Chapter 9 A Democratic Revolution (1800-1848)

1830s United States praised its republican society but not its political parties and politicians

Alexis de Tocqueville concluded in Democracy in America Most citizens ignored policy issues and only listened in awe to “the clamor of a mountebank who knows the secret of stimulating their tastes”.

1820 and 1830 the watchwords were democracy and party politics, a system run by men who avidly sought office and rallied supporters through newspapers, broadsides, and great public processions.-Politics became a sport.

THE RISE OF POPULAR POLITICS

Franchise→ right to vote dramatically symbolized the democratic revolution.

English reform bill of 1832 extended the vote to only 600,000 out of 6 million men.

Participation was restricted to white men.

THE DECLINE OF NOTABLES AND THE RISE OF PARTIES

Notables were northern landlords, slave-owning planters, and seaport merchants.— dominated the political system in the new republic.

This dominance began to wane as political parties emerged, leading to a more organized and inclusive political landscape that encouraged wider participation among the electorate.

THE RISE OF DEMOCRACY

Influences by the equal rights rethorics of republicanism , many Americans began to advocate for the expansion of suffrage beyond property-owning white males, pushing for a more egalitarian approach to governance.

PARTIES TAKE COMMAND

Political machines because they efficiently wove together the interests of diverse social and economic groups.

Martin Van Buren chief architect of the emerging system of party government “All men of sense know that political parties are inseparable from free government”.

Martin Van Buren supporters were called “Bucktail” as they wore deers tail on their hats.

Van Buren purchased the newspaper Albany Argus and used it to promote his policies and get out the vote.

Bucktails won the legislature in 1821 and appointed positions to friends in what critics call a “Spoil Sysytem”.

Caucus is a meeting held by a political party to choose candidates, make policies and enforce party discipline.

Van Burens nickname was little magician short stature+political dexterity.

RACIAL EXCLUSION AND REPUBLICAN OTHERHOOD

Old cultural rules and new laws denied the vote to most women and free African American men.

REPUBLICAN MOTHERHOOD

The birthrate dropped down significantly and gave more individualism and independence to women who chose not to give their entire lives to raise children.

Demographic transition was the sharp decline in birthrate in the United Staets beginning in the 1790s that was caused by changes in cultural behaviour, including the use of birth control, The migration of thousands of young men to the trans-Appalachian west was also a factor in this decline.

Thoughts on Female education reflected the greater responsibility of the families welfare in hands of the women as it called for perseverance in the paths of recetitude, republican mothers and who would instruct their sons in the principles of liberty and government.

DEBATES OVER EDUCATION

Republican ideology strongly supported publicly supported schools.

Caleb Bingham called for an equal distribution of knowledge to make us emphatically a republic of letters.

Three R’s →Reading,’riting,’rithmetic

SLAVERY AND NATIONAL POLITICS.

Slavery became a political issue.

Congress have no authority to interfere in the emancipation of slaves.

Thrree-fifths of a person ensured the national government would protect slavery.

AFRICAN AMERICANS SPEAK OUT

Henry Spikins and Henry Jhonson pointed out that slavery “relentless tyranny”.

Secret Societies formed such as Prince Hall’s African Lodge of Freemasons in Boston they hoped slavery would die out naturally, but the cotton boom ended that hope.

Henry Clay founded the American Colonization Society in 1816, aiming to resettle free African Americans in Africa, which reflected the growing tensions surrounding slavery and the desire for a solution that would address both the abolitionist movement and the fears of white Americans.

The founding of Liberia occurred By buying land from Dey and Bassa leaders on the west coast of Africa.

1847 residents declared themselves independent, naming the new nation Liberia, which became a symbol of both hope and controversy in the ongoing debate over slavery and race relations in America.

But most free blacks opossed this colonization as they considered themselves American This land which we have watered with our tears and blood is now our mother country and they sought to fight for their rights and equality within the United States rather than abandon their homeland.

The Reverend Richar Allen became the first bishop of a new denomination the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The house of representatives choose the president from among the three highest vote-getters, Adams was appointed as president and in return appointed Clay as the secretary of state.

This was considered a Corrupt Bargain When speaker of the house Henry Clay used his influence to slect Jhon Quincy Adams aas president in 1824 and then adams appoijnted clay as secretary of state.

THE LAST NOTABLE PRESIDENT:JHON QUINCY ADAMS.

Adams called for the establishment of a national university in Washington

He endorese henry clays american system, protective tariffs, federally supported roads and a national bank.

THE DEMISE OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.

In the south planters opossed protective tarifsfs because these taxes raised the price of manufacturers.

Van Buren helped to defeat most of Adams proposed subsidies for roads and canalds.

THE TARIFF BATTLE major battle f the adams administration

The tarif of 1816 had placed relativwely high duties on imports of cheap English cotton cloth.

Withouth these tariffs English imports would have dominated the Market and slowed american industrialization.

Tariff of 1828

• Often referred to as the "Tariff of Abominations," it significantly raised duties on a wide range of imported goods, leading to widespread discontent in the South and contributing to the Nullification Crisis.

• It cost planters 100 million a year.

• CONSIDERED “LITTLE LESS THAT LEGALIZED PILLAGE”

Adams indian policy was also criticized as he called for negotiations with natives to determine boundaries within state borders.

Adams primary weakness was his out-if-date political style He was aloof inflexible and paternalistic.

THE DEMOCRACY AND THE ELECTION OF 1828

The little magician hoped that a national party would reconcile the diverse '“interests’

They praised old hickoyry as a natural aristocrat a self-made man, The jacksonians called themselves Democrats or the Democvracy.

Jackson’s message appealed to many social groups.

Captured the ones who feared industrialization

Beneffited from the controversial tariffs and the ones with hostility towards native Americans.

He became the first president from a trans-apalachian state.

Critics said “the reign of King ‘mob’ seemed triumphant”.

JACKSON IN POWER (1829-1837)

He enhanced presidential authority, destroyed the mercantilistic and national American systems and established a new ideology of limited government and supported indian removal.

JACKSONS AGENDA: ROTATION AND DECENTRALIZATION

Jackson relied on his so called “Kitchen Cabinet”

Francis Preston Balir edited the Washington Globe

Amos Kendall wrote Jacksons speeches.

Jackson used this spoil system to reward his allies and win backing for his policies.

THE TARIFF AND NULLIFICATION

The tariff of 1828 helped jackson with the presidency

The British parliament had declared that slavery in its west indian colonies would need in 1833 and planters feared the same would happen on American soil.

The crisis began in 1832 when congress renacted the Tariff of Abomination

In response South Carolina planters threatened to secede if federal officials tried to collect them they adopted an Ordinance of Nullification selcarin the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 to be null and void.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 asserted that because state-based conventions had ratified the constitution sovereignity lay in the states, not in the people.

1833 Congress passed the military force bil authorizing the president to compel South Carolinas obedience to national laws.

THE BANK WAR

Second Bank of The United States was founded in Philadelphia in 1816\

Americans worried the second bajnk would force weak banks to close

Many politicians resented the arrogance of the banks president Nicholas Biddle.

JACKSONS BANK VETO

1832 Henry Clay and Daniel Webster persuaded Buddle to seek an early extension of the banks charter.

The Bank Destroyed

Roger B. Taney a strong opponent to corporate privilege was appointed as head of the treasure and promptly transferred the federal governments gold and silver from the second bank to various state banks often called by critics “Pet Banks”.

“The bank war” escalated into a all-out political battle

1834 resolution by Hanry Clay that censured the president and warned of executive tyranny.

Second Bank was prevented to renew by Jackson Veto

Destroyed the AMERICAN SYSTEM AND THEN NATIONAL BANK

INDIAN REMOVAL

American who like and disliked natives all wanted removal

CHEROKEE RESISTANCE

Offspring of white traders and indian tried to fight off the resolution

1821 sEQUOYAH PERFECTED a system of writing for the Cherokee Language.

1827 cherokees devised a new charter modeled directly on the us constitution.

THE REMOVAL ACT AN ITS AFTERMATH 1830

tO BLOCK REMOVAL cATHARINE bEECHER AND lYDYA sIGOURNEY COMPOSED A LADIES CIRCULAR THAT URGED BENEVOLENT LADIES TO USE PRAYERS AND EXERTIONSTO AVERT THE CALAMITY OF REMOVAL.

The Removal Acyt created the indian territory on national landsacquired by the Louisiana purchase.

The U.S ARMY pursued Blakc Hawk into the WQisconsin Territory and ultimately defeated him in 1832, leading to further displacement of Native American tribes in the region.

Bad Axe Massacre

• Bad Axe Massacre: A tragic event in 1832 where U.S. forces attacked a group of Sauk and Fox Indians, resulting in significant loss of life and marking a pivotal moment in the conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. government.

• Cherokee Nation v, Georgia (1831): A landmark Supreme Court case in which the Cherokee Nation sought to challenge the state of Georgia's laws that infringed upon their sovereignty, highlighting the legal struggles of Native American tribes against state encroachments. Denied the calim that native nations were independent nations

• Worcester v. Georgia Voided georgias extension of state law over the Cherokees it held that indian nations were “distinc political communities, having territorial boundaries within which their authoriy is exclusive and guaranteed by the United States.

  Treaty of New Echota specified that Cherokees would resettle in Indian Territory only 2000 of the 17000 moved.

• President Van Buren's administration enforced the Indian Removal Act of 1830, leading to the forced relocation of the Cherokee people along the Trail of Tears, where thousands suffered from disease, exposure, and starvation during the journey.

• Once in Oklahoma the cherokees excluede any negro or mulatto basing the new nation on race base.

• Seminoles were the exception of the tribes who lasted till later.

  Jackson Impact

• He expanded the authority of the nations chief executive

  THE TANEY COURt

  Appointing Roger B tansey as his succesor in 1835

  Charles River Bridge Co. v Warren Bridge Co. →, the Court ruled that the charter of the Charles River Bridge Company did not exclude the state of Massachusetts from chartering another bridge nearby

  Darthmouth College v, Woodward→ the Supreme Court held that the New Hampshire legislature could not alter the charter of Dartmouth College, thereby protecting the institution's rights and setting a precedent for the sanctity of contracts.

  Mayor of New York v. Miln→ the Supreme Court ruled that the New York City mayor had the authority to regulate the health and safety of the city, emphasizing the power of local governments in matters of public welfare.

  Briscoe v. bank of Kentucky→ the Supreme Court affirmed that the state of Kentucky had the authority to incorporate a bank, reinforcing the principle of state sovereignty in economic matters.

  STATES REVISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONS

  new documents mandated the electin and not appointment of public officials.

  new constituions embodied the classical liveralism of laissez faire it limited governments role in economy

  sOCIAL-WELFARE LIBERALISM endorse the opposite principle

  Jackson era constitutions prohivbited states from granting special charters to corporations and extending loands and credit guarantees to private businesses.

  It also protected tax payers by setting strict limits on state debt.

  CLASS CULTURE AND THE SECOND PARTY SYSTEM

  evangelists Protestants became Whigs

• Catholicsand traditiojnal protestants joined the democrats

  THE WHIG WORLDVIEW

• The whigs arose in 1834 when a group of congressmen contestes Andre Jacksons policies and his high-handed “kinglike” conduct.

• Whigs was the name to identify themelves with pre-revolutionar American and British parties that opossed the arbitrary actions of British monarhcs.

• Senators who united the whigs was Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and William Henry Harrison, who advocated for a more active role of Congress in governance and promoted economic modernization.

  CALHOUNS DISSENT

  Whigs in the south were a minority often conformed by wealthy planters who invested in railroads, but the majority were poor whites who resented the panter elite.

  ANTI-MASONS BECOME WHIGS

• Anti-Masons a powerful but short-lived party that formed in the lat 1820

• They opossed the order of Freemansonry

• Fremansonry was a organization of men seeking moral improvement by promoting the welfare and unity of humanity.

• William Morgan 1826 threatened to revel the orders secret was kidnapped and killed

• This lead to the parties bad stance and popular support.

  LABOR POLITICS AND THE DEPRESSION OF (1837-1843)

• Between 1823 and 1833 artisans and laborers in fifteen states formed Woeking Mens parties.

• 1834 Penn allowed tax-supported schools.

• PANIC OF 1837 bagn when the bank of England tried to boost the faltering british economy by sharpling curtailing the flow of money and credit to the United States.

• Amrican planters and high people withdraw gold from domestic banks to pay their foreign debts.

• On may 8 the Dry Dock Bank of New York City ran out of specie

• To stimulate the economy, state governments increased their investments in canals and railroads.

• Nine state governments defaulted on their debts

• canal construction dropped by 90%

• Prices and wages fallen by 50%

• Unenmployment was at 20%

• The depression finished off the union movement and working men’s parties by creating a surplus of unemployed workers.

  TIPPECANOE AND TYLER TOO!

• Specie Circular executive order that required the Treasyry of department to accept only gold and silver in payment for lands in the national domain.

• Independent treasury act of 1840 delayed the recovery by pulling federal species out of Jacksons pet banks.

  THE LOG CABIN CAMPAIGN

• 1840 organized the first national conventions (WHIGS)

• William Henry Harrison of Ohio for president and Jhon Tyler of Virginia for vice president

• Jhon Tykler was a military hero fro the battle of tippecanoe and the war of 1812

• Log cabin campaign was a significant political strategy used by the Whigs to portray Harrison as a man of the people, emphasizing his humble beginnings and military background. new styles of campaigning.

• The whigs also boosted their electoral hopes by inviting women into campaign festivities a first for American politics

• They recognized Christian women had already entered American public life through the temprance movement and other benevolent activities.

  TYLER SUBVERTS THE WHIG AGENDA

• Harrison was puppet of the party to destroy jacksonian reforms

• He died in 1842

• Tyler took office and declared its intention to govern as he pleased.

• Tylers gabinet resigend in 1842

• He was named “his accidency”

• Democrats were allowed to regroup

• American life was shaped thought voting along ethnic and religious lines.