JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY

Jacksonian Democracy

political movement expanding white male suffrage and promoting majority rule while limiting rights for others

Universal White Male Suffrage

elimination of property requirements allowing all white men to vote

Spoils System

practice of appointing political supporters to government jobs

Rotation in Office

Jackson’s policy of limiting officeholders’ time in positions to prevent corruption

Democratic Party

political party formed around Jackson promoting states’ rights and expansionist policies

Election of 1824

election decided by House of Representatives after no majority; led to accusations of a “Corrupt Bargain”

Corrupt Bargain

claim that John Quincy Adams gave Henry Clay a cabinet position in exchange for support

Election of 1828

Jackson defeats Adams with massive voter turnout and appeals to the “common man”

John Quincy Adams

sixth president criticized for elitism and accused of gaining office through Corrupt Bargain

Andrew Jackson

seventh president who expanded presidential power and promoted white working-class democracy

Kitchen Cabinet

unofficial advisors Jackson consulted instead of formal cabinet

Tariff of Abominations

1828 tariff hated by the South for raising prices on imports

Nullification Crisis

showdown between South Carolina and federal government over tariff laws

John C. Calhoun

Jackson’s vice president who argued states could nullify federal laws

Nullification

theory that states can invalidate unconstitutional federal laws

Force Bill

law giving Jackson authority to use military force to enforce federal tariffs

Compromise Tariff of 1833

Henry Clay’s plan gradually lowering tariffs to end Nullification Crisis

Bank War

Jackson’s effort to destroy the Second Bank of the United States

Second Bank of the United States

national bank regulating currency; viewed by Jackson as serving elites

Veto of Bank Recharter

Jackson rejects bill to renew national bank in 1832

Pet Banks

state banks receiving federal funds after Jackson removed money from national bank

Specie Circular

1836 order requiring land purchases to be made in gold or silver

Panic of 1837

severe economic depression caused by banking instability and Specie Circular

Indian Removal Act

1830 law authorizing negotiation of Native land cessions

Trail of Tears

forced relocation of Cherokee in 1838 causing thousands of deaths

Worcester v. Georgia

1832 case declaring Cherokee sovereign; ignored by Jackson

Five Civilized Tribes

Cherokee

Seminole Wars

conflicts in Florida resisting removal efforts

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

1831 case labeling tribes “domestic dependent nations”

Maysville Road Veto

Jackson’s veto of Kentucky road funding

Strict Constructionism

belief in narrow interpretation of Constitution often used to limit federal power

Peggy Eaton Affair

scandal causing Cabinet resignations and increasing Jackson’s support for the common man

Whig Party

political party formed in opposition to Jackson; favored federal power and industrial development

Martin Van Buren

Jackson ally and 8th president; blamed for Panic of 1837

Log Cabin Campaign

1840 Whig strategy portraying William Henry Harrison as a simple frontier hero

William Henry Harrison

Whig candidate who won 1840 election but died shortly after taking office

John Tyler

vice president who became president after Harrison; vetoed Whig economic plans

“Positive Good” Argument

Calhoun’s claim that slavery benefitted society and enslaved people

Democratic-Republican Split

division of Jefferson’s party into Democrats and National Republicans

Panic Cycle

recurring financial crises worsened by Jackson’s banking policies

Memorial of the Cherokee Nation

Cherokee petition opposing forced removal

Cherokee Phoenix

first Native American newspaper advocating rights and resistance

White Working-Class Politics

political culture appealing to farmers

Jackson’s Use of Veto Power

expanded presidential authority by vetoing policies he personally opposed

Soft vs. Hard Money Debate

conflict over whether currency should be paper (soft) or specie (hard)