Jacksonian America

Chapter 6Section 1

Election of 1828

Opponents

Andrew Jackson 178

John Quincy Adams 83

Jackson wins the election and becomes the 7th President of the United States

Election of 1828Jackson felt Adams was an intellectual elitist Jackson portrayed himself as a “common man”Jackson in reality was a wealthy plantation ownerRecord number of people went to Washington, D.C. to see the inauguration of “Old Hickory”

Spoils System

Jackson knew how to inspire loyalty and enthusiasm

He knew how to use the powers of the presidency

“To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy”

Andrew Jackson

Spoils System

Appointed people to federal jobs for a maximum of 4 years otherwise they may become corrupt or inefficient

Jackson replaced officials of the federal government with his own friends

Spoils SystemHe fired about 10% of the federal employees (mostly people appointed during the Adams administration)He gave the jobs to loyal Jacksonian’s He also had the “kitchen cabinet”, his loyal friends who would advise him on presidential matters

Do you think that the spoils system still exists

today?

What is your opinion of the fairness of the system?

Jackson & Native Americans

Who were the five civilized tribes?

Creek

Choctaw

Chickasaw

Cherokee

Seminole

Jackson & Native Americans

What areas did they occupy?Large areas of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida

Jackson & Native Americans

What were Jackson’s views concerning the Native Americans?

He believed that the tribes could never be assimilated into European ways

By allowing the Native Americans to live in their original areas would require too many troops to protect them

The only possible solution was to move them to areas in the west

Indian Removal Act1830

Passed by CongressProvided federal funds to negotiate treaties that would force Native Americans to move west90 treaties were signedJackson forced the Choctaw to sign a treaty that required them to move from Mississippi

Indian Removal Act

1831

Jackson ordered U.S. troops to forcibly remove the Sauk and Fox from their native lands in Illinois and Missouri

1832

Jackson forced the Chickasaw to leave their lands in Alabama and Mississippi

Cherokee Fight Back

Cherokees led by John Ross take the fight to the Supreme Court

In Worcester v. Georgia, 1832, the Cherokee won recognition as a distinct political community

The Court ruled that Georgia was not entitled to regulate the Cherokee nor to invade their lands

Cherokee Fight Back

Jackson refused to abide by the Court’s ruling stating “John Marshall has made his decision: now let him enforce it.”

Cherokee Fight Back

1835John Ross, the Cherokee leader, still tried to fight in court

Some Cherokee promoted relocation and federal agents chose to recognize those that did as the true representatives of the tribe

Cherokee Lose the Battle

Treaty of New EchotaCherokees’ last 8 million acres are given to the federal government for $5 million and land west of the Mississippi River

Cherokee Lose the Battle

1838About 20,000 Cherokee are still living in GeorgiaJackson’s successor,

Martin Van Buren orders their forced removal

For what reason do you think Americans were

anxious to relocate Native Americans?

Trail of Tears

Trail of Tears

October and November 1838Cherokee were sent off in groups of 1,000800 mile trip was made partly by steamboat, railroad and mostly by walkingMany Cherokee died on the trip

Trail of Tears

Government officials stole their moneyBandits made off with their livestockAbout 25% of the people who made the journey diedCherokee receive inferior land when they reached their destination

What was the Trail of Tears

Tariff and State’s Rights

Tariff of 1816 was passed to protect American goods1824 was raised1828 was raised againJohn C. Calhoun, Jackson’s vice president, called the 1828 tariff a ”Tariff of Abominations” because it hurt the south economically

by making them have to purchase the more costly Northern goods

Nullification Theory

Developed by John C. Calhoun as a response to the Tariff of AbominationsThis theory questioned the legality of applying some federal laws to the sovereign states

Nullification Theory

Calhoun believed that since the Constitution had be ratified by “sovereign states” then they also had the right to nullify, or reject, a federal law they considered unconstitutionalThis theory was part of The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, a document to which Calhoun conveniently did not sign his name

Webster-Hayne Debate

Daniel Webster Robert Hayne

Webster-Hayne Debate

One of the greatest debates in American historyJanuary 1830Opponents

Robert Hayne of South CarolinaDaniel Webster of Massachusetts

Debate was over the tariff question and the underlying states’ rights issue

Nullification Issue

Congress passes the Tariff of 1832South Carolina declares the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 “null” and therefore “void”South Carolina threatens to secede from the Union if customs officials try to collect dutiesJackson is furious, threatens to place South Carolina under federal troops if they did not comply

Nullification Issue

Congress passes the Force Bill of 1833 - allowed the federal government to use the army and navy against South Carolina if states authorities resisted paying the dutiesHenry Clay – “The Great Compromiser” steps in and proposed a tariff which would reduce duties over a ten year period

What caused the nullification Crisis

National Bank Controversy

National Bank Controversy

Jackson vetoes the bill to recharter the Second Bank of the United States (BUS) - 1832He opposes the bank because he believes it to be a privileged institutionSecond Bank had an unfair advantage over other banks (state banks)BUS extended courtesies to the “privileged few” usually congressman

Pet Banks

BUS was a “monster” that corrupted “our statesmen” and wanted “to destroy our republican institution”Jackson had his secretary of the treasury take the money from the BUS and place it in state banks or “pet banks”1836 – charter runs out and BUS becomes another Philadelphia bank5 years later it goes out of business

Wildcat Banks

Jackson deposited federal money in pet banks – some were “wildcat” banks Wildcat banks printed money in excess of what gold and silver they had on handNotes printed by these banks were practically worthlessFederal government lost money when people used the notes to buy land

Panic Begins

Jackson has Treasury Department issue an order that made “specie” (gold or silver) the only acceptable form of payment for government landOrder goes into affect of August 15, 1836Banks could not handle the flow of people wanting gold and silver so they suspended redemption of bank notes

Panic of 1837

May 1837New York banks stop accepting paper currencyBanks begin closingCredit system collapsesPeople lose their entire savingsHundreds of businesses go bankrupt1/3 of the population ends up out of work

Why was President Jackson against the

Second National Bank

Whig Party Forms

Formed in 1834 by Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams and Daniel WebsterBacked the ideas of the American SystemWanted a protective tariffWanted to use federal money to build roads and canals Backed federal control of the national banking system and a national currency

Whig Party Forms

Henry Clay

John Quincy Adams

Daniel Webster

Van Buren Becomes President

Jackson will not run for a 3rd termMartin Van Buren is Jackson’s hand picked choice to become presidentWhig Party runs 3 different candidates from the different regionsVan Buren win easily

Van Buren Tries to Help

Van Buren reduces government spendingDeclining prices drop even furtherSet up an independent treasury that would use only gold and silver coin1840 Congress creates this treasury but it only makes matters worse

“Tippecanoe and Tyler, too”

William Henry Harrison

John Tyler

“Tippecanoe and Tyler, too”

Election of 1840William Henry Harrison 234Martin Van Buren 60James G. Birney 0

Harrison a war hero is portrayed as a man of the people even though he was from a wealthy familyHarrison wins

Harrison’s Short Presidency

Harrison takes steps to revitalize the economyHarrison rides to inauguration without a coat on and catches pneumoniaHarrison dies one month into his presidency John Tyler becomes president

Tyler’s Presidency

Opposes many of the ideas put forth in the Whig program

Obtained the nickname “His Accidency” because he disagreed with the Whig program for economic reform

Use the graphic organizer below, to list the policies of the Wigs and Jacksonian

Democrats

Party Policies

Whigs

Democrats