Chapter 11 The Jackson Era

The Election of 1824 John Quincy Adams was elected president William Crawford, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay were the other Republican candidates No one received a majority; House of Reps selected the president Clay and Adams struck a deal Clay agreed to use his influence as speaker of the house to defeat Jackson, hoping to gain the secretary of state pose in return Adams named Clay secretary of state Jackson’s followers accused the two of making a corrupt bargain and stealing the election

During the Adams presidency, his policies ran against popular opinion Wanted a stronger navy, scientific expeditions supported by government by government funds, and direct federal involvement in economic growth Congress turned down many of his proposals Some members of Congress wanted a more limited role for the federal government

The Election of 1828 Election was vicious Party split into two Democratic-Republicans nominated Jackson Favored states’ rights National Republicans nominated Adams New elements became permanent part of elections Mudslinging – attempts to ruin the opponent with insults Election slogans, rallies, buttons, and campaign events

Jackson won in landslide Received most votes of the new frontier states and many votes in the South John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, who had served as Adams’ vice president, switched parties to run with Jackson

Jackson as President American success story Member of poor farm family to war hero to president “Old Hickory” Democracy broadened under Jackson Promised “equal protection and equal benefits” for all Americans (at least white American men) Instituted spoils system Replaced gov’t employees with his supporters Jackson felt that a new group of employees would be good for democracy “To the victors belong the spoils”

Electoral Changes Abandoned the caucus system Major political candidates were chosen by committees made up of members of Congress Replaced by nominating conventions Delegates from the states selected the party’s presidential candidate 1st held for the Democrats in Baltimore, Maryland in 1832 Jackson was nominated

The Tariff Debate 1828: Congress passed a very high tariff on goods imported from Europe Made European goods more expensive Manufacturers in the U.S. were happy; thought Americans would buy American-made products Southerners hated the tariff Protested because they traded their cotton with Europe for manufactured goods Some Southerners called for the Southern states to secede (break away and form their own gov’t)

Vice President John C. Calhoun argued for nullification States’ rights advocate; canceling a federal law it considered unconstitutional Said that states should be able to have the last word on decisions affecting them

Webster-Hayne Debate January 1830 Senator Daniel Webster from Massachusetts challenged a speech given by Senator Robert Hayne from South Carolina who defended the right of the states to nullify acts of the federal gov’t Defended the Constitution and the Union arguing that nullification would cause the end of the Union

Jackson Takes a Stand Jackson defended the Union, saying it must be preserved VP John C. Calhoun was shocked Won election to the Senate in December 1832, he resigned as vice president

Nullification Crisis Threat of the Union splitting apart intensified 1832: Congress passed a new, lower tariff, hoping that the Southern protest would die down Did not South Carolina’s state legislature passed the Nullification Act Said that it would not pay the “illegal” tariffs of 1828 and 1832 Threatened to secede if the federal gov’t interfered

Jackson supported a compromise bill by Henry Clay, lowering the tariff Made sure that the South would accept it Persuaded Congress to pass the Force Bill Allowed the President to use the U.S. military to enforce acts of Congress South Carolina accepted the compromise tariff Leaders voted to put aside the Nullification Act

Section 2 Conflicts over Land Moving Native Americans President Jackson supported relocating Native Americans to lands west of the Mississippi River Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 Federal gov’t paid Native Americans to move west Jackson also sent officials to negotiate treaties with the southeastern Native Americans 1834: Congress created Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma)

Cherokee Nation refused to give up its land in Georgia Treaties of the 1790s recognized the Cherokee people as a separate nation with their own laws Georgia did not recognize Cherokee laws 1832: Cherokee sued the state Worcester v. Georgia Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Georgia had no right to interfere with the Cherokee The Court stated that only the federal gov’t had authority over matters involving the Cherokee President Jackson disagreed and supported Georgia’s efforts to remove the Cherokee

1832: a few Cherokee signed a treaty giving up their lands Most of the 17,000 Cherokee refused to honor it Wrote a protest letter to the gov’t of the U.S. General Winfield Scott and an army of 7,000 federal troops came to remove the Cherokee Threatened force if they did not leave Long Cherokee march west began and became known as the Trail of Tears Over 4,000 out of 15,000 of the Cherokees died

Native American Resistance 1832: Sauk Chief Black Hawk lead a group of Sauk and Fox people back to Illinois Recapture land given up in treaty State and federal troops used force to chase them into the Mississippi River and slaughtered most of them as they tried to flee westward into present-day Iowa Troops killed hundreds

Seminoles of Florida successfully resisted removal Went to war instead 1835: the Seminole and a group of African Americans who escaped slavery attacked white settlements along the Florida coast Used guerilla tactics By 1842, more than 1,500 American soldiers had died Federal gov’t gave up and let some of the Seminole remain in Florida Many died in war, many were captured and forced to move west

Section 3 Jackson and the Bank President Jackson challenged the Bank of the United States Attacked it for being an organization of wealthy in which the people had no control Private bankers ran the Bank even though it was given a gov’t permit to operate by the federal gov’t 1832: Nicolas Biddle, the Bank’s president, applied early for a new charter even though the charter was good until 1836 Senators Clay and Webster, friends of Biddle, used the Bank as a ploy to try to defeat Jackson and allow Clay to become president in 1832 Figured that Jackson would veto the charter and lose support Jackson did veto the bill and denounced the Bank for not caring about the poor, only the wealthy

Jackson decided on a plan to “kill” the Bank Election of 1832 Many people supported Jackson’s veto of the Bank charter He was reelected with Martin Van Buren as vice president Jackson decided on a plan to “kill” the Bank Ordered the withdrawal of all government deposits from the Bank and placed them in smaller state banks 1836: Biddle refused to sign a new charter for the Bank, and it closed

Jackson did not run for a third term Democrats selected Martin Van Buren Opposition from new political party, the Whigs Included former National Republicans and other opposed to Jackson Van Buren easily won

Panic of 1837 Economic depression – period in which business and employment fall to a very low level Land values dropped, investments suddenly fell off, banks failed Thousands of businesses closed and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs Prices rose so high that people could hardly afford their basic needs Van Buren believed in laissez-faire Principle that the gov’t should not involve itself in the nation’s economy Did little to help the economic problems

Whigs Come to Power Democrats had been in office for 12 years 1840 election: Whigs nominate William Henry Harrison, a War of 1812 hero John Tyler was Harrison’s running mate Democrats nominate Van Buren Whigs needed the support of laborers and farmers A log cabin was their symbol to show that Harrison was a “man of the people” Campaign slogan was “Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too”

Election of 1840 William Henry Harrison became the first Whig president Died in office four weeks later of pneumonia when he caught a cold at his inauguration John Tyler became the president Strong supporter of states’ rights and vetoed some bills sponsored by the Whigs Many members of his cabinet resigned Whigs expelled him from the party due to his disloyalty

Election of 1844 Whigs could not agree on party goals Whig Henry Clay Democrat James Polk Won