Transcript Why did they dislike him?

Andrew Jackson
Jackson was a strong fighter.
He joined the Patriots in the
Revolution when he was 13.
He studied law and was
eventually elected to Congress
in his 20’s.
He won national fame for his
achievements during the war
of 1812.
He defeated the Creek
Indians and made them turn
over their land in Georgia and
Alabama.
Jackson’s
Presidency
 He was a complex person
 He was adventurous and had a violent temper.
 His opponents called him “King Andrew”
because he wanted to expand the powers
of the president
 The Creeks disliked him so much they called
him “Sharp Knife”
 Why did they dislike him?
Who is the
person in this
picture?
What are
some of the
symbols used
in this
cartoon?
What do you
think the artist
was trying to
say with this
cartoon?
The
Spoils
System
• After taking office, Jackson fired many
government employees
– He dismissed more than 200 employees.
• Critics accused him of rewarding
Democrats instead of choosing qualified
men
– Jackson felt that ordinary Americans could fill
government jobs, instead of just the wealthy
– Spoils System – practice of rewarding
supporters with government jobs
The “Kitchen
Cabinet”
• Jackson gave a number of his supporters
Cabinet positions
– Most of these men were NOT qualified so he rarely
met with them
• Instead, he relied on a group of unofficial
advisors such as Democratic leaders and
newspaper editors
– Because he met with them in the White House
kitchen they became known as the “Kitchen
Cabinet”
The Bank
War
• President Jackson disliked the Bank of the
United States
– He thought it was too powerful
• The bank had great power because it
controlled loans in the United States
– Example: If the bank directors thought state
banks were making too many loans, they
limited the amount of money those banks
could lend
– This angered farmers and merchants who
borrowed money
Mr. Biddle’s
Bank
• The Bank was run by private bankers.
– Nicholas Biddle was the bank president (Whig)
and was strongly disliked by Jackson
• The Whig plan to keep the bank:
– The bank charter was up for renewal in 1836.
Clay and the Whigs convinced Biddle to apply
for renewal early. They knew Jackson would
veto the application.
– The Whigs thought that Americans wanted the
bank, so if Jackson vetoed it, Americans would
be angry.
Jackson’s Veto
•
Jackson vetoed the bank bill for
two reasons.
1. He declared the bank unconstitutional
2. He believed the bank helped
aristocrats at the expense of the
common people
“Whig” Mistake
• The Whigs miscalculated and the
people voted in Jackson, and
rejected the Bank of the U.S
• Without a new charter, Jackson
shut down the bank and deposited
money in state banks that his
friends controlled
– The loss of federal money crippled the
Bank of the U.S. and contributed to an
economic crisis in 1836