Andrew Jackson President #7 (1829-37) “Old Hickory”

Early Life

Born between the unmarked border of North & South Carolina Jackson’s father died three weeks before he was born. Received little formal education growing up due to his rural environment.

Andrew Jackson joined a local militia when he was 13 in the American Revolution. Jackson’s mother died and he was orphaned at age 14.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE

Became a lawyer. Member of Congress. Both the House of Representatives & Senate (from Tennessee) Elected to be a judge in the Tennessee’s Supreme Court

Jacksons fame come from his positions in the U. S Jacksons fame come from his positions in the U.S. Congress and Tennessee Supreme court. However, his was victory at the Battle of New Orleans made him very popular with the American people.

The Battle of New Orleans seemed a lost fight for Jackson, yet he won the battle securing a major victory for the United States. Because of this victory, Jackson was popular amongst the troops, and he earned a gold medal from Congress.

Jackson ran for president in 1824 as a Democratic-Republican Jackson ran for president in 1824 as a Democratic-Republican. However, because of the corrupt bargain, John Quincy Adams won. After Adams completed one uneventful term, Jackson ran for President again in 1828 & WINS John C. Calhoun was his Vice President.

Jackson formed the Democrat party in 1828 (did not get the name until 1834). The new Democrat Party became a coalition of … farmers, city-dwelling laborers, and Irish Catholics.

The Democratic Donkey

Marriage to Rachel Donelson

In 1788 Andrew Jackson met and married Rachel Donelson. It was Rachel’s second marriage. Her first marriage was an unhappy one. She and Jackson ran off to Tennessee where she filed for a divorce from her former husband.

This divorce would prove to be fuel to the of mudslinging in the second election between John Quincy Adams and Jackson. Two months before Jackson officially became president, his wife died from a heart attack. Doctors think this was due to the stress of the mudslinging targeted towards her.

Andrew Jackson as President

When Jackson takes office, he continues the protective tariffs and supports the “tariff of abominations.” South Carolina threatens to secede, because of the tariffs. John C. Calhoun proposes nullification Congress lowers the tariff and ends the ideas of secession and nullification.

President Jackson and the Native Americans

An Indian name for Andrew Jackson was “Long Knife” Jackson supported Monroe’s policy of moving all Indians east of the Mississippi River to west of the Mississippi (Onto the dusty prairies of what is now Oklahoma)

INDIAN REMOVAL ACT

In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and set aside $500,000 for the task By the 1840s, more than 100,000 Indians had been moved off more than 200 million acres

Thousands of Indians died in this forced migration – of disease, hunger, and exposure. This is the Trail of Tears. Of all the nation’s leaders, only Henry Clay spoke out against the policy.

Two tribes, in particular, did not go easily Two tribes, in particular, did not go easily. The Sauk and Fox tribe, led by Chief Black Hawk, originally crossed the Mississippi and then came back.

Met by a large U. S. military force (that included an Illinois militia volunteer named Abe Lincoln), the tribe surrendered after bloody fights in which women and children were slaughtered along with Indian warriors.

In Florida, the Seminoles (under Chief Osceola) used the swamps and Everglades to fight for a decade before ultimately surrendering. The war with the Seminoles cost the U. S. military nearly $20 million and 1,500 lives

In the Southeast, the so-called “civilized” tribes of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw had been pretty adaptable to the white man’s ways. They build roads and houses, raised cattle, and farmed. Some even owned slaves.

WORCHESTER V. GEORGIA

When the state of Georgia tried to force the Cherokee off their land, the Cherokee appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court. Worchester v. Georgia (1832)

The Supreme Court ruled in their favor The Supreme Court ruled in their favor. (The ruling did not help) President Jackson did not enforce the ruling. Jackson is widely quoted as saying, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it."

The Supreme Court depends upon the executive branch to enforce its rulings (part of checks & balances)

Because of this Jackson should have been impeached, but the act was so popular at the time, he was never impeached.

By the end of the 1840’s, most of the Indians in the eastern United States were gone, pushed west to await being pushed some more.

The National Bank & Pet Banks

Originally, the National Bank was set up by Alexander Hamilton on a 20-year charter, which was renewed once and was about to be renewed again. Jackson hated the National Bank and vetoed the extension of the charter and destroyed the National Bank. Jackson did this by taking all the money out of the national banks, and placing it into state banks, which were called “pet banks”

Voting Rights and Election System

Early in his presidency, Jackson removes property ownership requirements from voting rights, making voting in the U.S. more democratic (at least for all white males.)

Jackson changed the election system from a caucus system, (where only members of Congress could be chosen to be President) to a more open system of the National Nominating Convention.

National Nominating Conventions allowed delegates from states to choose a candidate. This opened up the field of candidates for President.

Nominating Conventions are how political parties today select their candidates for president