Age of Jackson

1
Age of Jackson

• 1820s-1840s

2
Election of 1824

• Yep, this one is crazy too.
• Four DR candidates
• JQ Adams (Sec. of State under Monroe) north
• William Crawford (GA, Congress ?) south
• Henry Clay (KY) and Andrew Jackson (TN) west
• Jackson actually won the popular vote
• No majority, so HOR chose Adams (Clay 4th threw
  his support to Adams)
• Jackson was not happy, accused them of a corrupt
  bargain

3
Election of 1828

• 1920s, Jackson becomes symbol of Democracy
• His ideas and practices are known as Jacksonian
  Democracy
• Andrew Jackson becomes president
• Victory for common man
• He was from poor family, little formal education,
  military hero Old Hickory
• Actually had gained great wealth of his own, was
  a self-educated lawyer and judge, gave impression
  of cultured gentleman

4
What is Jacksonian Democracy?

• Jeffersons Democracy

• Jacksons Democracy

• Capable, well-educated leaders should govern on
  peoples behalf
• Agricultural society
• Limited democracy to political aspects

• People themselves should manage governmental
  affairs
• Agricultural and rising industrial society
• Democracy should include social and economic
  aspects as well as political

5
Two Party System

• Jackson won his party now called the Democrats
• Martin Van Buren was the campaign manager
• People saw him as an advocate of the common man
• Election splits Democratic Republicans into two
  parties
• National Republicans (become Whigs- named after
  18th C. opponents to the monarch in GB)
• Leaders Henry Clay, Daniel Webster
• Consisted of wealthy, bankers, merchants, large
  landowners
• Wanted strong government, national bank,
  protective tariffs
• Democrats
• Leaders Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren
• Consisted of small farmers and businessmen,
  city-workers
• Opposed strong federal government, wanted more
  democracy

6
Political Aspects of Jacksonian Democracy

• Voting
• States (by 1828)
• Removed property and religious requirements
• Increased elected rather than appointed officials
• Shortened terms in office
• Presidential elections
• By 1832, electors were chosen by populace not
  state legislatures (except SC)
• Jackson believed president was the servant of the
  people
• Vetoed more than all presidents before combined
• Refused to enforce John Marshalls Supreme Court
  decision prohibiting Georgia from taking Cherokee
  lands
• Often called King Andrew or King Veto
• Spoils System
• He replaced 20 of federal positions with people
  from his party, replacing former officeholders

7
Economic and Social Aspects of Jacksonian Era

• Economic
• Cheap land out west, squatters were given first
  right to buy land they were farming
• Growth of trade unions
• Spreading to several large cities
• 1842 courts held that strikes and trade unions
  legal
• Social
• Reform movements arose
• Womens Rights, abolition, prohibition, better
  care of mental patients, free public education

8
Native American Removal

• When Jackson became president, most of his
  support was in South (80)
• Jackson had beaten Seminoles in Florida,
  southerners wanted him to drive out other Native
  Americans
• 1827-1830 GA, MS, AL dissolved Indian governments
  and seized land
• 1832 case appealed to Supreme court
• John Marshall says seizure unconstitutional
  Worcester v. Georgia
• Federal treaties with the tribes fed. Law
  superior to state
• Jackson ignored Decision

9
Indian Removal Act

• Jackson urged Congress to pass Indian Removal Act
  in 1830 (before Worcester v. Georgia)
• Act exchanged lands in South for lands in Indian
  territory (Oklahoma)
• Choctaws and Chickasaws agreed
• Small groups of Cherokee agreed, but not
  supported by majority
• 1838 US soldiers forced 16,000 Cherokees out,
  walking on the Trail of Tears
• 4,000 died on journey

10
Tariff of Abominations

• Tariff of 1816 widely supported (south had
  visions of industrialization)
• By 1824, south realized it would remain
  agricultural opposed tariff
• 1828, West and North approved an unusually high
  tariff
• VP John C. Calhoun of SC vehemently opposed
• Became a champion of Nullification states could
  void any law they deemed unconstitutional
• Also believed that a state could terminate its
  compact with the Union
• Calhoun resigns as VP and becomes a senator 1833
• Jackson supported states rights but did not
  agree with nullification and secession

11
Webster-Hayne Debate (1830)

• Union debate came to the Senate
• Robert Hayne of SC debated for states rights
• Daniel Webster (MA) for the nationalists
• Constitution and government created by people not
  states
• Constitutionality determined by SC not states
• No state may nullify a federal law or secede from
  the union makes the union meaningless

12
Bank Issue

• Second Bank of the US
• 4/5 privately owned, profit making bank
• Services
• Depository for government funds
• Private deposits and loans
• Issued bank notes kept state banks for issuing
  too many notes (prevented crazy inflation)

13
Opinions of the Bank

• North likes the bank

• West and South oppose

• Paid dividends on stock owned
• Provided business loans
• Held deposits
• Maintained sound currency
• i.e. it was very bank-y

• Prevented states from issuing lots of notes
  others opposed notes at all-wanted hard
  currency
• Refused loans to people without collateral
• Enriched northern businessmen by dividends
• Unconstitutional
• Engaged in politics
• Allowed a few (board of directors) to hold
  monopoly over national currency/economy

14
More Bank Issues

• 1832 Congress voted to renew banks charter
• Jackson vetoed it
• Won an overwhelming victory in the election
• Saw this as a mandate to destroy the bank
• Withdrew government funds and put them in state
  banks pet banks
• Cripple bank of the US
• Wildcat Banks (banks where Jackson put the money)
• Unwise loans land speculation
• Printed money without reserves
• Jackson insisted the federal land agents only
  accept gold or silver

15
Panic of 1837

• Causes
• State banks could not meet needs of gold and
  silver and closed
• Land speculators unable to pay back loans
• Western states had made unprofitable canals and
  turnpikes and couldnt pay back loans
• Independent Treasury
• Pres. Van Buren Created Independent Treasury Act
  to safeguard government monies created
  treasuries in various cities to keep funds in own
  vaults
• Election of 1840
• Van Buren only lasted one term because he was
  blamed for the panic of 1837
• Tippecanoe and Tyler too! Became President
  (William Henry Harrison and John Tyler)