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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