Ch 10 - A Democratic Revolution

Franchise

The right to vote; between 1820 and 1860, most states revised their constitutions to extend suffrage to nearly all adult white males

Notables

Northern landlords, slave-owning planters, and wealthy seaport merchants who dominated the political system before the rise of popular democratic parties

Political machine

A highly organized party organization led by professional politicians that wove together interests across social groups to mobilize voters and maintain power

Patronage

The power of elected officials to grant government jobs and favors to their supporters

Spoils system

The widespread practice of awarding public jobs to political supporters after winning an election, instituted nationally by Andrew Jackson

Caucus

A private meeting of party leaders to select candidates and determine legislative policy

12th Amendment

Constitutional amendment ratified in 1804 requiring distinct electoral votes for President and Vice President, used in 1824 to decide the election in the House of Representatives

Election of 1824

Presidential election between Jackson, Adams, Clay, and Crawford; despite Jackson winning the popular vote, no candidate had an electoral majority, sending the decision to the House

American System

Henry Clay’s economic plan featuring protective tariffs, a national bank, and federally funded internal improvements

Corrupt bargain

The term Jackson supporters used to describe Henry Clay using his Speaker influence to secure John Quincy Adams the presidency in exchange for appointment as Secretary of State

Consolidated government

A powerful, centralized national administration opposed by Martin Van Buren and Southern Democrats who feared it violated states' rights

Tariff of Abominations (Tariff of 1828)

A high protective tariff enacted in 1828 that boosted Northern manufacturing but enraged Southern planters who faced higher costs for imported goods

Election of 1828

Massive rematch between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, resulting in a decisive victory for Jackson and marking the rise of popular mass politics

Kitchen Cabinet

Andrew Jackson’s informal group of personal advisors, journalists, and political allies who assisted him outside his official cabinet

Ordinance of Nullification

The 1832 South Carolina law declaring the federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 unconstitutional, null, and void within the state

Webster-Hayne Debate

A famous 1830 Senate debate over states' rights and nullification between Robert Hayne (defending nullification) and Daniel Webster (defending the Union)

Force Bill

1833 legislation authorized by Congress allowing President Jackson to use military force to collect federal tariff duties in South Carolina

Compromise Tariff of 1833

Tariff negotiated by Henry Clay that gradually reduced import duties over eight years, resolving the Nullification Crisis

Second Bank of the United States

National bank chartered in 1816 to stabilize currency; destroyed by Andrew Jackson during the "Bank War"

Rechartering Bill

The 1832 congressional bill passed to prematurely renew the charter of the Second Bank of the U.S., which Jackson vetoed

Pet banks

State banks chosen by the Jackson administration in 1833 to receive federal funds removed from the Second Bank of the U.S.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Federal law directing the mandatory relocation of Eastern Native American tribes to land west of the Mississippi River

Bad Axe Massacre

1832 conflict in which U.S. troops killed over 300 Sauk and Fox warriors under Chief Black Hawk who resisted forced relocation

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

1831 Supreme Court case where John Marshall ruled that the Cherokee were a "domestic dependent nation" rather than a foreign state

Worcester v. Georgia

1832 Supreme Court ruling declaring the Cherokee Nation a sovereign political community exempt from Georgia state laws

Trail of Tears

The forced 1838 march of Cherokees from Georgia to Oklahoma under federal military guard, resulting in thousands of deaths

Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge

1837 Taney Court decision ruling that state charters did not confer monopolies, promoting public benefit and competing transport lines

Dartmouth College v. Woodward

1819 Marshall Court ruling protecting corporate charters under the contract clause, which the Taney Court later modified

Classical liberalism (Laissez-Faire)

An economic doctrine advocating minimal government intervention in the economy and free-market competition

Whigs

National political party formed in 1834 in opposition to Andrew Jackson, supporting the American System and an active central government

Anti-Masons

Third party of the late 1820s opposing the secret society of Freemasons, which eventually merged into the Whig Party

Working Men's Parties

Urban labor political organizations formed by artisans and workers demanding public education, tax reform, and an end to debtor prisons

Panic of 1837

Severe economic depression triggered by reduced British credit, falling cotton prices, and speculative land panics

Specie Circular

1836 executive order by Jackson requiring gold or silver (specie) as payment for public lands, which strained bank reserves

Independent Treasury Act of 1840

Van Buren policy that stored federal revenues in independent government vaults rather than state banks

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!

The famous 1840 Whig campaign slogan celebrating war hero William Henry Harrison and running mate John Tyler

Log Cabin Campaign

The 1840 Whig presidential campaign using populist symbols (log cabins, hard cider) to portray Harrison as a common man

Ethnocultural politics

The practice of political alignment based primarily on ethnic background and religious identity rather than economic class

Closed-shop agreements

Workplace arrangements requiring employers to hire only union members to protect wage levels

Alexis de Tocqueville

French political thinker who traveled through America in the 1830s and wrote Democracy in America analyzing U.S. culture and democracy

Martin Van Buren

8th U.S. President, master political strategist, and architect of the Democratic Party and machine politics

John Quincy Adams

6th U.S. President and last "notable" leader, who promoted national education and internal improvements under the American System

Henry Clay

Kentucky politician, leader of the Whig Party, and creator of the American System and major legislative compromises

Andrew Jackson

7th U.S. President, hero of New Orleans, and leader of Jacksonian Democracy who expanded executive authority and destroyed the national bank

Old Hickory

The popular nickname for Andrew Jackson, given by his soldiers due to his extreme physical toughness and stubborn character

John C. Calhoun

South Carolina statesman, Vice President, and leading Southern theorist of states' rights and nullification

Daniel Webster

Massachusetts Senator and orator who championed the perpetual power of the Union against nullification

Nicholas Biddle

President of the Second Bank of the United States who fought Andrew Jackson in the Bank War

Roger B. Taney

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who succeeded John Marshall and favored states' rights and economic competition

William Henry Harrison

Whig war hero elected President in 1840 under the Log Cabin Campaign who died 30 days after taking office

John Tyler

Virginia Whig Vice President who became President upon Harrison's death and broke with the Whigs by vetoing bank and tariff bills