13.4 The End of the Jacksonian Era pp. 435-438

Objectives: Explain why an economic crisis developed in 1837. Examine how the Whigs came to power.

Review: 1. What did it mean to be a “self-made man”? 2. Define suffrage— 3. List three groups that were still denied the vote in the early 1800s. 4. Define caucus— 5. Define nominating convention— 6. Jackson’s supporters claimed that the selection of John Quincy Adams as President in 1824 was the result of a “_______________ _______________.” 7. Supporters of Jackson became known as the _______________ Party. 8. Jackson’s nickname was “_________ _______________.” 9. The expansion of suffrage and an emphasis on the common man were characteristics of _____________ ______________.

Review: 10. Define spoils system— 11. Identify the kitchen cabinet— 12. What were Jackson’s feelings with regard to the Bank of the United States? 13. Who was the Bank’s president? 14. Which Presidential candidate hoped to use the Bank Recharter Bill as a way to defeat Jackson in the Election of 1832? 15. What did Jackson do to the Bank Recharter Bill? 16. Who won both the Bank War and the Election of 1832? 17. Who was Jackson’s Secretary of Treasury? 18. Define pet banks—

Review: 19. What did Southerners call the protective tariff of 1828? 20. Who led the Southern battle against the tariff? 21. Define nullification— 22. Define states’ rights— 23. Who made a speech defending the Union and warning against the danger of states’ rights? 24. Which Southern state passed the Nullification Act in 1832? 25. Define secede— 26. Jackson threatened to use ________________ to uphold federal laws in South Carolina. 27. Why did Southerners want Native American lands in the Southeast? 28. Which Cherokee chief had developed a written alphabet for his tribe? 29. Jackson _________________ a Supreme Court decision protecting the Cherokee and their traditional lands. 30. What legislation did Jackson convince his supporters in Congress to pass in 1830? 31. What was the name given to the sorrowful trek of Native Americans to lands west of the Mississippi River?

A. The Election of 1836 (p. 435) Jackson’s handpicked successor was his second Vice President, Martin Van Buren. Vowing to walk “in the footsteps of President Jackson,” Van Buren easily won the Election of 1836. Within two months of taking office, however, Van Buren ran into problems that overwhelmed his skills.

B. Van Buren Inherits Problems (p. 436) After the Bank of the U.S. closed in 1836, state banks began to loan money freely and printed more paper money than they could back up with specie, gold or silver. Easy credit and large amounts of money helped increase land prices. This led land speculators to buy up more and more land in the hopes of turning a quick profit.

C. An Economic Crisis (p. 436) In one of his last acts as President, Jackson issued the Specie Circular, which stated that government land could only be purchased with specie. Since most speculators did not have enough gold or silver to purchase land, sales quickly fell. Reduced sales lowered prices and left many Americans with enormous debts that they were now unable to pay.

D. The Panic of 1837 (pp. 436-437) Many people rushed to exchange their paper money for gold and silver coins. This rush on banks—and the economic depression that followed—was called the Panic of 1837. In 1840 Van Buren persuaded Congress to establish an independent federal treasury that would oversee the U.S. economy.

E. The Log Cabin Campaign (pp. 437-438) Since Van Buren and the Democrats were blamed for the Panic of 1837, the new Whig Party saw an opportunity to win the White House in 1840. They nominated William Henry Harrison, the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811). To win the support of commoners, Harrison was falsely portrayed as having been born in a log cabin.

F. President Harrison’s Death (p. 438) With his catchy campaign slogan, “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!,” William Henry Harrison easily defeated Martin Van Buren in the Election of 1840. But he caught a cold while delivering his inaugural speech and died of pneumonia a month later. John Tyler was the first Vice President to become President upon the death of an elected President.

Review: Who were our 8th, 9th, and 10th Presidents? What was the name of this economic disaster that occurred during Van Buren’s administration? How was William Henry Harrison portrayed in the campaign of 1840? What was the Whig campaign slogan? Who became the first Vice President to become President upon the death of an elected President?