ANDREW JACKSON

The Election of 1824 and 1828  Traditionally, presidential candidates were selected at caucuses, and that would be the party's candidate  caucus- private meeting of party members  The Republican Caucus selected William Crawford of Georgia as their candidate  However, due to sectionalism, other sections of the countries selected their own candidates

Election of 1824  However, due to sectionalism, other sections of the countries selected their own candidates  John Quincy Adams in the NE, Andrew Jackson in the West

Election of 1824  When the election was over, no one was the clear winner  Jackson had won the most votes, but not a majority  When no candidate wins a majority of the electoral college vote, the decision belongs to the House of Representatives that selected John Q. Adams

Election of 1824  The House based their decision upon advice from Henry Clay  Problem: Clay was later named Adams' Secretary of State  "Corrupt bargain?"

Election of 1828  Jackson and the Democratic-Republicans were outraged about the election of 1824 and immediately began to prepare for 1828  Thanks to Martin Van Buren, the party reformed itself into the Jacksonian Democrarts  They fairly easily won the 1828 election thanks to support from the Southern and Western states

Election of 1828  Both parties mudslinging  Mudslinging – making wild charges and lies about a candidate  The Jacksonian Democrats:  a. said Adams was out of touch with the common people  b. coined the phrase “Adams can write, but Jackson can fight”  c. gave Jackson the nickname “Old Hickory”

 National Republicans (old D-Rs):  a. called Jackson crude and uneducated  b. labeled him as a gambler and a brawler  c. called him a murderer (fought in duels)

Jackson Takes Charge  Jackson was a “common man”  Thus he wanted to change how the national gov't functions, it favored the rich and he wanted to make it simple  Did not utilize his cabinet, rather he took advice from his friends  this group of friends became known as the “Kitchen Cabinet”

Spoils System  spoils system- process of new president rewarding supporters with jobs in the gov't  Pres. Jackson was accused of abusing this system  Jackson's argument was that “to the victor, goes the spoils”

Tariff of Abomination  South Carolina grew very angry about the Tariff of 1828  it raised the prices of manufactured goods  the tariff was created to help North Eastern manufacturing  raised the prices of imported goods, making them more expensive than American Goods

Tariff of Abomination  They threatened to secede from the US if this tariff was not reduced  secede-break away  The VP, John C. Calhoun (of S.Carolina) did not want this to happen, so he suggested nullification  nullification- rejection of federal law

The Nullification Crisis  Two of the most gifted speakers in Congress squared off in a debate over the ability for a state to nullify  Hayne argued that the states had created a constitution and therefore had the right to nullify  Webster said the national gov't gets it power from the people, and not from the states

The Nullification Crisis  Jackson was able to get Congress to lower the tariff, but S. Carolina was still not happy  In fact, South Carolina readied for war to disunion  Jackson responded by calling disunion “treason”  Jackson got Congress to pass the Force Bill, which gave him the power to use the navy and army to collect the tariff

The Nullification Crisis  The combination of the Force Bill, and the signing of a new lower tariff ended the nullification crisis, thus holding the Union together, for now