Bellringer: D6 What was the corrupt bargain? How did it affect John Quincy Adams’ Presidency?

U.S. History I Ch. 11B Jackson’s Presidency After winning the 1828 election, Andrew Jackson was riding high.

Jackson, the Self Made Man Jackson gave his inaugural address as president on March 4th, 1829. He embodied everything most Americans would love: He had served in the American Revolution as a teenager (and an orphan) He was a War Hero, and had risen from being born in a log cabin to the highest office in the land He was the embodiment of the American Dream 15,000 people showed up to celebrate with him!

Old Hickory & Expanded Equality As mentioned, Andrew Jackson was extremely popular with the common folk. In his speech, he promised “Equal protection and equal benefits” for all…that is, all white American males. Voting restrictions were lifted for many. Before, you had to own a significant amount of property to vote. That was loosened across the U.S. in the 1820s, and voting increased by over 20% from 36.9% of eligible voters voting in 1824 to 57.6% voting by 1828 with new voters, like white male sharecroppers, factory workers, and others now voting when they couldn’t before. By 1840, that number had increased to 80% of eligible voters participating in the elections process. Women, blacks, and Indians were still excluded from this however.

The Spoils System Democrats brought the spirit of democracy with them into government. They felt anyone ought to be allowed to be given a government post, not just bureaucrats who ignored them and other common folks. President Jackson fired most of the federal government workers, and replaced them with his supporters. Those fired were not happy, and they protested. One Jackson supporter said: “To the victors belong the spoils” aka the Spoils System. Cart Analy:

More Democratization Electoral Changes: during this period, the unpopular caucus system for nominating party candidates was abandoned in much of the U.S., with these changes led by Andrew’s Democrats, since these groups (the caucuses) were made up originally only by members of Congress (Senators or Representatives). Caucuses still exist today, but they allow most registered voters to participate: Caucus/Primary. They are still considered more restrictive than primaries, and so many states are gradually going more towards primaries instead, as they are considered more democratic. TPS: Which is better? Pros / Cons of each?

Tariff Tussles During Jackson’s presidency, the issue of tariffs was a hot topic. In 1828, Congress passed a high tariff that meant manufactured goods from Europe would cost more. This was a plus for American Manufacturers (esp. in the NE). However, it also meant that those same manufacturers could raise prices, thus leading to higher costs for consumers, and Southerners really hated it. Some felt (like VP John C. Calhoun) that states had the right to nullify or cancel a federal law that they didn’t like. Others suggested the South ought to secede to get what they wanted. This led to the Jan. 1830 Webster-Hayne Senate Debate, & the Nullification Crisis in 1832. Robert Hayne (SC) Daniel Webster (MA)

HW: Create a Campaign Ad! The 1828 campaign was so bad, that it was known as the Mudslinging Campaign of 1828. You’ll get together in pairs, and create two ads: One that is positive in nature about your chosen candidate, and another that negatively portrays the other opponent (aka mudslinging). You’ll be making short videos in order to do this. One free website that I recommend is www.biteable.com. See this example that I made: https://app.biteable.com/watch/example-video-1807783/