Unit 4: Balancing Nationalism + Sectionalism

Tariff of Abominations

• 1828 Tariff

• High tariff on foreign manufactured goods

Nullification Crisis

Calhoun questions legality of applying federal laws in sovereign states

Calhoun’s Theory of Nullification

• Each state had the right to nullify federal laws it considered unconstitutional

• States can leave the union (secede) if the government does not allow it to nullify a law

Hayne and Webster Debate

• January 1830

• Hayne (SC) questions authority of federal government over states rights

• Webster (MA) questions whether Nullification is rebellion or revolution

• Calhoun resigns as VP over this

Rebellion in the states

• SC threatens to secede

• Jackson said SC was treasonous

• Jackson threatens to hang Calhoun

Bank Issues During Jackson

• Jackson opposes 2nd Bank of the US

• Federal taxes deposited in BUS so it had advantage over smaller banks

• BUS stockerholders earned interest from deposits, not the common man

• Nicholas Biddle (BUS president) gives loans to congressmen at lower rates than common men

Jackson’s response to Bank Issue

• Vetoed extension of the bank

• Transferring of funds into state banks/pet banks

• Biddle refused to give out loans → Frustrate the public into renewing charter

• Jackson blames Biddle for this frustration

• 2nd BUS fails shortly after

• All this results in the Panic of 1837

Jackson’s reaction to abolition

• Saw abolition as a threat to the union (He was a slave owner and didn’t question it morally)

• Wanted Congress to pass a law which prevented “incendiary” mailings (Abolitionist media) from reaching the slave heavy South

• Law didn’t pass but Postmaster complied

Gag Rule

• Jackson supported this rule

• Petitions to Congress about ending slavery would not be accepted

• Repealed in 1844

How did Jackson feel about Indians

• Saw them as restricting westward expansion

• Said removal for their “protection”

Indian Removal Act (1830)

• Allowed federal government to negotiate treaties forcing tribes east of the Mississippi River

• Made them relocate to “Indian Territory” (Present day Oklahoma)

Five Civilized Tribes

Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole

Worcester v. GA (1832)

• John Marshall rules that GA didn’t have the right to invade Cherokee land

• Jackson didn’t enforce this decision

Chief John Ross

• A fighter against the Indian Removal Act

• Cherokee Principal Chief

Treaty of New Echota

• Gave last 8M acres of Cherokee land to federal government

• Federal government gives around $5M and land “west of the Mississippi”

• Beginning of Cherokee exodus

Trail of Tears (1838)

• 800 mi. forced migration of Cherokees to “Indian Territory”

• Under Van Buren, but starts under Jackson

The Whigs

• New political party emerged to oppose Democrats

• Backed American System

• Clay, JQA, Webster

Issues with Jackson

• Bank War

• Spoils system

• More vetoes than all previous presidents combined

• Not enforcing Supreme Court Decision

Van Buren

• Wins election of 1836

• Little Magician

• Inherited the problem with “pet banks”

• Panic of 1837

Election of 1840

• Van Buren vs. William Henry Harrison (Whig)

• VP John Tyler becomes president after Harrison dies

Supreme Court Case: Marbury v. Madison (BG)

• Marbury receives midnight appointment to be judge from Adams

• President Jefferson orders Madison not to deliver the commission

• Marbury asks Supreme Court to force Madison to deliver the commission

Supreme Court Case: Marbury v. Madison (Q)

• Did Marbury have the right to the commission?

•  Did the Supreme Court have the right to award judges commissions?

Supreme Court Case: Marbury v. Madison (R)

• Marshall ruled Judiciary Act of 1789 power to Supreme Court to grant commissions as unconstitutional

• Establishes judicial review (The Supreme Court can declare laws constitutional/unconstitutional

Supreme Court Case: McCulloch v. Maryland (BG)

• Maryland tries to tax the Bank of the United States

• McCulloch refused to pay the tax

Supreme Court Case: McCulloch v. Maryland (Q)

• Can state governments interfere with the operations of a national agency? Can they tax federal agencies?

• Does the US Congress have the power to create, open, and operate a bank? 

• What powers not listed in the US constitution does the federal government have? 

Supreme Court Case: McCulloch v. Maryland (A)

• States cannot tax federal institutions

• Bank is legal because it follows the necessary and proper clause that allows Congress to do what is needed to function

• Establishes supremacy of federal government over the states

Supreme Court Case: Gibbons v. Ogden (BG)

• NY state gives Robert Ogden monopoly for a steamboat ferry connecting NJ and NY

• Gibbons gets a license from the federal govt. to operate between NJ and NY

• Ogden asks NY state court to forbid Gibbon’s boat from docking in NY

• Gibbons sues

Supreme Court Case: Gibbons v. Ogden (Q)

• Could New York state grant a monopoly that operates across multiple states? 

• Did the federal government or state governments have the right to regulate interstate commerce? 

• Did Congress have an exclusive right to regulate interstate commerce or  was this a “concurrent” power to be shared with the states?

Supreme Court Case: Gibbons v. Ogden (A)

• Power to regulate interstate commerce rests with federal government

• NY violated the constitution

• Article III grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce

Democrats: Origin/History

• Evolved from Democratic-Republicans

• Weak federal government

• Stronger state governments

Democrats: Party Leaders

• Andrew Jackson

• John C. Calhoun

• Martin Van Buren

Democrats: Regions

• Deep south

• Newer Western states

• Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, rural New York, New Hampshire, Maine

Democrats: American System

• Opposed to federal government having that much power

Democrats: Federal Land Policy

• Sale of federal land in the West to be at low prices

• Easier for common man to expand west

Democrats: Indian Affairs

• Wanted Indian removal

• Indian Removal Act

• Allow the common man to expand west

Democrats: National Bank

• Didn’t want national bank (Too much power in federal govt)

• Money in state/pet banks

Democrats: Paper Money

• Didn’t want paper money

• Favors the wealthy

Democrats: Slavery

• Supported slavery

Democrats: Tariffs

• Against tariffs

• Sees it as hurting the states + common man

• Lower the tariffs

• Protective tariffs = unconstitutional

Democrats: Territorial Expansion

• Support for territorial expansion (Especially west)

Whigs: Origin/History

• Formed to oppose Andrew Jackson

• Inherited federalist beliefs

• Strong federal government

• American System

Whigs: Party Leaders

• Henry Clay

• Daniel Webster

• William Henry Harrison

• John Quincy Adams

Whigs: Regions

• Areas looking to industrialize/are industrialized

• Northern areas

• Educators, professionals, manufacturers, larger farmers, free black people

Whigs: American System

• Supported the American system

Whigs: Federal Land Policy

• Wanted price of federal lands in the West to be high

• Give more money to the federal government

Whigs: Indian Affaris

• Didn’t like Jackson ignoring the Supreme Court Decision (Worcester v. GA)

• Naturally opposed removal because Jackson supported it

Whigs: National Bank

• Wanted strong national bank

Whigs: Paper Money

• Wanted circulation of paper money

• So people can buy stuff and aid manufacturing businesses

Whigs: Slavery

• Divided

• Both abolitionists and anti-abolitionists

Whigs: Tariffs

• High tariffs

• Supported the manufacturing industry

• Protective tariffs

Whigs: Territorial Expansion

• Opposed territorial expansion