America: 1828-1850 Exam

Andrew Jackson’s Military Career

• Key Events:

  • Fought in the Revolutionary War as a teenager.

  • Gained fame during the War of 1812, particularly at the Battle of New Orleans (1815), where he defeated the British.

  • Led campaigns against Native Americans, including the Creek War (1813-1814) and the First Seminole War (1817-1818).

• Significance: Jackson’s military success made him a national hero and paved the way for his political career.

Jacksonian Democracy

• Key Ideas:

  • Expansion of voting rights to all white men, regardless of property ownership.

  • Emphasis on the "common man" and opposition to elite control of government.

  • Rise of the Democratic Party, which represented farmers, workers, and small business owners.

• Significance: Marked a shift toward greater political participation and the rise of populism in American politics.

Spoils System

• Definition: The practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs.

• Jackson’s Use: Jackson argued it promoted democracy by rotating officeholders.

• Criticism: Critics claimed it led to corruption and inefficiency.

• Significance: Established a precedent for political patronage in American government.

Tariff of 1828 (Tariff of Abominations)

• Purpose: Protect Northern industries by taxing imported goods.

• Impact: Hurt the Southern economy, which relied on cheap imports.

• Reaction: Southerners, led by John C. Calhoun, called it the "Tariff of Abominations" and argued for nullification.

• Significance: Led to the Nullification Crisis.

Nullification Crisis

• Key Events:

  • South Carolina declared the tariff null and void in 1832.

  • Jackson threatened to use military force to enforce federal law.

  • Compromise Tariff of 1833 resolved the crisis.

• Significance: Highlighted tensions between states’ rights and federal authority.

Jackson vs. The Bank of the U.S.

• Key Events:

  • Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank of the U.S. in 1832.

  • Withdrew federal funds and placed them in state banks ("pet banks").

• Impact: Led to economic instability and the Panic of 1837.

• Significance: Jackson’s actions weakened the national banking system and increased executive power.

Second Seminole War

• Key Events:

  • Conflict in Florida (1835-1842) as the U.S. tried to remove the Seminole tribe.

  • Longest and costliest Indian war in U.S. history.

• Significance: Demonstrated Native American resistance to removal policies.

Trail of Tears

• Key Events:

  • Forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw) from their lands to Oklahoma (1838-1839).

  • Thousands died due to harsh conditions.

• Significance: A tragic example of the impact of the Indian Removal Act and U.S. expansionism.

Panic of 1837

• Causes:

  • Jackson’s banking policies and the collapse of "pet banks."

  • Overspeculation in land and railroads.

• Impact: Widespread unemployment, bank failures, and a five-year depression.

• Significance: Highlighted the need for a stable banking system.

Textile Industry

• Key Developments:

  • Growth of factories, especially in the North (e.g., Lowell Mills).

  • Increased demand for cotton, which fueled slavery in the South.

• Significance: Marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in America.

German and Irish Immigration

• German Immigration:

  • Settled in the Midwest, contributed to farming and industry.

• Irish Immigration:

  • Fled the Potato Famine (1845-1852), faced discrimination and nativism.

• Significance: Contributed to the growth of cities and the labor force.

Second Great Awakening

• Key Ideas:

  • Religious revival movement emphasizing individual salvation and social reform.

  • Led to the growth of new denominations (e.g., Methodists, Baptists).

• Impact: Inspired reform movements like abolitionism, temperance, and women’s rights.

Horace Mann and Education

• Key Contributions:

  • Advocated for public education, teacher training, and standardized curricula.

  • Helped establish the common school movement.

• Significance: Laid the foundation for modern public education in the U.S.

Utopian Communities

• Examples:

  • Shakers: Practiced celibacy and communal living.

  • Oneida Community: Shared property and practiced "complex marriage."

• Significance: Reflected the era’s optimism and desire for social reform.

James K. Polk

• Key Policies:

  • Promoted Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion.

  • Oversaw the annexation of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican-American War.

• Significance: Expanded U.S. territory to the Pacific Ocean.

Chronological Order

1. Mexico gains independence from Spain (1821).

2. Thousands of U.S. settlers move to Texas.

3. Texas becomes an independent republic (1836).

4. U.S. annexes Texas (1845).

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

• Key Terms:

  • Ended the Mexican-American War (1848).

  • U.S. gained California, New Mexico, and other territories.

• Significance: Completed U.S. expansion to the Pacific.

Southern Opposition to Tariffs

• Reasons:

  • Tariffs hurt the Southern economy, which relied on exports and cheap imports.

• Impact: Contributed to sectional tensions between North and South.

William Lloyd Garrison

• Key Contributions:

  • Abolitionist who founded The Liberator.

  • Advocated for immediate emancipation and equal rights.

• Significance: Played a key role in the abolitionist movement.

Compromise of 1850

• Key Provisions:

  • Admitted California as a free state.

  • Enacted the Fugitive Slave Act.

  • Allowed popular sovereignty in new territories.

• Significance: Temporarily eased sectional tensions but failed to resolve the slavery issue.

Election of 1824 (Corrupt Bargain)

• Key Events:

  • Jackson won the popular vote but lost the election in the House of Representatives.

  • Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams, who then appointed Clay Secretary of State.

• Significance: Led to the rise of Jacksonian Democracy.

Impact of Indian Removal Act

• Key Effects:

  • Forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands.

  • Led to the Trail of Tears and widespread suffering.

• Significance: Demonstrated the U.S. government’s disregard for Native American rights.

Henry Clay’s American System

• Key Components:

  • Protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements (e.g., roads, canals).

• Significance: Aimed to strengthen the U.S. economy and promote national unity.

Opinions on Jackson as President

• Positive: Champion of the common man, expanded democracy.

• Negative: Authoritarian tendencies, harsh treatment of Native Americans.

Corrupt Bargain

• Definition: Alleged deal between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay in the Election of 1824.

• Impact: Fueled Jackson’s rise to power in 1828.

Henry David Thoreau

• Key Contributions:

  • Transcendentalist writer and abolitionist.

  • Wrote Civil Disobedience, advocating for individual resistance to unjust laws.

• Significance: Influenced later movements for civil rights and social justice.

Formation of the Democratic Party

• Key Ideas:

  • Founded by Jackson’s supporters.

  • Emphasized states’ rights, limited government, and the "common man."

• Significance: Became one of the two major political parties in the U.S.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

• Key Ruling:

  • Supreme Court ruled that states could not regulate Native American lands.

• Impact: Jackson ignored the ruling, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Sectionalism

• Definition: Growing divide between North and South over slavery, tariffs, and states’ rights.

• Significance: Led to increased tensions and eventually the Civil War.

Five Civilized Tribes

• Definition: Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw tribes.

• Impact: Forcibly removed from their lands during the Trail of Tears.

“Pet Banks”

• Definition: State banks where Jackson deposited federal funds after dismantling the Second Bank of the U.S.

• Impact: Contributed to the Panic of 1837.

John C. Calhoun

• Key Ideas:

  • Advocate for states’ rights, nullification, and slavery.

• Significance: Played a key role in the Nullification Crisis and sectional tensions.

Oregon Territory

• Key Events:

  • Dispute with Britain resolved by the Oregon Treaty (1846).

  • Established the 49th parallel as the border.

• Significance: Expanded U.S. territory to the Pacific Northwest.

John Tyler

• Key Policies:

  • Became president after William Henry Harrison’s death.

  • Supported states’ rights and the annexation of Texas.

• Significance: First vice president to assume the presidency.

William Henry Harrison

• Key Events:

  • Shortest presidency (died after one month in office).

  • Known for the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too."

• Significance: His death highlighted the importance of the vice presidency.

Irish Immigration

• Key Events:

  • Fled the Potato Famine (1845-1852).

  • Faced discrimination and nativism.

• Significance: Contributed to the growth of cities and the labor force.

Nativism

• Definition: Anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly against Irish and German Catholics.

• Impact: Led to the rise of groups like the Know-Nothing Party.

Texas Independence

• Key Events:

  • Texans rebelled against Mexican rule, leading to the Battle of the Alamo (1836).

  • Established the Republic of Texas.

• Significance: Led to the annexation of Texas by the U.S. in 1845.

Samuel Morse

• Key Contributions:

  • Invented the telegraph and Morse code.

• Significance: Revolutionized communication in the 19th century.