Chapter 10 The Age of Jackson, 1824-1844

Period 4: 1800 - 1848 Chapter 10: The Age of Jackson, 1824-1844 [191 - 200] Due Date: HALLOWEEN Jacksonian Democracy - Changing politics paralleled complex social and economic changes - The Rise of Democratic Society - Democratic attitudes of society - One class system, common tables, informal manners, equality image present (for white) - Equal opportunity for white males ideal - Ignored oppression of enslaved African Americans & discrimination of freed blacks - “Self-made man” - get as far as you would allow - Feminists take up equal rights them by 1840s - Politics of the Common Man - 1824-1840: politics moved to middle and lower-classes - Factor to spread of democracy: new suffrage laws, changes in political parties and campaigns, improved education, and increases in newspaper circulation - Universal Male Suffrage - Newly admitted western states adopted constitutions allowing all white males to vote and hold office - Omitted any religious or property qualifications from voting - Most eastern state followed suit - Voting numbers increased - Political offices could be held by people in lower and middle ranks of society - Party Nominating Conventions - Candidates nomination by state legislatures or “King Caucus” (closed door meeting of political party leaders in Congress) → 1830s caucuses replaced by nominating conventions - Large meeting hall w/ party politicians and voters - Anti-Masonic party first to hold such nominating convention - More open to popular participation=more democratic - Popular Election of the President - 1832 only SC used old system of state legislature choosing electors for president - All other states: allowed voters to choose state’s slate of presidential electors - Two-party System - Popular election of presidential electors - Campaigns for president now needed to be conducted on national scale - Candidates needed large political party to organize campaigns - Rise of Third Parties - Large national parties (Whigs and Democrats then) most likely to win - Other political parties still emerged - Anti-Masonic party (attacked secret societies of Masons and accused them to belonging to privileged, anti democratic elite) - Workingmen’s party - More Elected Offices - Many more state and local officials elected to office (instead of being appointed) - Gave voters more voice in gov and increased interest in participating in elections - Popular Campaigning - Candidates directed campaigns to interests and prejudices of people Politics form of local entertainment 1830s & 1840s: parades of floats and marching bands, and large rallies w/ free food Negative side: when appealing to masses candidates often resorted to personal attracts and ignored issues - Spoils System and Rotation of Officeholders - Winning government jobs main purpose of party organizations - Needed to belong to party to be successful in politics - Spoils system: practice of dispensing government jobs in return for party loyalty - Jackson believed in system of rotation in office - Limiting a person to one term in office to appoint some other deserving Democrat in his place - Defended as a democratic reform - Both affirmed democratic ideal that one man as good as another and ordinary Americans capable of holding gov office Jackson Versus Adams - Election of 1824 - Jackson won more popular and electoral votes than any other candidate but lost - Era of Good feelings ended w/ 1824 election b/c bitterly contested and divisive presidential election - Four candidates of D-R party: John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson - Jackson won popular votes, but lack majority in electoral college b/c vote was split four ways - House of Reps choose president - Henry Clay used House influence to sway to vote for Adams - Jackson charged decision foiled by secret political maneuvers b/c Adams appointed Clay his Secretary of State - “Corrupt Bargain” - President John Quincy Adams - Alienated followers of Jackson when asked Congress for money for internal improvements, aid to manufacturing, and national university and astronomical observatory - Jacksonians viewed measures as waste of money and violation of Constitution - 1828: Congress new tariff law that satisfied N manufacturers but alienates S planters - “Tariff of abominations” - The Revolution of 1828 - Adams song reelection in 1828 - Jacksonians used discontent of southerners and westerners to get “Old Hickory” (Jackson) into office - Resorted to smearing Adams - Mudslinging campaign attracted voters - Jackson won - Reputation of war hero and man of western frontier reason (over position on issues) The Presidency of Andrew Jackson - Dominated politics for 8 years and symbol of emerging working class and middle class (common man) - Fame: indian fighter and hero in Battle of New Orleans, wealthy planter and slave owner - No college education - Self-made man and living legend drew support from every social group and section of country - Presidential Power - Protector of common man against abuses of power by rich and privileged - - - - - Frugal-- opposed increasing federal spending and national debt Narrow interpretation of powers of Congress-vetoed more bills (12) than all 6 previous presidents in total - “Kitchen cabinet”: Jackson’s closest advisors who didn't belong to his actual cabinet - Appointed cabinet less influence on policy than previous cabinets Peggy Eaton Affair - Champion of common man extended to aid of common woman for Peggy Eaton - Wife of Jackson’s secretary of war - She was target of malicious gossip by other cabinet wives - Most cabinet resigned after Jackson tried to make other wives be nicer - Resignation of vice president John Calhoun Indian Removal Act (1830) - Democracy not extended to Native Americans - Most humane solution in order to keep westernization was to compel Indians to leave traditional homelands and resettle West of Mississippi - Act forced resettlement of many thousands of American Indians - By 1835 most eastern tribes reluctantly complied and moved west - 1836: Bureau of Indian Affairs created to assist resettled tribes - Mostly supported by politicians and states - GA passed laws requiring Cherokees to migrate West - Cherokees challenged GA in courts - Supreme Court ruled in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) that Cherokees not a foreign nation w/ right to sue in federal court - Worcester v. Georgia (1832)-Supreme Court ruled that laws of GA no force within Cherokee territory - Clash between state laws and federal courts - Jackson sided w/ states - Court powerless to enforce decision w/out President’s support Trail of Tears - Most Cherokees rejected settlement of 1835 which provide land in Indian territory - 1838: (Jackson already left office) US Army forced 15,000 Cherokees to leave GA - Hardships of “trail of tears” westward caused 4,000 Cherokee deaths Nullification Crisis - 1828: SC legislature declared increased tariff of 1828 to be unconstitutional - Affirmed nullification theory by John Calhoun (Jackson’s 1st VP) - Each state right to decide whether to obey a federal law or to declare it null and void (of no effect) - 1830: Daniel Webster MA debated Robert Hayne SC on nature of federal Union under Constitution - Webster attacked idea that any state could defy or leave Union - Jackson for preserving union; Calhoun for preserving liberties - 1832: Calhoun's SC increased tension by holding special conventio to nullify 1828 tariff and new tariff on 1832 - Resolution forbidding collection of tariffs within state - Jackson reacted decisively telling Secr. of War to prepare for military action - Persuaded Congress to pass Force bill giving him authority to act against SC - Issued Proclamation to People of SC - nullification and disunion=treason - Jackson compromised by suggesting that Congress lower tariff - No military action - SC okay with compromise of lowered tariff (*still raised tariff but not as much) Jackson’s strong defense of federal authority led to militant advocates of states’ rights retreat - President shared southerners’ alarm about growing antislavery movement in North - Used executive power to stop antislavery literature from being sent through US mail - Souther Jacksonians trusted that he would not extend democracy to blacks - Bank Veto - Rechartering of Bank of US issue - Bank privately owned but received federal deposits and attempted to serve a public purpose by cushioning ups and downs of national economy - Nicholas Biddle (bank’s president) managed it effectively - Arrogance led to suspicion that bank abuses its powers and served only interests of the wealthy - Jackson believed bank of US unconstitutional - Henry Clay (Jackson’s opponent) favored bank - 1832 (election year): Clay challenged Jackson on bank issue by persuading majority in Congress to pass a bank-recharter bill - Jackson vetoed bill and denounced it as private monopoly that enriched wealthy and foreigners at expense of common people - Jackson won reelection b/c voters agreed Two-Party System Democrats Whigs Issues Supported Local rule Limited government Free trade Opportunity for white males American System: National bank Federal funds for internal improvements Protective tariff Major Concerns Monopolies National bank High Tariffs High land prices Crime associated with immigrants Base of Voter Support South and West Urban workers New England and Mid-Atlantic states Protestants of English heritage Urban professionals Other Jackson supporters Resembled Republican party (Jefferson) Henry Clay supporters Resembled Federalist Party (Hamilton) - Jackson’s Second Term - Won reelection in 1832 - Pet Banks - Jackson attacked bank by withdrawing all federal funds - Transferred funds to various state banks (called “pet banks” by critics) - Secr. of Treasury Roger Taney - Species Circular - Prices for land and various goods badly inflated - b/c of financial policies and circulation in western lands - Jackson hoped to check inflationary trend by issuing Specie Circular - - - - Required all future purchases of federal lands made in specie (gold and silver) rather than paper banknotes - Banknotes lost value and land sales plummeted - Panic of 1837: Financial crisis that plunged nation’s economy into depression Election of 1836 - Jackson persuaded Democratic Party to nominate Martin Van Buren - Whig party adopted unusual strategy of nominating three candidates from three different regions - b/c feared defeat - Whigs hoped to throw election into House of Reps - Strategy failed and Van Buren won President Van Buren and the Panic of 1837 - Financial panic of banks closing - Jackson’s opposition to rechartering of Bank was one of causes of panic and resulting economic depression - Whigs blamed Democrats for economics based on little federal involvement The “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” Campaign of 1840 - 1840: Whigs looking to defeat Democrats - Voters unhappy with bad economy - Whigs better organized than Democrats and had popular war hero as candidate - William Henry “Tippecanoe” Harrison - Campaigning: parade of log cabins, hard cider and buttons and hats, name-calling propaganda - Election established Whigs as a national party - Harrison died of pneumonia less than month after taking office, and John Tyler became first VP to succeed president - Tyler not a good Whig: vetoed Whigs’ national bank bills and other legislation, favored southern and expansionist democrats - Jacksonian era came to end w/ Mexican War and increased focus on slavery issue Historical Perspectives: Were the Jacksonians Democratic? Chapter 10 ... Which of the following was the immediate cause of the publication of the statement in this excerpt? D. Increase in the tariff passed by Congress As described in the excerpt which individual or body makes the final decision on whether a law is valid in a state? C. States Which of the following is or are most similar to the statement in the excerpt? A. Kentucky and Virginia resolutions Based on the excerpt which of the following groups was President jackson trying to help? A. Common individuals Which of the following groups provided the greatest support for the Jackson's veto of the bank? D. Westerners President Jackson's veto of the Bank bill would contribute most significantly to B. A financial panic Van buren believed that the strength of the American economy was based on C. Farmers and planters Which of the following individuals would be most critical of van Burres economic policy as presented in this excerpt? D. Henry Clay