Jacksonian Democracy

Election of 1824 Jackson won the popular vote but not electoral votes. House of Representatives had to decide the winner. Henry Clay was the swing vote. John Quincy Adams supported the American System. Adams elected by a majority of states

Election of 1824 “Corrupt Bargain:” John Q. Adams appoints Henry Clay as Secretary of state. Jackson and followers form the Democratic Party.

Election of 1828 (Universal White Male Suffrage) States began to do away with property qualification for voting. 1828 over three times more males would vote. Candidates now have to speak to the concerns of ordinary people. Jackson’s Appeal “Old Hickory” Portrayed himself as a common man.

Spoils System Limited terms of government jobs to prevent inefficiency and corruption. Jackson replaced key government officials from Adam’s administration with his own loyal friends.

The Nullification Theory Congress increased the Tariff of 1816 in 1824, and again in 1828. The Vice-President, John C. Calhoun of SC, called it the Tariff of Abomination. He claimed that it favored the North at the expense of the South. To support SC, Calhoun argued against the legality of applying some federal laws to sovereign states.

The Nullification Theory His argument was that the Constitution was a compact among sovereign states and that each should have the right to nullify a law they considered unconstitutional. He also believed that if the federal government refused to permit a state to nullify a federal law, the state had the right to secede from the Union. He printed his ideals in the South Carolina Exposition, though it was published anonymously in 1828.

SC Nullification Crisis In 1832, Congress passed another tariff law that SC did not agree with. They then declared the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 unconstitutional, thus null and void. They threatened secession if customs officials tried to collect duties in their state. Calhoun, who had resigned as the Vice-President over the issue, led this argument.

Jackson’s Reaction Jackson was furious and stated that SC was violating the “will of the people,” and thus were traitors. He threatened to march into SC with federal troops and hang Calhoun as a traitor. He then got Congress to pass the Force Bill of 1833 that would allow him to use federal troops to control SC.

The Solution Once again Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser, stepped in to save the day. He proposed a new tariff that would decrease duties over a ten-year period. The crisis between states rights and federal government power was solved at the moment. This proved to only be a temporary fix, as within 30 years tensions over the issue would erupt into full out war.

Issues with the National Bank Since all federal tax revenues were deposited there, rather than in state or private banks, it had an unfair advantage over those banks. Their stockholders were collecting interest on the money, not the taxpayers. The bank’s president would often extend loans to congressmen at much lower rates than average citizens.

Jackson v. the National Bank Jackson believed the Bank was a “monster” that corrupted politicians. He tried to stop it before it was rechartered in 1836. He placed a Sec. of the Treasury that would place all government funds in certain state banks. These would be known as his “pet banks,” because of their loyalty to the Democratic Party.

Fate of the National Bank To combat this the Bank’s president, Nicholas Biddle, demanded repayment of loans and he refused to give new ones. Businessmen flooded the capital and Biddle backed down. In 1836 the Bank failed to regain its charter and it became a Philadelphia bank. It went out of business five years later.

The Rise of the Whig Party Not everyone agreed with Jackson’s tactics. Many of his own party members including Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster, were included in this group. They left the Democrats to form a new party called the Whigs.

The Whigs They backed the ideals of the American System. They supported: A protective tariff. To use federal money to construct roads and canals to foster interstate commerce. Federal control of the banking system. A nationally accepted currency.

Indian Removal Act of 1830 Indian Removal out west onto new lands organized by the gov. President lays out districts (tracts of land) and makes treaties Land will always remain with tribe unless become extinct or abandon it

Indian Removal Act of 1830 No one can make money off the land, The U.S. decides value U.S. provides aid for the removal U.S will provide protection from other tribes and any other person

Indian Removal Act of 1830 President responsibility of the affairs over Indians that are to be removed (treaties) Indian Removal Act, 1830 targeted the Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and the Seminole. Worcester v. Georgia: Supreme Court case, sided with Native Americans but the president ignored ruling

Jackson Stick Figure What he thought What he said How he felt His actions (2x) His Achilles' heel (Weakness)