Transcript File - Chattooga United States History

Jacksonian Democracy
1828-1840
Democratizing Politics
The difference between Jeffersonian democracy and Jacksonian
democracy was one of attitude.
Jefferson believed that the average citizen could be educated to determine
right
Jackson believed that the ordinary man instinctively knew what was
right.
America was becoming more democratic, the new western states
eliminated property qualifications for voting. This led to higher
voter turnout
Free public schools gained wide-spread support, adult education and
secondary education indicate interest in improving knowledge.
Office holders begin to call themselves Representatives.
The Jacksonian Appeal
Jackson portrayed himself as a
simple, common man from the
backcountry of America.
Jackson was the first man elected
from the West.
He was not from the eastern
aristocracy.
He was the first man elected who had
been born in a log cabin.
He was the founder of the Democratic
Party
For all that, Jackson was not a
common man.
He was a wealthy land speculator and
owned a fine plantation
He had opposed cheap money
The Jacksonian Appeal
But he did epitomize many American ideals
He was intensely patriotic
He was generous to a fault
He was natural and democratic in manner
He was a fighter, a relentless foe, and a gentleman in the best
American tradition
He had a reputation as a man of honor and had fought
numerous duels for honor.
He had fought in the Revolutionary War, several Indian Wars,
and won the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.
For these reasons Jackson drew support from every section and
every social class .
During his inaugural party he opened the White House to all his
supporters, many from the backcountry. In the following near
riot, Jackson nearly got killed and the White House was trashed.
He spent the next several months across the street in the Blair
The Spoils System
To the Victor go the Spoils
Jackson was determined to punish those office holders
who had attacked him and his wife during the campaign
Many of the men he removed from office were
incompetent or corrupt.
He also felt that office holders should be rotated
periodically. In his words, no one was entitled to hold
an office
So he fired all “old” members of the Cabinet and hired
“new” ones
President of All the People
President Andrew Jackson believed in exercising
authority directly.
Jackson did not rely on his cabinet for advise
Instead he formed an informal “kitchen cabinet” that
consisted of friends and Martin Van Buren, secretary of
state
Even his kitchen cabinet could only advise him,
Jackson in many cases did what he wanted.
Jackson favored Jefferson’s frugal approach to
government, he was penny pinching and had little
imagination.
Jackson’s popularity was mainly his personality
Jackson Versus Calhoun
Jackson stood firmly for the Union and would not even
tolerate talk of disunion.
Calhoun was a strong advocate of state’s rights, eventually
Calhoun would champion the cause of nullification
On most issues other than state’s rights both Calhoun and
Jackson were very much in agreement
Calhoun also wanted to be president and had only accepted
the post as Jackson’s vice-president because he believed
Jackson was in poor health.
There were several minor issues during Jackson’s
presidency that lead to a split of the two men
The Peggy Eaton affair
Jackson’s invasion of Florida in 1818
Though of little substance, these slights convinced Jackson
that Calhoun was not a man of honor.
The Nullification Crisis
The tariff (tax) law of 1832 lowered tariffs (taxes) far
less than the planters of South Carolina wanted
They were afraid it would hurt their economic interests
Did not want the tarriff to pass.
As a result, South Carolinians began to talk of
nullifying (ignoring) the law.
President Jackson took the exact opposite position.
In July 1832 he warned South Carolinians that if one
drop of blood was spilt over this issue he would go
down there (South Carolina) and hang the first nullifier
he found from the first tree he found.
The Nullification Crisis
On November 24, 1832 the South Carolina convention passed the
Ordinance of Nullification and prohibited the collection of taxes
The legislature then passed a bill to raise and equip an army
Jackson addressed the people of South Carolina on December 10,
1832 telling them that he would use armed force if need be to
enforce the law of the United States
He further stated that disunion by armed force was treason.
South Carolina’s radicals had counted on other states for support,
but this support did not materialize and they found themselves
facing Jackson’s wrath alone
The Radicals sobered at the thought of government troops and
backed off. Calhoun who had played a part in the episode was
some what embarrassed.
In the future South Carolina would ensure the support of other
states before it attempted nullification again.
Indian Removals
Jackson believed that the Indians were savages and incapable of
governing themselves.
In 1831 and 1832 the United States fought the Black Hawk War.
It was the last major resistance to the advancing white men in the
old North West. It was not much of a war and ended when Chief
Black Hawk was captured and brought to Washington D.C.
The capture of Chief Black Hawk not only ended the Black
Hawk War, but the remaining Indians in the North West fled,
most to Canada, opening the area to white settlement.
The Fate of the Five Great Southern Tribes
Between 1831 and 1833 he forced 15,000 Choctaws to migrate to
Oklahoma
The Cherokees on the other hand made major efforts to conform
to the white man’s standard, and formed their own state called
The Cherokee Nation
It did not matter, planters wanted their land
Indian Removals
Several treaties seemed to recognize the legality of their
government, but Georgia would not recognize the Cherokee
Nation
Court cases:
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia – Tribe was not a foreign nation and had a
right to sue in federal court
Worcester v. Georgia – Law of Georgia had no force within the
boundaries of Cherokee Territory
Jackson backed Georgia’s position and ruled that the Indians
must be removed
In 1838, the United States forced 15,000 Cherokee to leave
Georgia for Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
Removal of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek,
and Chicksaw Indians in the 1830s