I. Presidency of Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) & the

‘Growth’ of American Democracy

Key Vocabulary Civil servants- people who work for the

government Spoils system- giving political supporters

jobs Tariff- tax on imported goods Secede- to formally withdraw from a

country or organization

A. Federalist Period1. Only white

landowners of certain Christian denominations (groups) could vote.

2. Change in laws now allowed all male citizens to vote. Planter

WriterHistorian

planter

Harvard educated lawyer

Educated in History law & government Jefferson

WashingtonAdams

Madison

A. Jackson Takes Office1. Election of 1824

a. Jackson 1st ran for pres. Against Henry Clay, William Crawford, & John Q. Adams.

b. Adams won the majority of electoral votes with the help of Clay.

c. Jackson accused Adams & Clay of making a “corrupt bargain” since Clay became Adams secretary of state.

2. Election Campaign of 1828

a. Jackson & his supporters organized the Democratic Party

b. Promised to represent the common man.

c. He was promoted as being a “self-made man”

d. Gained fame from his military career- Battle of New Orleans

e. Jacksonian Democracy-

the idea that the common ppl should control their gov’t.

B. While he was president…

1. Kitchen Cabinet- Jackson's unofficial advisors. Made up of close friends he trusted.

2. Spoils System- rewarding political supporters with jobs.

3. Indian Removal Act of 1830a. Law that forced N.A to move from their homelands (Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Miss. Alabama)

b. Benefited farmers who wanted more land

c. N.A were given less land in the ‘Indian Territ.’ (Oklahoma)

d. Trail of Tears- 17,000 Cherokee Indians were forced to walk over 600 miles. U.S army escorted them out. 4,000 died of starvation & disease.

4. Nullification Crisis

a. In 1828 Congr. Under Adams raised tariffs (taxes) on imported goods (cloth & glass)

b. Northerners liked the tariffs b/c it

encouraged growth in northern factories

b. Southerners Hated tariffs b/c -it made foreign made

factory goods expensive to buy

-Discouraged trade b/t nations (cotton going to foreign countries)

-Unfair to pass a law that favored certain states (states rights)

5. Why it was a crisis

a. Vice Pres. John C. Calhoun called for southern states to nullify (reject federal laws) the tariff.

b. S. Carolina threatened to secede but eventually backed down.

c. Jackson asked congress to pass the Force Bill (army would collect taxes)

6. Battle with the National Bank

a. National Bank was a private business owned partly by the gov’t & was run by Nicolas Biddle

b.Henry Clay’s Plan to ruin the pres.

Step 1: Call for a bill to renew the banks charter (contract)

Step 2: Try to force Jackson to sign the bill

-If he signs it:•Lose votes from farmers who hated banks

-If he doesn’t sign it:•Lose votes from business ppl who needed loans

7. Jackson Kills the Bank

a. More farmers (common ppl) than merchants & manufacturers

b. Vetoed the charter bill & put the money in state banks

c. Claimed the bank was an unconstitutional monopoly