infringements on its sovereignty."6 The Hartford Convention's final report proposed several amendments to the U.S. Constitution, including:6 1.Prohibiting any trade embargo lasting over 60 days; 2. Requiring a two-thirds Congressional majority for declaration of offensive war, admission of a new state, or interdiction of foreign commerce; 3. Removing the three-fifths representation advantage of the South; 4. Limiting future Presidents to one term, and: 5. Requiring each President to be from a different state than his predecessor. (This provision was aimed directly at the dominance of Virginia in the presidency since 1800.) News of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812, and the secret of the Hartford convention meetings, discredited the convention and its work. The Hartford Conventions unpopularity was a factor in the demise of the Federalist Party.6 1. "The Report of the Hartford Convention"; http://www.usconstitution.net/hartford.html (accessed 11-4-14).
2. Hickey, Donald R. The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict. (1995), page 233.
3. Morison, Samuel Eliot. "Our Most Unpopular War," Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings 1968 80: 38-54. ISSN 0076-4981.
4. Degler CN, et.al. The American Saga: Volume 1 - to 1877, 2nd edition, BVT Publishing, 2011, page 230.
5. Degler CN, et.al. The American Saga: Volume 1 - to 1877, 2nd edition, BVT Publishing, 2011, page 182.
6. "The Hartford Convention" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Convention (accessed 11-4-14)

2) Rush-Bagot Agreement
Rush-Bagot Convention of 1817 was an agreement between the United States and Great Britain concerning the armaments by both nations on the waters bordering the Canadian border. 1The Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1917 demilitarized the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain after the War of 1812. It limited naval armaments on these bodies of water between the United States and Canada. Nevertheless, both the U.S. and Great Britain retained land fortifications and the border remained a guarded border until 1871.2 The agreement consisted of an exchange of notes between Richard Rush, acting U.S. secretary of state, and Charles Bagot, British minister to the United States.3 The agreement was named after both individuals. It was ratified unanimously1 by the United States Senate on April 16, 1818; and was confirmed by Canada, following Canadian Confederation, in 1867. 4
According to the treaty. each nation should have no more than four warships, none to exceed 100 tons, on the Great Lakes.1 With some modifications, it has remained in force to the present day and has formed the basis of peaceful border relations between the United States and Canada.1 The U.S.-Canadian border remained a guarded border until 1871.2 The agreement, a result of negotiations begun after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, was important because it set a precedent for the pacific settlement of Anglo-American difficulties and because it inaugurated a policy of peace between the United States and Canada.1 References
1. "Rush-Bagot Convention Facts, information, pictures"; Encyclopedia.com articles about Rush-Bagot Convention". Encyclopedia.com. 2005-01-08. Accessed 11-4-14.
2. Degler CN, et.al. The American Saga: Volume 1 - to 1877, 2nd edition, BVT Publishing, 2011, page 241.
3. “Rush–Bagot Agreement” Encyclopædia Britannica – Online. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513059/Rush-Bagot-Agreement accessed 11-4-14.
4. Norton, Mary Beth (2001). A People and a Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 246. As cited in Wikipedia “Rush-Bagot Agreement”.

3. The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a US foreign policy regarding Latin American countries, stated by President James Monroe in his annual address to Congress on December 2, 1823.1 The Monroe Doctrine was based on two main principles: noncolonization and nonintervention.1 It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be dangerous to the safety and peace of the United States.1,2 At the same time, the doctrine stated that the United States would neither interfere with existing European colonies or with the internal affairs of European countries.1
By the time the Doctrine was issued in 1823, nearly all Latin American of Spain and Portugal had achieved or were at the point of gaining independence.1 By 1830, only Cuba and Puerto Rico were under Spanish rule.1 The United States, working in agreement with Britain, wanted to guarantee that no European power would move in and regain power in North or South America.3 The term "Monroe Doctrine" itself was coined in 1850.4 The doctrine was conceived to meet major concerns of the moment, but it soon became a watchword of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere.5 The doctrine asserted that the New World and the Old World were to remain distinctly separate spheres of influence, for they were composed of entirely separate and independent nations.6
References
1. Degler CN, et.al. The American Saga: Volume 1 - to 1877, 2nd edition, BVT Publishing, 2011, page 242-44.
2. "The Monroe Doctrine (1823)". Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy. United States Department of State. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/monroe (accessed 11-4-14)
3. Herring, George C. (2008). From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 153–155. As cited in Wikipedia “Monroe Doctrine”.
4. "Monroe Doctrine". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). 2002.
5. “Monroe Doctrine (1823)”; http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=23 (accessed 11-5-14).
6. New Encyclopedia Britannica 8 (15th ed.). Encyclopedia Britannica. p. 269.