APUSH Chapter 13: Jacksonian Era: The Rise of a Mass Democracy

Key Points

  • How the nation's transformation to a more participatory democracy was accompanied by continued debates over Federal power, the relationship between the federal government and the States, the authority of different branches of the federal government and the rights and responsibilities of individual citizens
  • Various constituencies and interest groups coalesced and created the Democratic an Whig parties in the 1830s to reflect and promote their agendas
  • How diverging economic systems meant that regional political and economic loyalties often continue to overshadow national concerns
  • Resistance to initiatives for democracy and inclusion included restrictive anti-Indian policies How efforts to exploit the nation's natural resources led to government efforts to promote free and forced migration of various American people across the continent
  • How Regional interest continued to trump national concerns as the basis for many political leader's position on economic issues including slavery, the National Bank, tariffs and internal improvements
  • Federal government attempt to assert authority over the states brought resistance from state governments in the south
  • Set Resistance by American Indians to expansion efforts led to a sequence of wars a federal efforts to control American Indian population

Elections of 1824 + 1828

  • Unlike previous decades, these elections led to the introduction of strong political parties as it became evident that they were necessary in a healthy democracy, which juxtaposed the traditional view of them as disruptors in a harmonious society
  • Seen in the Election of 1824, which came to be known among Jacksonites as the Corrupt Bargain of 1824
  • Background: candidates are James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford and Andrew Jackson.
  • Andrew Jackson, the war hero from the West who condemned the corruption and privilege in govt, was popular but didn't win the majority electoral vote HOR has to choose top 3 candidates
  • Clay, who's also Speaker of the House, is surprisingly kicked out, but still has a lot of power over who wins-Clay supports JOA, who wins and chooses Clay to be Sec. of State
  • Jackson's supporters were outraged and claimed that JQA had bribed Clay, stating it was a prime example of elitism that directly opposed democracy
  • JQA's presidency, unlike his earlier foreign policy efforts, was uneventful, Some considered his presidency illegitimate, he wasn't popular among the public (minority president), and he had nationalistic beliefs in a era of growing sectionalism.
  • Jackson, a Democratic-Republican, wins the Election of 1828, becoming the first President from the West (breaking the VA streak). He called himself a common frontiersman, but in reality, he was actually a wealth planter. He also hyperbolized about JQA's corruption.
  • Spoils System: Jackson rewarded political supporters by giving them positions in public office. Because many were from the West/South, they were often uneducated, which meant there was lots of corruption and unfit people in important public office positions. Jackson countered saying that it was actually democratic to give the common man a voice in politics.

Nullification Crisis

  • Tariffs were always a controversial issue; they helped new industries in the North qrow without foreign competition but increased the prices of domestic products and posed the risk of 'retaliatory tariffs abroad (foreign nations would also impose a tariff against American exports).
  • Southern agrarian society despised the high tariffs
  • Tariff of Abominations (1828): this was a bill that Jacksonites promoted in 1824 because they thought it would be defeated and make President JQA look bad.
  • Jackson inherits it, Southerners who rely on trade are furious→ said they were being discriminated against
  • more anxiety after Denmark Vesey rebellion (1822): free black who led a failed slave rebellion in Charlestown → Southerners worry about federal interference with the institution of slavery.
  • The South Carolina Exposition (1828): secretly written by Jackson's VP John C Calhoun, it said the tariff was unconstitutional and that states should nullify it (tariff violated compact theory)
  • Nullification Crisis: South Carolina legislature declares the tariff null and void and threatens secession if the fed. govt tries to collect duties.
  • Compromise tariff of 1833: created by Henry Clay (again!), it essentially resolved the crisis.
  • Force Bill (1833): allowed the President to use the army and navy to collect federal tariff duties if necessary Jackson wants to show he may use force and won't alwavs back down.

Indian Removal

  • Jackson wanted to expand westward but knew there would be native resistance. Many respected the Indians and wanted to assimilate them although some resisted, 5 Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Creeks, Choctaws, Seminoles, Chickasaws) adapted to lifestyles similar to those of whites.
  • Worcester v. Georgia (1832): a Georgia legislature said the Cherokee tribal council was illegal and said they had jurisdiction over Indian lands and affairs. Cherokee appealed to the Supreme court, Marshall rules in their favor. but Jackson refuses to listen to this.
  • Indian Removal Act (1830): forcefully removed 100,000 Indians (even the 5 Civilized tribes). Jackson had some good intent: he knew westward expansion was inevitable so he wanted natives to preserve their culture elsewhere.
  • Trail of Tears: trail that tribes walked to settle in other territory excruciating and fatal, it led to 4,000 deaths
  • Black Hawk War (1832): some tribes resisted this eviction, as seen in this war, but were often brutally crushed.
  • Seminole Indians led by Osceola waged a guerilla war, but eventually Osceola was captured by American forces.

Bank War

  • Jackson, being from the West, distrusted big business and monopolized banking because they printed paper money, whose value often fluctuated, giving these banks plenty of power over the national economy.
  • BUS controlled most of the nation's money, but since it was private, it acted to the will of elite investors, not the people, Many thought the President of BUS, Nicholas Biddle, had too much power in the nation's affairs.
  • Bank War: Congress is presented with a bill to renew the charter for the BUSJackson vetoes, showing his belief that the president's say is final and the ultimate power.
  • Meanwhile, Jackson manages to win reelection in 1932
  • Jackson wants to rid of the BUS for good, so he removed federal deposits placing them in state, pro-Jackson banks called pet banks. This meant there was now no central bank, so currency/ economy is disorganized- boom and bust cycle
  • Jackson tries to save the now failing economy by issuing Specie Circular, which says all land must be purchased with metallic money instead of paper notes → stopped the speculative boom that was caused by the influx of paper notes, but also led to the panic of 1837.
  • Although Jackson's intentions were somewhat good, destroying the bank did more harm than good (like Recyclops from the Office)
  • The Whigs party (anti-Jackson) compared his blatant abuse of power similar to that of a monarchy. Also supported Northern industrialists, active govt. reforms, and internal improvements. Claimed to be People's Party.

Texas

  • Election of 1836: Martin Van Buren, a Jacksonite, wins against the Whigs candidate William Henry Harrison, giving the old Jackson a chance to influence policy through Buren.
  • Jackson's mess left Buren with the panic of 1837 caused by rampant speculation and land purchased on borrowed money from the pet banks. The Bank War and Specie Circular worsened this.
  • Meanwhile, the US looked to occupy the massive area of Texas, even though it was occupied by Spain. However, the Mexicans win their independence in 1821, and a man named Stephen Austin is given a large plot of large in exchange for bringing in 300 American families.
    • tensions arose around slavery, immigration and state rights between these new families and the native Mexicans
  • With slavery, Mexico had emancipated all their slaves by 1830, but Americans refused to follow this rule and even brought more slaves in.
  • These tensions were further flared when the dictator, Santa Anna, got rid of local rights and began to place an army to suppress rebellious Texans.
  • Texans declared their independence in 1836, which leads Santa Anna to violently battle the rebels at the Alamno. Although it was defeat for the Texans, it galvanized them and led them to seeking independence from Mexico.
  • At San Jacinto, Texans capture Santa Anna, who withdraws his troops and recognizes the southernmost border of Texas to be the Rio Grande. The US recognizes Texas as its own republic, but Mexico does not. Mind ya business, that's all Mind ya business
  • "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" William Henry Harrison & VP John Tyler win-Harrison dies, so Tyler is President.