The Jacksonian Era Part 2

The Jacksonian Era

Overview

• The Jacksonian Era marks a significant period in American history characterized by the presidency of Andrew Jackson and his political policies from the late 1820s to the 1840s.

Indian Removal

• Attitudes Toward Natives:

  • Andrew Jackson viewed Native Americans as "barbarians" lacking rights.

  • Advocated for treating Natives as subjects rather than independent nations.

  • The goal was to relocate Eastern Indians to the Great American Desert (present-day Oklahoma).

  • Made them walk all the way there, this walk was called “The Trail of Tears” because many of the Natives died on that walk.

  • States facilitated removal by:

    • Abolishing tribal units

    • Stripping them of power

    • Rejecting ancestral land claims

    • Denying voting and court rights

Legislation and Actions

• Indian Removal Act of 1830:

  • Authorized the president to disavow previous treaties and force Natives to move west of the Mississippi River.

  • Around 72,000 Natives were impacted.

  • Opposition from Congress, including Davy Crockett, who believed it would bring disgrace to the U.S.

• By 1835,
  approximately 40,000 Indians had been removed from their lands.

Geographic Displacement

• Civilized Tribes:

  • Five civilized tribes included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminoles.

  • These tribes attempted assimilation through:

    • Marriage integration

    • Agricultural practices over hunting

    • Establishment of roads, churches, trading posts, and newspapers.

• Resistance:

  • Many Northern tribes were too weak to resist; those who opposed were quickly subdued.

  • Seminoles used guerilla warfare between 1835-1842, being the toughest resistance with hostilities continuing into 1934.

The Trail of Tears

• Cherokee Nation:

  • Occupied Northwestern Georgia and nearby states.

  • Created a Constitution declaring their independence.

• Significant Supreme Court Cases:

  • Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831):

    • Declared that the Cherokee were a "domestic dependent nation" with an unquestionable right to their lands.

  • Worcester v. Georgia (1832):

    • Ruled that the Cherokee constituted a distinct political community.

    • Georgia lacked authority over Cherokee land.

• Forced Removal:

  • Jackson refused to enforce the Supreme Court decisions in Georgia.

  • In 1835, Cherokee lands were ceded in exchange for significantly less land in Oklahoma.

  • In 1838, 17,000 Cherokee were forcibly removed, leading to the deaths of 4,000 during a grueling 800-mile march.

Political Landscape and Conflicts

• 1832 Election:

  • National Republicans and Jacksonian Democrats organized nomination conventions.

  • Henry Clay nominated by National Republicans lost to Jackson.

• Government Deposits:

  • Jackson diminished the Second Bank of the United States (BUS) by moving federal deposits to state banks, resulting in a rise of local banking.

  • Nicholas Biddle attempted to induce depression to highlight the need for a federal bank.

• Economic Impact:

  • Land sales soared post-dissolution of the Second BUS, but states fell into debt funding infrastructure projects.

The Money Question

• Distribution Act of 1836:

  • Land sales revenue was distributed to states based on representation, prompting state banks to call in loans immediately.

• Specie Circular:

  • Required federal acceptance of only gold and silver for land payments, limiting bank lending capabilities, which slowed economic activity.

The Whig Coalition

• Opponents labeled Jackson as "King Andrew I" for perceived executive abuse.

• In 1834, the Whig Party formed, merging anti-Jackson factions and advocating for economic nationalism and infrastructure.

Panic of 1837

• Martin Van Buren faced economic fallout from Jackson's policies upon taking office in 1836, leading to a severe and prolonged recession.

• Economic decline exacerbated by British financial crises, high unemployment, and soaring food and clothing prices.

Election of 1840

• Van Buren faced unpopularity and was blamed for the Panic of 1837.

• The Whigs nominated William Henry Harrison, who decisively won the election.

Assessing the Jacksonian Era

• Demographic Changes:

  • Population increased significantly alongside industrialization and tensions surrounding slavery.

• Political Influence:

  • Jackson expanded political engagement for the "common man," removing prior electoral barriers.

  • His presidency remains controversial due to his conflicting advocacy of democracy and wealth accumulation.

• Economic Equality:

  • The Jacksonian Era highlighted social inequalities, fostering opportunity but not equal outcomes, with wealth concentrated among a small elite.