Notes

ANDREW JACKSON’S PRESIDENCY

• From 1800 to 1840, states removed property and tax restrictions which allowed 90% of white men to vote (Universal White Male Suffrage)

• Andrew Jackson’s victory In the election of 1828 changed American politics (Republican v Democrat)

• 1824 “Corrupt Bargain”

  • AJ - Tenn - 99 - 150k

  • JQA - Mass - 84 - 100k

  • HC - Kent - 37 - 47k

  • WC - Ga - 41 - 40k

• Andrew Jackson was the first “common man” president

• He was born poor, uneducated, and from the west

• Jackson’s Victory split the Democrat-Republicans which led to the formation of the democratic party

• during his eight years in office, Andrew Jackson greatly expanded presidential power

• Opposition to Jackson led to the formation of the Whig Party and the return of the two-party system

• When Jackson entered office, he encouraged the use of the spoils system

• He replaced the gov’t bureaucrats from previous administrations with his loyal party supporters

• Andrew Jackson’s terms are known for the conflicts

  • Indian Removal

  • Nullification Crisis

  • Bank War

• Jackson represented a new era in American democracy

• His use of the spoils system, veto power, and stand against states’ rights strengthened the power of the president

• opposition to Jackson led to the formation of the Whigs and the return of the 2 party system

INDIAN REMOVAL ACT

• Americans were spreading west to farm when Jackson Entered office

• Five civilized tribes in the south stood in the way of American westward expansion

  • Cherokee

  • Choctaw

  • Muscogee

  • Chickasaw

  • Seminole

• The Cherokee sued in the Supreme Court (Cherokee Nation v. Georgia) and won

• Congress passed and Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcing all Indian tribes to relocate west of the Mississippi River

NULLIFICATION CRISIS

• Sectionalism was becoming more obvious, especially over the issue of tariffs

• Southern states claimed that their state’s rights were violated by the high tariff of 1832

• VP John Calhoun Threatened to “nullify” the tariff because it was seen as unconstitutional

• Calhoun supported nullification as a way for states to protect themselves from the national government

• President Jackson did not support the tariff but saw nullification as a threat to the unity of the USA

• Jackson urged Congress to pass the Force Bill to enforce the tariff

• the Nullifataion crisis came to an end when Henry Clay introduced a lower tariff (compromise of 1833)

THE BANK WAR

• the South used “state’s rights” to argue that secession from the union was possible

• President Jackson was willing to use force to protect the power of the national gov’t over the states

• Jackson thought the BUS was unconstitutional and gave too much power to the elite

• Jackson ordered all federal money to be removed from the BUS and put the funds in 23 “pet” state banks

• This Killed the BUS

Dates

• 1830: Indian Removal Act

• 1832: Tariff of abomination

• 1838: Trail of Tears

• 1833: compromise of 1833

• 1837: Panic of 1837

Vocab

• Nullify/Nullification: To invalidate or cancel a law, often when a state refuses to enforce a federal law it sees as unconstitutional.