ADAMS, JACKSON, AND VAN BUREN

THE ELECTION OF 1824

ELECTION OF 1824 Only one political

party—the Jeffersonian-Republicans.

Candidates: William Crawford Andrew Jackson Henry Clay John Quincy Adams

Jackson won the popular vote and the most electoral votes, but he did not have a majority (or more than half). The House of Representatives would have to decide.

THE “CORRUPT BARGAIN” Before the vote in the

House, Clay met with Adams. Clay said he would use his influence in the House to get Adams elected, Adams was elected, and Clay became Secretary of State.

This “corrupt bargain” tainted Adams’ presidency and Congress refused to cooperate with him.

THE ELECTION OF 1828 The Jeffersonian-

Republicans split into Democratic-Republicans and National Republicans.

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS Andrew Jackson States’ rights Party of

frontiersmen, immigrants, and laborers.

NATIONAL REPUBLICANS John Quincy

Adams Strong national

government Party of farmers

and merchants

NEW ELECTION TACTICS Campaigning—

election slogans, buttons, rallies, barbecues.

Mudslinging—attempts to ruin your opponent’s reputation with insults.

Jackson won the election by a landslide. His promise to represent the “common man” against the interests of the rich was very popular.

PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON

“OLD HICKORY”

HOW DID JACKSON’S PRESIDENCY CHANGE POLITICS?

Politics no longer only for the rich

New voters Spoils system Electoral

changes

POLITICS WAS NO LONGER FOR THE RICH

Jackson had come from a poor background to become a war hero and a wealthy man.

Poor people—THE COMMON MAN—identified with Jackson and wanted to participate in the political process because they liked him.

NEW VOTERS Jackson promised

“equal protection and equal benefits for all.” Voting restrictions were lifted and more voters (white men) could vote.

Women, African-Americans, and Native Americans could still not vote.

SPOILS SYSTEM Jackson fired

many government workers and replaced them with his supporters.

“To the victor belongs the spoils.” The person who wins the election gets the spoils (or benefits of victory), including handing out government jobs to supporters. This practice became known as the SPOILS SYSTEM.

ELECTORAL CHANGES Nominating

conventions allowed more people to participate in the selection of political candidates.

ISSUES OF THE JACKSON PRESIDENCY

THE TARIFF DEBATE A tariff is a tax on

imported goods. Northern manufacturers like tariffs because they make foreign goods more expensive so that people will buy American goods.

Southerners hated the tariff because it made manufactured goods more expensive for them. They called the Tariff of 1828 the “Tariff of Abominations.”

Vice-President Calhoun suggested that a state had the right to NULLIFY, or cancel, federal laws considered against the state’s interests.

South Carolina suggested that Southern states should SECEDE—or break away from the U.S.—and form their own government.

Jackson did not support nullification, a compromise was reached to end the crisis, and Calhoun resigned as vice-president.

JACKSON AND THE NATIVE AMERICANS

Jackson favored forcible removal and relocation westward. He endorsed the right of state law over Indian claims or federal law.

The Seminole of Florida were the only Native Americans to successfully resisted removal.

Present-day Oklahoma was established as the Indian Territory—basically a large Indian reservation.

WORCESTER v. GEORGIA The state of

Georgia wanted to remove the Cherokee Indians from their land so that settlers could move on to it. The Cherokee sued to keep the land.

The Supreme Court ruled in the favor of the Cherokee. Jackson encouraged people to defy the Court’s ruling, and the U.S. army was sent to remove the Indians from their land.

This removal is known as the Trail of Tears.

THE NATIONAL BANK The Bank

performed many useful services and helped in the expansion of the U.S. economy.

Jackson distrusted the bank—he felt the bank had too much power over the common man and wanted it abolished.

Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Bank and transferred federal money to state banks, causing a severe financial panic.

In 1836, Martin Van Buren was elected and inherited the financial crisis from Jackson. There was a severe depression during his presidency.

ELECTION OF 1840—TWO PARTIES EMERGE

WHIGS DEMOCRAT William Henry

Harrison vs. Martin Van Buren

WHIGS Represented the

wealthy Strong in New

England and upper mid-west

Favored the national bank, internal improvements, tariffs, and moral reform

DEMOCRATS Favored a

reduction in government

Supported by immigrants and labor organizers

Wanted to keep politics separate from moral issues

Harrison (Tippecanoe and Tyler Too) won the election, but died a month after his inauguration. John Tyler became the first vice-president to take office after the death of the elected president.