Apush unit V notes
1. Jacksonian Democracy
• A movement during Andrew Jackson’s presidency that promoted greater democracy and political power for the “common man” (non-elite white men) while reducing the influence of wealthy elites.
2. “Old Hickory”
• A nickname for Andrew Jackson, given for his toughness and stubbornness, like “hickory” wood.
3. Second Party System
• The political system in the U.S. from the 1820s to the 1850s, where the main parties were the Democrats (led by Jackson) and the Whigs (opposed to Jackson).
4. Spoils System
• The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters and friends, used heavily by Jackson to reward loyal followers.
5. “Kitchen Cabinet”
• An informal group of advisors that Jackson consulted more than his official cabinet, often meeting in the White House kitchen.
6. Battle of New Orleans
• A major U.S. victory in the War of 1812, where Jackson’s forces defeated the British; made Jackson a national hero.
7. Tariff of Abominations
• A high tariff (tax on imports) passed in 1828 that angered the South, which felt it benefited Northern industries at their expense.
8. Nullification Crisis
• A political conflict in the 1830s when South Carolina claimed it could ignore (nullify) federal tariffs, challenging the authority of the national government.
9. Indian Removal Act of 1830
• A law signed by Jackson authorizing the forced relocation of Native American tribes in the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi River.
10. Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
• An 1831 Supreme Court case where the Cherokee Nation sought to stop Georgia’s laws affecting them; the Court ruled the Cherokee had limited rights as a “dependent nation.”
11. Worcester v. Georgia
• An 1832 Supreme Court case ruling that the state of Georgia could not enforce laws within Cherokee territory, supporting tribal sovereignty (Jackson ignored this ruling).
12. Trail of Tears
• The forced relocation of the Cherokee and other tribes from the Southeast to Oklahoma, during which thousands died from exposure, disease, and starvation.
13. Five “Civilized Nations”
• The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, called “civilized” by Americans because they adopted some European customs.
14. Roger B. Taney
• Jackson’s appointee as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; known for supporting states’ rights and later writing the Dred Scott decision.
15. Second National Bank
• A national bank chartered by Congress; Jackson opposed it, believing it favored the wealthy and had too much power over the economy.
16. Specie Circular
• An order by Jackson in 1836 that required public land purchases to be made in gold or silver, not paper money, to curb land speculation.
17. Indian Intercourse Act (1834)
• A law that established a “permanent” Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, intended to keep Native Americans separate from white settlers.
18. Maysville Road (veto)
• Jackson’s veto of a bill to fund a road in Kentucky, arguing it was a local project that shouldn’t be funded by the federal government.
19. Peggy Eaton Affair
• A scandal involving members of Jackson’s cabinet and their wives, who socially shunned Peggy Eaton, the wife of Jackson’s Secretary of War; led to a reshuffle in the cabinet.
20. “Pet Banks”
• State banks where Jackson placed federal funds after he withdrew them from the Second National Bank to weaken it.
21. “King” Andrew
• A nickname given to Jackson by his opponents who saw him as abusing presidential power and acting like a king, especially after he used the veto power aggressively.
22. Whigs
• A political party formed in opposition to Jackson and the Democrats, advocating for a strong Congress and economic modernization.
23. Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
• An 1837 Supreme Court case where Taney ruled that new, competing business interests could be allowed even if they hurt existing businesses, promoting competition.
24. Nicholas Biddle
• The president of the Second National Bank and Jackson’s main opponent in the “Bank War,” where Jackson sought to dismantle the bank.
25. Panic of 1837
• A financial crisis and economic depression that followed the collapse of the banking system, partly due to Jackson’s policies such as the Specie Circular and the closure of the Second National Bank.