Jackson as President

The Spoils System The Democrats transformed party structure.

Everyone in the party, no matter their political level, had to obey democratic principles or else be cast out. Emergence of professional politicians.

Those loyal to the party were rewarded with government jobs. When Jackson became president, Martin Van

Buren became Secretary of State. (Sound familiar?)

The practice of rewarding followers with government jobs became known as the spoils system.

Native Americans Much of Jackson’s support came from the South.

When Southerners asked that 60,000 Native Americans be removed from land viable for cotton, Jackson obliged.

Jackson had already petitioned Congress to pass the Indian Removal Act. This would negotiate a land tradeoff– give up

southern lands for land in the Indian Territory (Oklahoma)

Native Americans In Worchester v Georgia (1832),

the Native Americans took their case to the Supreme Court. John Marshall ruled in favor of the

Native Americans keeping their land. Jackson’s response “John Marshall

has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”

Jackson required Native Americans to walk from Georgia to Oklahoma on what would become known as the Trail of Tears.

The Nullification CrisisProtective tariffs (designed to protect

northern industry) had angered the South for years. The Tariff of 1828 was no different. The South nicknamed the Tariff of

Abominations because it was especially high.

In 1832, South Carolina nullified the tariff.They even threatened to secede from the

Union if the tariff was not reduced.

The Crisis Resolved Jackson generally supported states’

rights, but he did not support secession. Jackson threatened to use federal troops

against South Carolina. He had passed the Force Bill to give him whatever power necessary to collect taxes.

Ultimately, the tariff was lowered and SC ended the nullification process. This was the end to the Nullification Crisis of 1833.

The Bank War When it came time for the re-

chartering of the B.U.S. in 1832, Congress passed it, but Jackson used his power of veto. Jackson saw it as dangerous

and corrupt ‘many headed hydra’

Many Democrats thought the ‘new’ type of economy brought about corruption and greed.

Jackson’s use of the veto shocked many of its supporters, because it had been used so infrequently.

The Whig Party Forms Henry Clay and Daniel Webster (two

Bank supporters) formed a new political party in 1832 known as the Whigs. They wanted a strong federal government; Favored protective tariffs, internal

improvements and a national bank. (Sound familiar?)

Jackson was re-elected in 1836 and weakened the Bank by withdrawing all federal funds and placing them in state banks. These were known as his ‘pet banks’.

Politics After JacksonWithout federal regulation, the state banks

began producing more paper money than needed, causing inflation. This led to the Panic of 1837.

When Martin Van Buren took over in 1837, there was a sharp drop in land prices. This affected both planters/farmers as well as urban

workers. It was the worst depression the U.S. had experienced

to date.

Whigs Rise to PowerThe Panic led to the revival of

the Whig Party. They nominated William Henry

Harrison (Old Tip), who won the electoral vote in a landslide.

It was a short-lived victory for the Whigs, though, when Harrison died from pneumonia. His vice president, John Tyler, rejected the Whig policies.

Closing QuestionHow was Jackson’s presidency a ‘return to Jeffersonian principles’?

(Think about what groups/people he was advocating for during his

presidency).