Bollu Notes

I. The “corrupt bargain” of 1824

1. The four candidates emerged for the next election after James Monroe’s second
   term 1) John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts 2)Henry Clay of Kentucky 3)
   William Henry Crawford of Georgia and 4) Andrew Jackson of Tennessee.
   o All four were republicans there was a deadlock between the candidates, so
   the house of representatives was called to vote.

2. Adams was elected president and Henry Clay was secretary of state.

3. Jackson’s supporters accused Adams of Bribing Clay with the position of
   secretary of state so Adams would get elected. Angry Jacksonians protested
   against this “corrupt bargain”.
   II. A Yankee misfit in the White House

4. John Quincy was short, thickset and billiard-bald. He ranks as the most
   successful secretary of State but least successful president.

5. Less than a third of voters had voted for him, he was a “minority president”. He
   was a cold, austere man and didn’t win popular support.

6. He was a nationalist in a time where people wanted to more state’s rights.
   III. Going “whole Hog” for Jackson in 1828

7. The republicans split into two – The national republicans with Adams as their
   standard. The other was the Democratic-republicans heady by Jackson.

8. Jackson’s followers denounced Adams as a corrupt aristocrat. They wanted
   Jackson to “reform” the wrong ways.

9. Mudslinging reached new lows in 1828.

   10. On the next voting day General Jackson’s triumph couldn’t be denied and he won
       the election.
       IV. “Old Hickory“ as President

   11. The new president was tall, lean and had blue eyes, born in the Carolinas and
       was early orphaned.
       o Jackson moved to Tennessee and became a member of the congress.
       The American Pageant
       15th Edition
       Chapter 13 notes
       The Rise of a Mass Democracy
       o He was the first president from the west, didn’t have a college education,
       owned many salves and lived in a great mansion.

   12. “Hickorites” poured into Washington from all over, hoping to see the man they
       elected go into office.
       Nobodies mingled with noticeables as the white house was opened to the first
       time to the public.
       V. The Spoils System

   13. The democrats rewarded their political supporters with public office. The question
       was not anymore “what can he do for the county?” but “is he loyal to Jackson?”.

   14. This was scandalous. Men who had bought their posts were given office, so were
       illiterates, incompetents and crooks.
       Samuel Swaitwout stole 1 million dollars from the government and escaped to
       England.

   15. Despite its abuse, the spoils system as important for loyalty in office.
       VI. The Tricky “Tariff of Abominations”

   16. Tariffs protected American industry against European competition.
       The middle states and new England were supporters but the southerners weren’t.

   17. Branded as the black Tariff or the Tariff of abominations, several southern sates
       adopted formal protest the south was falling in hard times and felt that that they
       got stuck with paying the bill.

   18. The southerners were secretly anxious about federal interference with then
       institution of slavery
       VII. “Nullies” in South Carolina

   19. The nullies tried to muster the vote nullification in the S. Carolina legislature.

   20. Congress passed a new tariff of 183 2 that took away most of the abominations
       but was still protective.

   21. The State legislature called for a special convention.
       o Declared the tariff to be null and void within South Carolina.
       o They threatened to take South Carolina out of the union if Washington
       attempted to collect customs by force.

   22. Andrew Jackson wasn’t intimidated and wouldn’t permit defiance or disunion.
       o He privately threatened to invade the state and hang nullifiers.

   23. Henry Clay made a compromise bill that would reduce the tariffs by 10 percent
       over 8 years – the compromise tariff of 1833. Northern states were upset

   24. The force bill was passed- authorized president to use army and navy to if
       necessary to collect tariffs.

   25. Neither side won a clear victory, but Clay was the true hero of the hour for saving
       the country.
       VIII. The Trail of Tears

   26. Jackson’s democrats wanted western expansion but there were native people
       living on the lands. The tribes were seen as separate nations and the US agreed to
       acquire lands only through treaties, but Americans violated their own rules to the
       expense of the natives.

   27. Many Americans thoughts that the natives could be “civilized” and had respect
       and admiration for them.

   28. However many tribes resisted but some accommodated.
       o Cherokees of Georgia made remarkable efforts to learn the way of the
       whites. They gave up their semi-nomadic ways and turned to agriculture.

   29. The Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles were among the
       “five civilized tribes”.

   30. This embrace of white customs was not enough; in 1828 the Georgia legislature
       declared the Cherokee tribal council illegal.
       o They appealed to the supreme court, but Jackson who wanted to expand
       further ignored their ruling
       o He proposed the removal of the western tribes beyond the Mississippi river.

   31. In 1830 the Indian removal act was passed. It forced uprooting of the native
       tribes with a promise of a “permanently” white man free land.
       o Their “permanent” land didn’t last more than 15 years.

   32. Some were suspicious of White’s intentions form the start, and they resisted
       eviction leading to the black hawk war in 1832. The Indians were crushed in this
       war.

   33. The Seminoles fled to Florida with runaway slaves but were destroyed as well.
       IX. The Bank War

   34. Jackson distrusted monopolistic banking and overbig businesses. The US bank
       was a monster in his eyes.
       o It was the most powerful bank in the US, it controlled most of the nation’s
       gold and silver.
       o It was a source of credit and stability- an important part of the expanding
       nation’s economy.

   35. Others saw the bank as unconstitutional and didn’t like the power the president
       of the bank- Nicholas Biddle or “Czar Nicholas I” had.
       They west wasn’t fond of the bank’s foreclosing powers. Profit not public service
       was the bank’s first priority.

   36. The bank war erupted in 1832 when Daniel Webster and Henry Clay proposed a
       bill to renew the bank’s charter.
       o Clay’s scheme was to send the Bill to congress. If Jackson signed it he
       would lose his western followers. If he vetoed it he’d probably lose the
       election. Jackson ended up vetoing it and Clay’s assumptions were wrong.
       X. “Old Hickory” Wallops Clay in 1832

   37. For the first time there was a new third party- the anti- Masonic part whom
       apposed the Masonic order, they appealed to the secret societies.
       o Also for the first time they called national nominating convention to name
       candidates.

   38. Clay had lots of money coming into his campaign but still lost the presidency.
       XI. Burying Biddle’s Bank

   39. Jackson took the government’s funds out of The US bank to ensure that the bank
       would close. His cabinet didn’t agree with this.

   40. The death of the US bank left a financial vacuum in the American economypaper currency became unreliable.
       o A Specie circular was passed; it required all public lands to be purchased
       with hard “metal” money. This contributed to the financial crash of 1837.

   41. Jackson never had to deal with the damage.
       XII. The Birth of the Whigs

   42. The Whigs appeared because of opposition to Jackson and his exercise of power.
       o They attracted groups alienated by Jackson they thought of themselves as
       conservatives but they were progressive in their support of active
       government reforms.
       o They aimed to be the defenders of the common man and declared the
       democrats corrupted.
       XIII. The election of 1836

   43. Martin Van Burren was Jackson’s choice for his successor

   44. The Whigs appointed various “favorite sons”.
       o The leading one was William Henry Harrison

   45. Van Burren the “little magician” won anyways
       XIV. Big Woes for the “Little Magician”

   46. Van Burren the 8th president, was the first to be born under the American flag

   47. He wasn’t exactly liked by the democrats who felt that he’d been smuggled into
       the office under Jackson’s tailcoats
       o People felt left down, he wasn’t as brash as Jackson.

   48. His 4 years were filled with trouble and he had to battle a panic of depression and
       a wave of discontent people.
       XV. Depression Doldrums & the Independent Treasury

   49. The main Cause if the Panic of 1837 was because speculators were promoting
       western lands and doing business on shaky currency.
       o Failure of wheat crops deepened distress
       o Europe’s economic distress made things worse for the U.S.

   50. Hundreds of Banks and factories closed, the unemployed were in the street.

   51. Van Burren passed the “Divorce Bill”- This bill divorced the government from
       banking. Government funds would be safe when they locked their surplus money
       into vaults.
       XVI. Gone to Texas

   52. Americans continued to settle more lands- now in Texas.

   53. Mexicans won their independence from Spain in 1821, they wanted American
       families to populate the area and be “mexicanized”.
       o Most of the settlers were law abiding people but some came to evade the
       police
       o Americans ignored the decrees set by the Mexicans, Stephen Austin went to
       talk to Santa Anna- the Mexican leader- but was put in jail

   54. Santa Anna started to raise an army to suppress the Texans
       XVII. The Lone Star Rebellion

   55. In 1836 Texans declared independence
       o Santa Anna fought back- wiped out Texans at the battle of the Alamo
       o Slain Heroes like Davy Crocket became legendary. Vengeful Americans
       came to their compatriot’s aid.

   56. At San Jacinto Americans overcame Mexicans and made Santa Anna sign
       treaties. 1) He agreed to withdraw Mexican troops and 2) recognize Rio Grande as
       the extreme southwest border of Texas.

   57. Texas wanted to join the Union but northerners were upset and didn’t want
       another salve state being added.

   58. Mexicans complained that the US had not stayed neutral.
       o The American public didn’t care
       XVIII. Log Cabins and Hard Cider

   59. The next election was between Democrat Martin Van Burren and The Whig’s
       William Henry Harrison.
       o Harrison was issueless, enemy less and best remembered for his success
       against Indians and Brits at the battle of Tippecanoe.
       o His Vice president was John Tyler

   60. Whigs hoped that the people would embrace Harrison as a hero that had been
       called from his Cabin to drive corrupt Jackson spoils men from the presidential
       palace.
       o Harrison did win the election
       XIX. Politics for People

   61. Election of 1840 showed two changes in politics since the era of good feelings

   62. Triumph of a populist democratic style instead of aristocracy.
       o No one liked snobs and prominent men had to be more relatable to
       “common men” to win support.
       XX. The Two Party System

   63. The second change in politics was a formation of a durable two-party system.
       o Differences: Jackson democrats glorified individual liberties, states rights
       and federal restraint. They were more humble people. The Whigs were more
       prosperous and liked natural harmony in society, they also favored internal
       improvements.
       o In common: They were mass-based, so they tried to mobilize as many
       voters for their cause. They were pretty intermixed within their own parties
       which prevented extremes.
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