The Age of Jackson (notes 2)

unit 4

Jacksonian Democracy

• 1824-1844

• Rise of popular politics and increasingly democratic society

• Middle and lower class families become interested in politics

• Newer states allowed for all white males to vote/hold office

• New process for selecting party nominees & election college representatives

• Rise of Third Parties

• Frequent rotation of office holders

• More state and local officials are elected to office instead of being appointed

Changes in campaigning (must appeal to the masses)

• Parades, marching bands, rallies, and free stuff

• Candidates resort to personal attacks against their opponent

The Election of 1824:

• 4 democratic-republican canidates

  • Quincy Adams

  • Andrew Jackson

  • Henry Clay

  • William Crawford

• House of Representatives choose between the top three candidates

The “Corrupt Bargain” (The election of 1824):

• Henry Clay withdraws and supports John Quincy Adams

• John Quincy Adams wins 

  • Henry Clay = Secretary of State

The Election of 1828:

• Adams runs again for re-election and Jacksonian’s rally together

• Nasty election in which both sides attempted to smear the other’s reputation

  • The first “mudslinging” campaign

  • Attracts interest; voter participation skyrockets

• Jackson wins easily thanks to his reputation as a war hero and a man of the frontier

Jackson’s Presidency: 

• Jackson believed in a very limited government

• Introduced The Spoils System  : Handing out government jobs as a reward for loyalty to Jackson

The Indian Removal Act (1830) (Jackson’s Presidency):

• Tribes in the South have to leave

• The Trails of Tears (1839)

  • Some Cherokees forcibly removed by the U.S. Army

  • Hardships result in death of 4,000 + Cherokee 

The Nullification Crisis (1832) (Jackson’s Presidency) :

• South Carolina attempts to nullify the “Tariff of Abomination” of 1828

  • Force Act

  • Congress agrees to lower the tariff, ending the crisis

The Bank Veto (1832) (Jackson’s Presidency) :

• Jackson severely disliked the Bank of the United States

• Congress passed a bill to re-charter the bank, which Jackson vetoed in protest (Congress re-charters anyway)

The Two-Party System:

• The one -party system (era of good feelings) returns to a two-party system by the 1830s

• Supporting of Jackson - Democrats

  • Similar to old Democratic-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson

• Supporters of Henry Clay (Jacksons Rival) -Whigs

  • Resembles the old Federalist Party of Alexander Hamilton 

Jackson & Van Burren:

• Jackson easily wins reelection in 1832

  • 2nd term devoted to destroying the National Bank

  • Economic depression as he leaves office in 1836

President Van Buren and the Panic of 1837:

• Banks nation wide closing as Van Buren takes office 

• Whigs blame democrats and laissez-faire economic policies 

The Election of 1840:

• Whigs are well organized and nominate a popular war hero - William Henry Harrison

• Whigs win by a slight margin

  • establishes them as national party

• Harrison dies of pneumonia

• John Tyler becomes first VP to take over presidency