Transcript The Age of Jackson

The Age of
Jackson
Andrew Jackson (A.J.)
Expansion of Democracy
North
 Workshops
South
=>
factories
 Craftspeople =>
business
owners/hired labor
 Small
farms =>
large plantations
 Family owned =>
wealthy white
people/enslaved
African Americans
* LOSING WEALTH AND POWER IN THEIR GOVERNMENT *
* Wealth into the hands of a few *
Jacksonian Democracy

Government managed by wealthy, propertyowning men.


Policies targeted to help build THEIR power
Small farmers, western frontier settlers, and slaveholders hoped for a change => Andrew Jackson
(1800’s Obama)



Defend the rights of the common people and
slave states (SOUTH)
Democratic reforms (i.e. voting qualification
changes – excluded free blacks as they were
allowed under their state constitutions)
Nominating Conventions – members nominate
candidates not the party’s leaders.
Election of 1828: re-do 1824
Andrew Jackson




Democratic Party
John C. Calhoun as
running mate
War hero (War of
1812)
Born poor, rose to
success through hard
work
John Quincy Adams
 National
Republicans
 Harvard graduate
 Father was the 2nd
president
Jackson’s Qualifications







Born and raised in the Carolinas (SOUTH)
Taught himself and became a successful lawyer
Tennessee’s first U.S. Congress representative
Served in the U.S. Senate
Served on the TN Supreme Court
War hero: defeated Creek and Seminole Indians;
Battle of New Orleans (“Maverick”)
Strong presidency – vetoed many bills (more than
the 6 presidents preceding him)


Vetoed re-chartering of the Second Bank of U.S.
Strong Union – threatened S.C. when it tried to
nullify a federal tariff
1828 Negative “commercials”
A.J.
 Hot tempered
 Crude
(raw/unprepared)
 Not ready to be
president of the
U.S.

“paid for by the J.Q.
campaign”
John Q.
 Out of touch with
everyday people –
those people A.J.
was defending.
 “cold as a lump of
ice”

“paid for by the A.J.
campaign”
* A.J. WINS and breaks a popular vote record *
“Pays to be the King”
 Win
for the common people
 Spoils System: the practice of giving
government jobs to political backers



Jackson rewarded some supporters
Martin Van Buren – Secretary of State
Kitchen Cabinet – informal group of trusted
advisers who sometimes met in the White
House kitchen…
…
Jackson was a hungry fella’
Different region = different
interests
North



Economy based on
manufacturing
Supported tariffs –
American goods sold
at lower prices than
British goods
Opposed gov’t
cheap sale of public
land (lose people)
South

Economy based on
agriculture




Mostly cash crops
(cotton/tobacco)
Opposed tariffs – increased
the cost of imported goods
Sold goods to foreign
nations – tariffs angered
trade partners
Relied on enslaved Africans
West
• Emerging economy – farming and settlement
• Support for international improvements and the sale of public land
Hot Topic of the day: Tariffs
South
North


Wanted tariffs to
protect their
industries from
foreign competition.
So high, that
importing wool
would be impossible


Tariff would hurt their
economy
Tariff of Abominations
(hateful thing): Congress
placed a high tariff on
imports prior to A.J.


JQA signed it (rather than
vetoed it) knowing he
would be defeated in his
re-election bid.
Added to growing
sectional differences.
States’ Rights on tariffs?
What do you think A.J.?


Individual states’ right to disregard a law that had
been passed by the U.S. Congress (federal
government)
John C. Calhoun represented the severely damaged
economy of South Carolina due to the tariff
(previously favored a strong central gov’t)





Some even mentioned leaving the Union.
Congress should not favor one state or region over
another…
States’ Rights Doctrine: because the states formed the
national government, state power should prevail – could
nullify any federal law (unconstitutional)
Opposition (northern states) – American people, not
the individual states made up the Union.
Nullification (reject) Crisis: conflict of nullification


Calhoun did resign from the vice-presidency (Martin Van
Buren)
Elected to the Senate to continue his push for nullification
Hayne vs. Webster (Senate)
Hayne



Robert Y. Hayne,
senator from South
Carolina
What is his side…?
Nullification gave
states a way to
lawfully protest
federal legislation.
Webster



Massachusetts
What is his side…?
United States was
one nation, not a
pact among
independent states

Welfare of the nation
should override that
of individual states.
Jackson to the rescue (?)




Opposed to nullification, but concerned of economic
issues in the south.
1832 he urged Congress to pass a tariff that lowered
the previous rate (not good enough)
South Carolina passed the Nullification Act and
threatened to withdraw from the Union and voted to
form its own army (Jackson’s not so happy…)
At A.J.’s request, Congress passed the Force Bill –
approving the use of the army if necessary.


No other state openly supported S.C.
Henry Clay “Mr. Compromise” – gradual lowering of the
tariff over several years and S.C. leaders would enforce
the law.

Neither side changed their beliefs about states’ rights…
Civil War
Jackson creates more waves


Did not always support greater federal power
Opposed the Second Bank of the United
States




20 year charter to act exclusively as the federal
government’s financial agent.
80% of the bank was privately owned but it was
supervised by Congress and the president.
Unconstitutional extension of Congressional
power – states should have the power here.
Many in the South opposed the bank – only
helped wealthy businesspeople
McCulloch v. Maryland
McCulloch
 Refused
to pay the
tax
 Federal
government
Maryland
 Pass
a tax that
would limit the
Bank’s operations.
 Took McCulloch to
court…
 State
Ruling:
National bank was constitutional and the states can’t have more
power than the federal government
Dealing with the aftermath
 Bank’s
director pushed a bill to renew the
Bank’s charter

Jackson would defeat the bill – Congress
could not get the 2/3 vote to override the
veto.
 Jackson
weakens the Bank’s power by
moving funds to state banks… led to
inflation  by offering easy credit to
people buying land.

More economic issues on the horizon…
AHHHH… Panic of 1837

1834 the Whig Party formed – favoring the idea
of a weak president and strong Congress





Just like an English political party opposed to the
monarchy… Jackson was using his power like a
king.
Couldn’t choose one candidate
1836 Election – Whig vs. Van Buren
Panic of 1837: severe economic depression…
contributed partially to Jackson’s policies, but
Van Buren took the rap for it.
1840 Whigs chose William Henry Harrison as
their single candidate who won a landslide
election against Van Buren.
A.J. and the Indians

Famous American Indian fighter




No sympathy for Native American’s land claims
– where they had always lived – American
farmers have priority.
Reversed the government’s pledge to respect
Indian land claims.
Brutal removal of the southeastern peoples to
empty places in the West.
Indian Removal Act: (1830) authorized the
removal of Native Americans who lived east
of the Mississippi River to lands in the West.
Congress deals with Indians
 Established
Indian Territory – U.S. land in
what is now Oklahoma, where the Indians
were moved to.

Protect the Indians from further conflicts
with American settlers (Calhoun).
 Bureau
of Indian Affairs – managed Indian
removal to western lands (government
agency)
Native Experience

Mississippi abolished the Choctaw government
and forced them to sign the Treaty of Dancing
Rabbit Creek:



Gave more than 7.5 million acres of their land to
the state
¼ of the Choctaw Indians died on the move to
Indian Territory.
This spurred some other Indians to resist removal.


Creek Indians were “escorted” by federal troops
to the Indian Territory after resisting.
Chickasaw negotiated a treaty for better supplies
on their trip – many still died.
New Approach by Cherokee

Could they avoid removal by adopting the
culture of white people?




Set up schools where children learned English
Developed a government modeled after the
U.S. Constitution – election system, bicameral
council, court system.
Created a writing system and published a
newspaper in both English and Cherokee
This did not protect the Cherokee


Upon finding gold in Georgia, the preparations
for their removal were made.
GA militia began attacking Cherokee towns
Worcester v. Georgia
Case

Cherokee sued
Georgia saying they
were an
independent nation
that Georgia’s
government had no
legal power over
their lands.
Ruling

Chief Justice John
Marshall:


Cherokee nation was
a distinct community
in which the laws of
Georgia had no
force.
Only the federal
government, not the
states, had authority
over Native
Americans.
Follow through on the decision
 Georgia
ignored the Court’s ruling and
Jackson didn’t enforce it either.

Violation of his presidential oath yet most
Americans didn’t see much issue with it.
 Cherokee
were removed by U.S. troops
and Georgia quickly took their businesses,
farms, and property.
 Trail of Tears: Cherokee’s 800-mile forced
march, where many died (18,000)
Others resistance movements

Leader of Fox and Sauk Indians in Illinois, Chief
Black Hawk tried to protect their lands.


Ran out of food and supplies and were
eventually forced to leave.
Second Seminole War in Florida



Osceola told his people to resist with force
After Osceola died, his followers continued
fighting
Many were removed or killed, but eventually
U.S. gave up the fight and a small group resisted
removal.