Answer:
The American approach to foreign policy evolved from the European political system known as mercantilism was the American System.
Explanation:
The American System was an economic program based on the ideas of Alexander Hamilton, which consisted of a high customs tariff to support national industry, as well as the opening of roads and a national bank for encourage productive endeavors and issue a national currency. This program was designed to enable the United States to grow and prosper, providing a defense against competition from cheaper foreign products, mainly at the time, those of the British Empire.
The system was first proposed - and widely approved - during the Era of Good Feelings, after the War of 1812, which produced a sense of nationalism and an awareness that the economic infrastructure lacked support. Congress approved a protectionist tariff and a national bank. In the Congress the main defenders were Henry Clay, from Kentucky, and John C. Calhoun, from South Carolina. Calhoun was especially vehement in defending the construction of an industrial base and a transport system, as a matter of national defense. The strongest base of parliamentary support in Congress came from the states of New York and Pennsylvania, both of which dreamed of becoming "empire states" or "keystone states" promoting rapid industrialization. The main opposition came from John Randolph, who said that the Constitution did not allow such programs.
