Andrew Jackson: 1767 - 1845

The Real Andrew Jackson Born in 1767 in South Carolina, self-made lawyer, legislator and slave owner National hero at the Battle of New Orleans Removed Creek Indians from Tennessee, fought against Seminole Indians in Florida 7th President, 1828-1837

HOW DEMOCRATIC WAS AMERICA? Wealth distribution: little change Voting greatly expanded (from 27% to 58% participation) No “secret ballot” A few class distinctions (NOT like Europe) American “social familiarity”

Changing Party Politics 1824: four candidates, all “Republicans” AFTER 1824: Democrats: Jackson National Republicans: JQ Adams, H. Clay Loyalty to party more important than ideas Rewards + patronage = Loyalty Mudslinging and name calling (1828) more than issues

Voting Requirements in the Early 19c

Voter Turnout: 1820 - 1860

1828 Election Results

Changing Politics King Caucus system gone (too exclusive) 1832: National Party convention: Name a party’s Pres. candidate Pres. electors from each state chosen by popular vote (not state legislatures)

Democratic Republicans Believe: Equal opportunity Benefits to white males No class preference Capable men of intelligence should hold office Critical of Eastern aristocracy Critical of U.S. bank Indians, African-Americans and women are not part of the vision of “equal opportunity”

Why Increased Democratization? Common Man Campaign? White male suffrage increased Party nominating committees King Caucus dead Voters chose their state’s slate of Presidential electors. Spoils system. Popular campaigning (parades, rallies, floats, etc.) Two-party system returned in the 1832 election: Dem-Reps  Natl. Reps.(1828)  Whigs (1832)  Republicans (1854) Democrats (1828) Native Americans? Women? African-Americans?

Jackson’s Faith in the “Common Man” Intense distrust of Eastern “establishment,” monopolies, & special privilege. His heart & soul was with the “plain folk.” Belief that the common man was capable of uncommon achievements.

The New “Jackson Coalition” The Planter Elite in the South People on the Frontier State Politicians – spoils system! Immigrants in the cities

Jackson Reflects Democratic Trends Seen as representative of “the common man” Spoils System: Rotation in Office: Opens door on inauguration day to the public Critics: “Acts like a KING”

The Reign of “King Mob”

The Spoils System Changing government workers is a good thing = more democracy rewards political supporters with government jobs Jackson - ordinary citizens can do government jobs Fired many people from Adams presidency and replace with his own people-Rotation in Office Jackson’s Cabinet was nicknamed the “Kitchen Cabinet” “To the Victor goes the Spoils”

Rachel Jackson Final Divorce Decree

Jackson in Mourning for His Wife

The “Peggy Eaton Affair”

Peggy Eaton Affair- Peggy had married John Timberlake He commits suicide while deployed at sea Rumors of Peggy’s affair with John Eaton may have drove him to suicide After Timberlake’s death, Peggy and John Eaton quickly marry Jackson and Eaton were friends and he encouraged the marriage (Eaton was a Senator from Tenn., and soon to be named Sec. of War) Wives of cabinet members ostracize Peggy Jackson defends her (think about Rachael) Cabinet resigns, Jackson believes Calhoun’s wife was the cause of the gossip

Andrew Jackson as President

Jackson’s Use of Federal Power VETO 1830  Maysville Road project in KY [state of his political rival, Henry Clay]

Sen. Daniel Webster [MA] The Webster-Hayne Debate Sen. Daniel Webster [MA] Sen. Robert Hayne [SC]

Hayne-Webster Debate (1830) Robert Hayne (Sen. S.C.) West and South should unite against East Eastern Economic Tyranny Tariff Land States’ Rights Daniel Webster (Sen. Mass) responds South doesn’t appreciate Union Hayne again spoke – state sovereignty and nullification! Webster replied denouncing the idea of state sovereignty and endorsed the idea of national supremacy. Webster concluded his second reply with the words, "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!"

1830 Webster: Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable. Jackson: Our Federal Union—it must be preserved. Calhoun: The Union, next to our liberty, most dear.

The Nullification and Tariff Issue

NULLIFICATION CRISIS Tariff of 1828-1832 Tariff would raise to 45% South believes Federal government is favoring North and industry Threatening slavery???

JACKSON VS CALHOUN John C. Calhoun, resigns as VP because of the Eaton Affair and Tariff of 1828 Tariff of Abomination Calhoun becomes a US Senator from South Carolina and defends slavery and state’s rights. Calhoun threatened secession (leaving the US) if tariff was not lowered. Calhoun believed in the doctrine of nullification or each state had the right to decide whether to obey a federal law or to declare it null and void South Carolina Exposition---Compact theory

JACKSON VS CALHOUN Congress passes Force Bill Jackson can take military action in SC Jackson informs people of SC that nullification is disunion and treason

JACKSON VS CALHOUN The Nullification Crisis Compromise of 1833 Henry Clay proposes it Lower tariff by 25% over next 10 years SC drops nullification South loses dominance to North and West Jackson preserves the union South believes they are becoming a minority within country Threat of nullification is over, but new threat will be secession

Jackson's Native-American Policy

Indian Removal Jackson’s Goal? 1830: Indian Removal Act Expansion into the southwest for southern planters 1830: Indian Removal Act 5 Civilized Tribes: (forced removal) Cherokee Creek Choctaw Chickasaw Seminole

Indian Removal Act (1830) Georgia wants the Cherokee land Gold? Fertile farm land? Federal gov’t promises to negotiate with tribes to remove them Jackson believes he is protecting the natives from annihilation Gov’t passes Indian Removal Act

Cherokee Turn to the Supreme Court Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) Cherokee are not a foreign nation This means they can not sue in Federal Court Indians are a “domestic dependent nation” Cherokee have no recourse to fight Georgia law kicking them off their land Worcester v. Georgia (1831) The tribes were “distinct political communities, having territorial boundaries within which their authority is exclusive (private).” Georgia laws do not apply to the land owned by the Cherokee This is a win for the tribe! The only way to force the Cherokee off their land is through a treaty Jackson is furious with the decision… “Marshall made his decision, now let him enforce it!)

Division in the Cherokee Nation TRAIL OF TEARS Division in the Cherokee Nation Cherokee went from being a peaceful nation to a group of people who were divided. Some Cherokee in cooperation with the US government illegally signed the Treaty of New Echota US government would give land and goods to the Cherokee who left their land peacefully. Georgia and the U.S. government used the treaty as justification to force almost all of the 17,000 Cherokees from their southeastern homeland. Approximately 4,000 die

Renewing the Charter of the 1st National Bank

THE BANK WAR BUS Privately owned Received federal deposits Helps the regulate ups and downs of economy

Jackson believed BUS was too powerful because it was privately owned. THE BANK WAR Biddle v Jackson Jackson believed BUS was too powerful because it was privately owned. Considered it unconstitutional regardless of Marshall’s McCulloch vs. Maryland The Bank War inspired numerous cartoons. The boxers are Nicholas Biddle and Andrew Jackson. The lady holding a bottle of port says, "Darken his daylights, Nick. Put the Screws to him my tulip!" Daniel Webster: "Blow me tight if Nick ain't been crammed too much. You see as how he's losing his wind!" Henry Clay: "Hurrah Nick my kiddy! Hit him a pelt in the smellers!" Martin Van Buren: "Go it Hickory, my old Duffer! give it to him in the bread basket, it will make him throw up his deposits!" Major Jack Downing (a mythical Jacksonian hero): "I swan if the Ginral hain't been taken lessons from Fuller!" The man standing next to the whiskey bottle: "Hurrah my old yallow flower of the forrest, walk into him like a streak of Greased lightning through a gooseberry bush!" Should be controlled more by government and the people because it was corrupt. Nicholas Biddle, President of the BUS, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster supported the BUS

Destroyed the BUS in 1832 with the veto. KING ANDREW The Bank War inspired numerous cartoons. Opponents referred to him as King Andrew because used the veto more than any president to that time…..12 times Destroyed the BUS in 1832 with the veto. Picture shows President Jackson holding a veto in his left hand and scepter in his right. US Constitution is torn up and Jackson is standing on it… King Andrew

The “Monster” Is Destroyed! “pet banks” or wildcat banks 1832: Jackson vetoed the extension of the 2nd National Bank of the United States. 1836: the charter expired. 1841: the bank went bankrupt!

THE BANK WAR A triumphant Jackson holds his order to remove government deposits from the bank as the bank crumbles and a host of demonic characters scurry from its ruins. The Bank War inspired numerous cartoons. The boxers are Nicholas Biddle and Andrew Jackson. The lady holding a bottle of port says, "Darken his daylights, Nick. Put the Screws to him my tulip!" Daniel Webster: "Blow me tight if Nick ain't been crammed too much. You see as how he's losing his wind!" Henry Clay: "Hurrah Nick my kiddy! Hit him a pelt in the smellers!" Martin Van Buren: "Go it Hickory, my old Duffer! give it to him in the bread basket, it will make him throw up his deposits!" Major Jack Downing (a mythical Jacksonian hero): "I swan if the Ginral hain't been taken lessons from Fuller!" The man standing next to the whiskey bottle: "Hurrah my old yallow flower of the forrest, walk into him like a streak of Greased lightning through a gooseberry bush!"

THE BANK WAR The 1832 Election Overwhelming majority approve of Jackson’s veto Jackson wins more than 3/4ths of electoral vote

Specie Circular Debate

The Specie Circular (1836) Specie = gold or silver States were printing paper money and it was not backed by gold/silver Land prices were soaring and speculation was major issue Require all land purchased must be paid for in specie Curtails land sales and one of the causes of Panic of 1837

Specie Circular “Soft” (paper) $ “Hard” (specie) $ state bankers felt it restrained their banks from issuing bank notes freely. supported rapid economic growth & speculation. felt that coin was the only safe currency. didn’t like any bank that issued bank notes. suspicious of expansion & speculation.

Jackson and the Specie Jackson wanted to limit speculation and wild land prices He supports the Specie Circular and is support of “Hard Money!”

Economic Problems in 1836 US Bank is destroyed: money into state banks, back to easy credit, fluctuating bank notes Specie Circular issued: stop land speculation w/gold & silver required for purchase Good news! Budget surplus!! $$$ sent to states, used for building RR’s, canals, roads, etc (Distribution Act)

Panic of 1837 Causes: Distribution Act weakened state bank, specie circular (run on banks), crop failures hurt farmers’ income, Recession in Europe (pull $$$ out of US) Results: unemployment, bank failures, businesses close, RR/Canal projects fail, bread riots (lasts 5 years: most severe)

Results of the Specie Circular Banknotes loose their value. Land sales plummeted. Credit not available. Businesses began to fail. Unemployment rose. The Panic of 1837!

The Panic of 1837 Spreads Quickly!

Accomplishments JACKSON'S LEGACY Increased presidential power “Pres. Is a direct rep. of the American people” Pres. Is responsible to the people not Congress Veto is an effective presidential power Veto can help Pres. shape legislation Political parties are a positive

KING ANDREW Legacy Continued Opponents call him King Andrew Used veto 12 times To destroy BUS and support “Common Man” To punish rivals – Maysville Road (Henry Clay) Opposed increasing federal spending and the national debt Interpreted the powers of Congress narrowly Kitchen cabinet

JACKSON'S LEGACY Failures Social stratification Gap between rich and poor widened Financial policies and lack of BUS lead to the Panic of 1837, lasts to 1843