The Indian Removal to The Bank War

Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal

• in 1828, Indian Removal was a key campaign promise for Jackson
• especially Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, and Seminoles in the Southeast
• about 60,000 people total
• occupied prime cotton land
• 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
• strong resistance by Native people and white allies
• Jackson portrayed removal as voluntary and protective of Native people
• in practice, thousands died in forced removals

Jackson and The “Bank War”

• Jackson blamed the Second Bank of the United States (BUS) for the panic of 1819
• not an important campaign issue
• personal for Jackson
• Jackson starts battle of egos with the BUS president Nicholas Biddle
• debates and attacks in public and print
• 1832 (election year) Congress renewed BUS charter early
• Jackson vetoed, but old charter was good through 1836
• Jackson kept attacking
• ordered the cabinet to stop depositing federal money in BUS
• switched to selected state banks instead, “pet banks”
• sparked controversy:
• supporters: defending the poor against the rich
• opponents: abuse of power, threat to private property, class conflict

Legacies of the Bank War

• probably hurt the economy more than helped
• many leaders left the Democratic Party
• helped push opponents to organize the Whig Party

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