The Age of Jackson

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The Age of Jackson

• 1824-1840

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Jacksonian Democracy

• Politics of the Common Man
• Universal male suffrage
• Improved education
• State suffrage laws (no religious or property
  clauses)
• Party nominating conventions
• No nominations by King Caucus
• Popular elections of electoral college
• SC was the only state to have legislature choose
• Two Party system
• Large political parties are needed to campaign to
  the electorate
• Spoils System
• The giving of government jobs to political
  supporters
• Jackson was a strong supporter of this system

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Video Clip
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The Election of 1824

• This election ends the Era of Good Feelings
• Jackson, Adams, and Clay all split electoral
  votes
• The election was thrown to the House of Reps.
• Clay used his influence to swing votes to Adams
  in return for a Cabinet position (Sec. of State.)
• Jackson supporters referred to this as the
  corrupt bargain.
• This fueled the creation of a second political
  Party, lead by Jackson
• Jacksons party began to campaign immediately for
  1828.
• They championed the rights of the common man
  against the corrupt bargainers who were
  stealing democracy in the opinion of the
  Jacksonians.

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The Revolution of 1828

• The new idea of party organization and the
  discontent of the Southerners (Tariff of 1828)
  swept Jackson into office.
• Three times the the number of voters participated
  in 1828 as compared to 1824.
• Jackson greatly expanded the role of President,
  while at the same time narrowing the scope of
  federal government, this was evidenced by his use
  of the veto 12 times, more than the 6 previous
  Presidents

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Jackson and the Indians

• Jacksons democracy was not extended to Native
  Americans.
• He was openly hostile to them, as he had been in
  the military
• In 1830 he signed the Indian Removal Act that
  sent Native Americans West of the Mississippi to
  live on reservations
• He also defied the Supreme Court ruling in
  Worcester v. Georgia

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Video Clip
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The Nullification Crisis

• Although Jackson was a states rights supporter,
  he was also a Unionist
• The Webster-Hayne debate fueled the sectional and
  nullification crisis, Jackson declared, The
  Union, it must be preserved.
• The Nullification Crisis exploded over the Tariff
  of 1828, a large tariff on imports
• SC held a secession convention and passed a
  resolution not to collect the tariff. Jackson
  threatened to send troops.
• A compromise was reached when the tariff was
  lowered and SC disbanded the convention

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Video Clip
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The Bank Veto

• Jackson demonstrated his loathing of central
  government through the veto of the bank
• He felt the bank was a tool of the Eastern elite
  and served only the interest of the wealthy
• The veto was a popular measure and propelled
  Jackson to re-election with a 3/4ths majority of
  electoral votes.

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Jacksons Second Term

• Jacksons second term was unremarkable, except to
  note it failures
• His veto of the the bank recharter forced him to
  deposit federal monies in state banks, referred
  to as pet banks
• These banks were able to profit greatly from the
  additional funds made available for loans.
• Speculation in Western lands also created
  problems for Jackson
• As land speculators inflated prices and devalued
  currency, Jackson issued the Specie Circular
• This stated that all federal land had to be
  purchased with hard currency, gold or silver
• This circular had the effect of making bank notes
  lose even more value
• The result was a loss of consumer demand and the
  Panic of 1837 a severe depression

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Video Clip
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Jacksonian Democracy in Perspective

• Jackson helped to develop the 2 party system
• His methods of campaigning were important to help
  bring democracy to the common man.
• By the election of 1840, an unbelievable 78 of
  eligible voters turned out for the election.
• This is testament to the democratic forces
  unleashed by Jackson and his supporters
• His record as a politician is less democratic,
  with the Indian Removal Act, defying the Supreme
  Court, and the threat of military action against
  South Carolina
• Jackson was an interesting dichotomy