Jacksonian Democracy 11-1

Objectives Why the nation’s sixth president was chosen by the House of Representatives. What political changes came under President Jackson

The Election of 1824 In the election of 1824 Andrew Jackson had the most popular and the most electoral votes. Why did he not win the election?

House Vote If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives decides the election. When the House voted, John Quincy Adams received a majority of votes and won the Presidency.

Corrupt Bargain Henry Clay believed the Secretary of State was the stepping stone to the Presidency. Some believe he used his position of Speaker of the House to influence the House vote. After Adams won, Clay was appointed Secretary of State. Jackson’s supporters called this the “Corrupt Bargain”.

Adams’ Presidency Because of the controversy surronded Adams’ election, his popularity, policies, and programs were never really accepted. In response, in the 1826 mid-term elections, opponents of Adams came to power in both the House and Senate.

Election of 1828 By the election of 1828, the Democratic-Republican Party had split. Jackson’s wing became known as the Democrats. They favored strong states rights and a weak central government.

Mudslinging During the campaign, both sides used a tactic called “mudslinging”. As the name implies, both sides threw insults at the opposing candidates. What angered Jackson was that insults were hurled at his wife, Rachel

1828 Election On election day, Jackson won by a landslide (overwhelming amount) and was innuagurated March 4, 1829 as the seventh President of the United States.

Old Hickory Andrew Jackson was the first president not to be an arisocrat. His home was tennessee. He was a self made man who had fought in the Creek Wars and the War of Because of his toughness he was given the nickname “Old Hickory”.

New Voters Jackson pushed for reforms to give more people “sufferage”, the right to vote. By 1840, 40% of the eligible population would be voting. Many states also changed the way electors were chosen.

The Spoils System A political practice of giving governmental jobs to supporters of the winning candidate.

Electoral Changes Caucus SystemNominating Conventions

Tariff Debate Congress passed a tariff in 1828 designed to protect American manufacturers in the Northeast.

The South Protests The South which imported many goods, opposed tariffs because it raised the price of imported goods. Southern politicians led by Vice President John C. Calhoun called the act the “Treaty of Abominations ”.

Webster-Hayne Debate Daniel WebsterRobert Hayne

Jackson vs. Calhoun Andrew JacksonJohn C. Calhoun

Nullification South Carolina passed legislation allowing them not to enforce acts passed by Congress. The crisis ended when Jackson supported a lower tariff.

Force Bill In 1833, Congress passed the Force Bill which allowed the president to use the military if necessary to carry out the laws.