Spoil System & Nullification Crisis

Test 12/11/24

Tariff of Abomination

1828 - John Q Adams didn’t want to but passed a HIGH PROTECTIVE TARIFF (tariff of abomination). it was assumed Jackson, upon his presidency, would repeal said tariff but boy DID NOT.

North vs South Economies

Northeast has an industrial economy so they make American goods and they LIKE tariffs (tariffs encourage americans to buy American goods, profiting the North) Southeast is an agrarian economy so tariffs would hurt them. In response to America putting tariffs, Europe will put tariffs, and Europe is their highest customer so their sales would plummet. profits go down, prices go up.

John C Calhoun

Vice president of Jackson. He openly criticized AJ cuz they have differing views, at first, AJ was states guy and Calhoun was national guy now they switched: AJ supposed to be state’s guy but he not pulling up and Calhoun lowk for states and South Carolina fr fr. He resigned in 1832 in response to AJ being hypocrital abt road Bill and tariff. he encouraged the Nullification Act and spoke for South Carolina (may have been author of the act)

Maysville Road Bill

1830, there was a bill that went thru both chambers of Congress and it asked for; FEDERAL FUNDING TO BUILD A ROAD ACROSS STATE OF KENTUCKY. Jackson VETOS this bill bc ‘fed funding shouldn’t be used to benefit only 1 state’. the south was angry deadhead cuz like bro you held a tariff that only benefits the Northeast but killing our dam economy but ur gonna veto OUR Bill and ur reasoning is that it only helps us? what the siding? what the hippocritter brother????

Nullification Act

stated that if a state found a federal law to be against their best interest, they could declare it null and void. they also threatened to secede from the union.

Force Bill

in order to preserve our union (them states threatening to secede—- dawg, the civil war?!?!?!) and keep them from seceding, Jackson asks COngress for help and Congress passes the Force Bill: GIVING AJ PERMISSION TO USE FEDERAL TROOPS AGAINST THE CITIZENS IN South Carolina. AJ sent troops to the border of SC and SC backs down and agrees to pay the tariff, preventing the civil war but high-key messed up.

Compromise Tariff

1833- it replaces tariff of abomination, it will GRADUALLY reduce the tariff of 1828 over the course of 9 years. (34% - 20%)

Andrew Jackson Justifications(For) NULLIFICATION CRISIS

• he protected the union from breaking up

• prevented the civil war

• the tariff gave country lots of revenue and made us debt free

• tariff helps northeast, thus helping full country

• he technically wasn’t the one to pass the force Bill, it was congress, voice of people

• he does try to compromise with compromise tariff

• aruges NULLIFICATION act was unconsitution (spirit of constitution is to UNITE us, if one state can just change that… what the flip??)

AJ’s opponent’s criticisms(Against) NULLIFICATION CRISIS

• he didn’t repeal that tax

• the tariff hurting southern economy

• unfairly favors the North

• he keeps that tariff but freaky deaky doesn’t help the south with the road bill??

• tariff unconsitutional (if u claim to balance state and fed powers, states shud have the right to call out the gov!)

• tariff violating states rights (Jackson supposed to be the states rights guy)

• military forces against ur own people… erm what

Andrew Jackson Justifications (For) SPOIL SYSTEM

• gave common man the PRIVELEGDE of getting more important gov official jobs

• jobs r so easy, anyone can do em

• weed out corruption and incompetence

• rotating jobs is more democratic. if someone is in a job too long, they become corrupt and useless, regardless of experience

• common man vs wealthy elite

AJ’s opponents criticisms (Against) SPOIL SYSTEM

• he let a thief into congress! (Swartwout)

• quality vs quantity

• he’s expanding the executive branch (his powers). if he makes his supporters and friends in those jobs, it’s most likely that they’ll just listen and follow AJ’s orders, making him like a monarch

Samuel Swartwout

Samuel Swartwout was appointed the job of collecting the tariffs in NYC (collector of PORT ny) Jackson appointed Samuel to office in gov job (he lowk just appointing random supporters n stuff to gov places??) but he even lit had CRIMINAL TENDENCIES?? Van Buren alerted Jackson saying that it wouldn’t be good idea but Jackson refused to listen to my man. He liked Swartwout cuz he early supporter. and so he went w the appointment and in time swartwont stole 1,222,705.09 DOLLARS. it was a monumental theft. haha Jackson stupid lol.

Martin Van Buren

SECRETARY OF STATE for Jackson at the time. warned the president that appointing freaking normal people (Samuel the stealer) would “not be in accordance with public sentiment, the interest of the Country or the credit of the administration.”

Kitchen Cabinet

term used by political opponents of President Jackson to describe his group of unofficial advisors

Full “Nullification Crisis’ Summary

starts with tariff of 1828, high protective tariff. south mad bc it hurts their economy. they assumed jackson is gonna repeal it cuz he south guy. he doesn’t 1. passed by Congress, law of land, voice of ppl. 2. brings revenue for whole country, he argues its good for whole country cuz of this. John c Calhoun of south carolina gets real mad. then Jackson vetos maysville Road bill bc he ‘shouldnt spend fed funds on one state’. that was very hypocrital now they mad and threaten to secede. John c calhoun quits and Jackson wants to kill him. south carolina pass nuliification act, “we not collecting that tariff and threatens to secede.” Jackson needs to protect the union so he goes to Congress for help and Congress makes force Bill. so they send military people to South Carolina border and they back down and pay the tax. jackson seen as hero but bro is supposed to be states guy but in this, he expands fed and exec powers. what the bluh.

Full “Spoil System” summary

fired over 200 gov workers. he did this so he can weed out those who are corrupt and incompetent. he believes these jobs r so easy anyone can do em so he rewards supporters w gov jobs. he believes the most democratic thing he can do is to rotate people through jobs so more people get jobs. he replaced gov employees w friends and supporters. '“the the victor belongs the spoils” (he won, he get to do what he want)