Unit 9 APUSH: The Age of Jackson (1824-1844)

The Age of Jackson (1824-1844)

What was the Corrupt Bargain?

 In the Election of 1824, Andrew Jackson's followers were enraged because after Jacksons loss and Adams’ win, he appointed Henry Clay (who also ran for president) as his Secretary of State. They called this the “corrupt bargain.”

What was the Tariff of Abominations?

The Tariff of Abominations was passed in 1828 to raise taxes on imported manufacturers to protect American manufacturing from foreign competition. The tariff would positively impact Northern manufacturers like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New England because it would preserve their manufactured goods from foreign competition. 

What effect did the Tariff of Abominations have on the North and the South?

Although the tariff was positive for Northern Manufacturers, it hurt the South because it meant they would have to pay more for raw materials. The tariff quickly became unpopular in the South and was coined the “tariff of abominations.”

What was Mudslinging between candidates?

Mudslinging between candidates refers to when a political candidate discredits their opponent by attacking them and using negative forms of campaigning. This form of negative campaigning was used by Andrew Jackson and John Quicny Adams in the election of 1828. 

What does Broadening the Franchise mean?

The government began broadening the franchise before Jackson was elected. Broadening the franchise means broadening the voting rules, which would lead to more men of different backgrounds being able to vote and expanding the electorate. This change was first seen in newer states and their constitutions, giving white males the right to vote and hold office. Older states began to do the same, granting their citizens some voting rights so that they would continue to live in the state, and began to democratize their electorate to an extent.

What was the significance of Broadening the Franchise?

This was the first time in America when wealthy white males were not the only ones with voting rights and being given the ability to hold public office. This was a time for democratization of the American electorate throughout many states. 

What was Tocqueville’s Democracy in America?

Democracy in America was written by Alexis de Tocqueville, a French aristocrat who studied the politics of America along with the people and their culture, daily lives, and visions for democracy. Originally he had been sent to America for two years to study the prisons. 

What was The Spoils System?

The spoils system started with Andrew Jackson when he removed more than one fifth of the federal office holders (not necessarily for partisan reasons, he did this because they were corrupt) which led to elected officials adopting the philosophy of appointing their followers into public office. 

What was Calhoun & Nullification?

John C. Calhoun was an American statesman, political theorist, and former Vice President who created the Theory of Nullification. Taking inspiration from the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves, he argued that the states had the ability to decide whether a federal law was constitutional or not. He created this theory due to the rising hatred towards the “tariff of abominations” from South Carolinians who argued that the tariff was the reason for the depression of the state's economy. 

What was the Kitchen Cabinet?

The Kitchen Cabinet is the president's unofficial circle of political allies. During Jackson's presidency, his Kitchen Cabinet consisted of Isaac Hill of New Hampshire and Amos Kendall and Francis P. Blair of Kentucky, who were all democratic newspaper editors. Martin Van Buren was part of Jackson's Kitchen Cabinet and was very close to him. 

What was the Webster-Hayne Debate?

The Webster-Hayne Debate developed in the Senate because of the controversy of nullification. Robert Y. Hayne was a senator from South Carolina who argued that slowing down the growth of the West was a way for the Eastern US to keep its political and economic power. He believed that the South and the West were victims of tyranny from the Northeast, and implied that they should rise against it. He had hoped that his argument would gain support to lower the tariff that affected the West. Senator Daniel Webster from Massachusetts challenged Hayne on the issue of states rights versus national power.  

What was the Significance of the Webster-Hayne Debate?

The Webster-Hayne Debate marked the moment when Andrew Jackson and John Calhoun became political enemies after Jackson publically humiliated Calhoun. The debate also clearly defined the political disagreements between the North and the South.

What was the Nullification Crisis?

The Nullification Crisis started in 1832 when Congress passed a tariff bill that did not provide any of the people of South Carolina with any relief from the tariff of abominations. Because of this, South Carolina nullified the 1828 and 1832 tariffs and forbid the collection of duties within the state. Along with this, Hayne became governor of South Carolina and Calhoun became the senator. Andrew Jackson argued that nullification was treason and accused those who imposed it as traitors to the government. He wanted to use a bill that gave the president authorization to use the military to impose the acts that Congress passed. 

What was the significance of the Nullification Crisis?

The Nullification Crisis was a time of divide within the country where South Carolina nullified tariffs passed by Congress, the president wanted to use military force to impose taxes in South Carolina, no state supported South Carolina, and South Carlina itself was divided. This was all diverted by Henry Clay’s compromise that would lower the tariff gradually. 

What was the Removal Act?

The Removal Act of 1830 gave money to finance federal negotiations with southern native american tribes to try and relocate them to the west. Jackson was eager to resolve the issue of states becoming impatient to expand, so he sent federal officials to negotiate around a hundred treaties with southern native american tribes. 

What was Cherokee Nation V. Georgia?

The Cherokees attempted to stop white encroachment by appealing to the Supreme Court. Andrew Jackson encouraged white encroachment and gained support from white southerners and westerners. 

What was the Trail of Tears?

The Cherokees were the first to experience the relocation and the suffering of the Trail of tears. They were forced to flee to a reservation in North Carolina and to territory that would become Oklahoma. Between 1830 and 1838 the five “civilized tribes” were relocated to new “Indian Territory”. 

Who was Nicholas Biddle?

Nicholas Biddle was the president of the Bank of the United States from 1823 on. He was responsible for the prosperity and strong basis of the bank. The Bank was the only place for the federal government to deposit its funds, had branches in 29 cities, and was one of the most powerful financial institutions of the country. This attracted the attention of Andrew Jackson who was determined to destroy the Bank of the United States. 

What was Hard vs. Soft money?

The advocates of soft money consisted of state bankers who believed that issuing bank notes unsupported by gold and silver would support their want of circulating more currency. Hard money supported older ideas and believed that gold and silver were the only basis for money. Both groups attacked the Bank of the United States for different reasons. 

What was Jackson’s veto and pet banks?

Andrew Jackson vetoed the bill that would renew the Bank’s charter, which then made the 1832 campaign center around the future of the Bank. Jackson won the election and began trying to weaken it. He had to fire two secretaries of treasuries who refused to remove the government's deposits from the Bank in fear of destabilizing the financial system. He then appointed Roger B. Taney who placed the government's deposits in different state banks, which were then coined “pet banks”. 

What was the Whig Party?

The Whig party was a political party that emerged by the mid 1830s that referred to Jackson as “King Andrew I”. They sought to increase industrial and commercial development along with expanding the federal government's power. Much like Alexander Hamilton, they envisioned America's potential of becoming a manufacturing power.

What was the significance of the Whig Party?

The emergence of the Whig Party led to the “second party system” when America once more had two political parties competing against each other. 

What was Clay’s American System?

Henry Clay developed his American System that would create internal improvements and economic developments for the nation. His system consisted of protective tariffs, a national bank, and transportational developments. 

What was the Panic of 1837?

Andrew Jackson caused the Panic of 1837 when he issued the presidential order “species circular” where the government would only accept gold or silver for payment of public lands. Because of this, banks and businesses failed and many people became unemployed. 

What was the Log Cabin Campaign?

The Log Cabin Campaign was a tactic used by William Harrison's political campaign/ The Whigs and the Democrats that portrayed them as the common peoples political party. 

What significance did the Log Cabin Campaign have?

This political campaign tactic was effectively used  by the Whigs as they were able to portray William Henry Harrison (who was part of the America’s elite) as a “simple man” and Van Buren as an aloof aristocrat. The Log Cabin Campaign was successful and William Harrison was elected president. 

What was the Webster Ashburton Treaty?

The Webster Ashburton Treaty of 1842 was negotiated by Lord Ashburton of England between Secretary of State Webster. The treaty established a northern boundary between the US and Canada along the Maine and New Brunswick border. The border gave the US more than half of the territory.