10) jacksonian america

jackson’s inauguration

“king mob” - uneducated masses

gave a foreshadowing to how his oresidency was going to be (chaotic)

the expanding electorate

broadening the franchise (having the right to vote)

the spoils system - rewarding those who helped him by appointing them to a position even though they probably weren’t fit for it, “to the victor belongs the spoils”

legitimation of the party

growing interst in politics

growing acceptance of political parties as legitimate expressions of people s will

• before, the belief was that a broad consensus would exist and factional lines would be rare or brief

• fissures within the democratic-republican party

• emergence of the whig party

president jackson

ran as a president of the common man

• he said that the gov’t should offer “equal protection and equal benefits” to all its white male citizens and favor no one region or class over another but in reality he favored the whites

• nominating conventions replaced party caucuses

giant cheese in the whote house

sums up his presidency

cheese was given as a gift

our federal union

jackson wanted to reduce the federal gov’t but was also committed to the preservation of the union

• one of his first challenges to reduce the federal gov’t came from within the heart of his own administration

all challenges happened at the same time

calhoun and nullification

calhoun was vp under adams and is now vp under jackson

1828 tariff (of abominations) - not very liked

calhouns theory of nullification - similar to alien and seditions acts, kentucky and virginia resolutions (states have a duty not the enforce federal laws that are unconstitutional)

south carolina exposition and protest - vp speaking agaisnt the president

the nullification crisis

democratic party banquet in honor of thomas jefferson 

jackson: “our federal union, it must be preserved”

calhoun: “the union, next to out liberty most dear”

this showed an open conflict between calhoun and jackson (vp and p)

petticoat crisis (peggy eaton)

floride calhoun - taking up the duties of the 2nd lady, entertaining, meeting with the wives of politicians

john henry eaton, secretary of war - peggy timberlake, later peggy eaton

breaks up the cabinet and they resign

the rise of martin van buren

secretary of state

ambassador to great britian (highest rank)

• have to be approved by the senate but it’s blocked by calchoun

in the next election he is made vice president

the nullification crisis

his proclamation to the people of south carolina - basically saying that their leaders are leading them to make unconstitutional actions

the force bill, 1833 - jackson sent general winfield scott to charleston, sc.

compromise (henry clay) - tariff of 1833, kept the tax but decreased it every year

the removal of the indians

white americans wanted indians to be relocated out of the way of american expansion and settlement

• native american held land was valuable

  • growth and spread of cotton and the possibility of gold

• continued conflict between whites and native americans only increased the desire to expel them

the 5 civilized tribes / agragrian tribes of the south

• cherokee

• creek

• seminole

• choctaw

• chickasaw

the indian removal act of 1830

some cherokee will be active in their resistance, some wont

worcester v georgia

georgia wanted to remove all native americans from the land, court rules that georgia doesnt not have the authority to do that

trail of tears

removal of native americans

numerous deaths, 3,5000-4,5000

they were put in what is oklahoma today

biddle’s institution

nicholas biddle - president of the bank, wanted to extend the bank and its charter lengthened

hard and soft money - refers to paper money and solid gold, banks were allowed to print paper money = soft money

jackson wants only gold = hard $ 

election of 1832

renewing the banks charter for 20 years, so it ended in 1836

jacksons veto - which some people were for, he wants to destroy the bank

daniel webster - campaigned against jackson

henry clay

jackson and the bank war

the “monster” is destroyed

removal of gov’t deposits - federal gov’t was the biggest investor

secretary of treasury - a revolving door, argues that what he is doing is illegal, he is then fired as well as many others which keep getting fired

“pet” banks - local state banks

roger b taney - appointed to secretary of treasury, rewarded with the spoils system by becoming chief justice of the us supreme court by jackson, makes bad court decisions

jackson and the use of power

king andrew

jacksons willingness to use the power of the presidency to pursue his personal policies stimulated the organization of opposition parties

used his veto power more than all his predecessors combined

democrats and whigs

democrats’ emphasis on opportunity

whigs call for economic union

anti-mason party - against the masons, which all 7 presidents were (fraternal order)

election of 1836

whigs favored

strong federal power

industrial and commercial development

van buren and the panic of 1837

distribution act - had too much money, which gives it back to the states and they can do with it whatever they want

panic of 1837 - financial collapse due to the distribution act

independent treasury

election of 1840

william henry harrison - whig party

the log cabin campaign, calimed he was born in a log cabin

• new techniques of political campaigning - slogans, agendas, traveling around and speaking, making promotions

hard cider campaign - traveled, talked and gave out cider to people