Transcript Jackson*s Successors

Jackson’s Successors
Chapter 11 Section 4

Martin Van Buren, Jackson’s Vice President,
took the office of president in 1837
An Economic Crisis
Martin Van Buren was very different from
Jackson
◦ Politician not a war hero
 Panic of 1837; the worst economic crisis the
nation had known
◦ 2 months after Van Buren took office

The Panic Begins

The panic had several causes
◦ During the 1830’s government sold millions of
acres of public land in the West
 Farmers bought some but speculators but
even more
 Speculators borrowed money from state
banks
 When the bank of the U.S. closed state
banks could lend money without limits
The panic begins
State banks began printing more paper money
◦ Often not backed by gold and silver
 Only had value if people had trust in the
banks that issued it
 Before leaving office Jackson ordered anyone
buying public land had to pay for it in gold or
silver
◦ Many banks did not have enough gold and
silver and had to close

Banks Fail

Panic spread
◦ More and more people hurried to banks to
cash in their paper money for gold or silver
 Hundred of banks failed
 Leaving depositors empty handed
Tough Times
In the worst days of the depression 90%
of the factories closed
◦ Thousands of people were out of work
 Hungry crowds broke into warehouses
and stole food

Van Buren’s response

The panic was not Van Buren’s fault but
he was blamed
◦ He took little action
He tried to set a more sable banking
system
 He cut back on expenses in the white
house

The hero of Tippecanoe
Whigs chose a candidate that would
appeal to the common people, William
Henry Harrison of Ohio
◦ Known as the hero of Tippecanoe
 Whigs chose John Taylor to run for Vice
President

The Log cabin Campaign

Harrison’s campaign reflected a new sort
of politics
◦ Politicians made speeches
◦ Campaigned art rallies and banquets
◦ Competed for votes by offering exciting
entertainment
A war hero and a man of the people
American’s knew little about Harrison’s
stand on the issues
 To appeal to voters the Whigs focused on
his war record
 Created a “man of the people image”

◦ Humble Ohio farmer who was born in a log
cabin

In fact Harrison was wealthy, educated
man from Virginia whose family owned a
large estate
Attacks on Van Buren
blamed Van Buren for the economic
depression
 Both parties used name calling half truths
and lies

◦ newspapers reported the Van Buren spent
thousands of the people’s money to install a
bathtub in the White House
On the campaign trail
Harrison campaigned across the land
making speeches and greeting voters
 Whigs built a log cabin to use as their
headquarters

◦ Even set up log cabins in cities like New York
◦ Parades featured log cabins on wagons
◦ Whigs served plenty of free cider at stops
“keep the ball rolling”

In town across the U.S. Harrison
supporters rolled huge balls down the
streets
◦ Made of twine and covered in slogans
Sold campaign souvenirs
 Offered badges, handkerchiefs, and shaving
cream with Tippecanoe slogan

“keep the ball rolling”
Bottle shaped like a log cabin
 Women could not vote but they
campaigned for Harrison
 Wrote pamphlets, sewed banners, rode
on floats, and parade with brooms to
sweep Democrats out of office

A Whig victory at last

Democrats responded to Whigs with
their own name calling
◦ Harrison had resigned from the army before
the war of 1812 ended
◦ Accused him of not speaking in the issues

Harrison won the election easily
◦ Forced Democrats out of the White House
for the first time in 12 years
Whigs in the White House
Whigs wanted to create a new Bank of
the United States and improve roads and
canals
 Just weeks after taking office Harrison
died of pneumonia
 John Tyler became President

Whigs in the White House
Tyler disappointed the Whigs
 When the Whigs passed a bill in Congress
to recharter the Bank of the United
States Tyler vetoed it

◦ In response Tyler’s entire cabinet resigned,
except Daniel Webster
◦ Whigs threw Tyler out of the party
◦ Democrats welcomed Tyler
◦ With few friends in either party Tyler could
do little during his term in office