Jacksonian era 1829 – 1837 How did the United State’s political system change under Andrew Jackson?

Why did Kent oppose empowering the poor with the right to vote? Warm Up: Jacksonian Democracy James Kent, Chief Justice of New York State’s highest court, opposed the 1821 proposal to drop property ownership requirements. Here are some of the points he made at the state convention in opposition to Sanford’s proposal. Why did Kent oppose empowering the poor with the right to vote? What do you suppose Kent meant by “tyrannize over the minority”? What do you suppose he meant by the last line of the quotation? The tendency of universal suffrage is to jeopardize the rights of property and the principles of liberty. There is a constant…tendency in the poor to covet [desire] and to share the plunder of the rich; in the debtor, to relax or avoid the obligation of contracts; in the majority, to tyrannize over the minority and trample down their rights; in the indolent [lazy] and the profligate [depraved] to cast the whole burdens of society upon the industrious and the virtuous; and there is a tendency in ambitious and wicked men to inflame these combustible materials.

Elections of 1824 and 1828 Election of 1824 Election of 1828 Candidate Electoral Popular House Jackson 99 153,544 7 Adams 84 108,740 13 Crawford 41 46,618 4 Clay 37 47,136 -- Democratic Republicans –Jackson and National Republicans – Adams Mudslinging- attempts to ruin opponent’s reputation with insults Election slogans, rallies, buttons and events emerged to favor candidates Jackson wins with a landslide victory “Corrupt Bargain” Clay (House) and Adams accused of stealing the election by influencing the vote Elections of 1824 and 1828

Jackson as president Jackson’s nickname was Old Hickory He was a patriot, a self-made man, and a war hero Horseshoe bend and New Orleans New voters – promised suffrage for more than just land owners. Suffrage – right to vote Spoils System – Jackson replaced govt jobs with his supporters; practice of handing out government jobs to supporters, replacing govt employees with the winning candidate’s supporters Tariff Debate – split country over high tariff on European imports South protests because they feel it isn’t in the best interest, they want to nullify the tariff, some Southern states want to secede – break away from the US Nullification Act – legislature would not pay illegal tariffs, Jackson compromise would greatly lower the tariffs. Jackson as president

Moving Native Americans Many wanted the Native Americans to relocate from the south because the area west of the Mississippi seemed unsuitable for farming - Andrew Jackson supported the settlers’ demand Indian Removal Act (1830) – allowed federal govt to pay Native Americans to move west Indian Territory – area in present-day Oklahoma for the relocation of Native Americans from the Southeast Trail of Tears – Trail where they cried – when Cherokees refused to move west, were forced out of their homes and many died along the way bc of brutal weather Moving Native Americans

Native American Resistance SAUK/FOX SEMINOLE 1832, Black Hawk, Sauk chieftan, led force of people back to Illinois, their homeland. Illinois state militia and troops attacked and slaughtered most Native Americans that tried to flee westward to Iowa Successfully resisted their removal Osceola – Seminole Chief, led his people to war, refusing to leave Florida (joined forces with African Americans that ran away from slavery) Guerrilla tactics – surprise attacks and retreating back to forests and swamps By 1842, over 1,500 Americans died in Seminole wars and the govt gave up, many Seminoles stayed in Florida Native American Resistance

Description of what happened to native Americans when U.S. expanded Tribe Description Cherokee Legally challenged the removal and won, were forced to move anyway Sauk/Fox Tried to reclaim land, were driven off Seminole Waged guerrilla war until the United States allowed the Seminole to stay in Florida Description of what happened to native Americans when U.S. expanded