Jacksonian Democracy
Andrew Jackson
War hero from the Battle of New Orleans ~1815
Advocated for the “common man”
Elected in 1828
Believed in strict construction
Think the government only has the power strictly stated in the constitution
Was a big supporter of Nationalism
Champion of presidential power
Internal Improvements
U.S. continued to expand West as federal lands were sold
Internal improvements were necessary to facilitate movement to and from the wesy
Roads, railroads, canals
Henry Clay proposed federal money from tariffs would be used to fund these projects
Jackson opposed this proposition and voted the Maysville Bill b/c the road would only go through Kentucky
Clay moved to Lexington when he was 20 and launched his political career there; he was a Kentucky Senator
The Bank of the United States
Jackson felt bank favored the wealthy and hurt the advancement of the common man
Argued it was unconstitutional and vowed to get rid of it
Vetoed the renewal of the bank’s charter and got rid of its federal funding
Financial panic ensued in 1837 after “Downfall of Mother Bank” ~1833
Led to financial depression (Panic of 1837)
Nullification Crisis
Tariff of 1828: Meant to protect growing domestic industries by inflating the cost of imported goods
Cotton plantations owners considered this the “Tariff of Abominations” because they were dependent on trade with Britain
Crisis was sparked by South Carolina’s declaration that the tariffs were unconstitutional and the state had the right to “nullify” them
Led by VP John C. Calhoun, this was a major test of state vs. federal power
Jackson opposed the nullification, threatened military force, and ultimately reached a compromise
Growing Pressure
Spread of cotton cultivation pushed plantation owners further West as they looked for more land when the soil in the East become depleted
Pressure mounted to remove