Unit 6-The Nation Grows Lesson 33: Jacksonian Democracy

Review The United States had many struggles in its early history following the ratification of the new constitution. These struggles were in regards to elections, laws, foreign policies, war, and separation of political parties. Although they struggled, the young nation remained strong and prospered.

Election of 1824 In 1824 there was still one political party, the Republicans. James Monroe decided to not run for a third term as president. Four candidates from the Republican party ran for president, but all had differing opinions on the role of federal government.

The Candidates The Republican Party nominated William H. Crawford, a former congressman from Georgia. Crawford had to drop out due to poor health. The candidates were favorite son candidates, meaning they received the support of their home states instead of the national party.

The Candidates Two of the candidates, Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay, both came from the West, while John Quincy Adams came from Massachusetts in New England.

Making a Deal Andrew Jackson won the majority of the popular vote, but did not win enough electoral votes to win the election. The vote would now go to the House of Representatives. Clay agreed to use his role as Speaker of the House to influence the vote for Adams, and in return Clay would become Adams’ Secretary of State.

The Adams Presidency Politicians were upset by the “corrupt bargain” of Clay and Adams. Adams’ policies for the nation went against popular opinion. He wanted a stronger navy and government funds for scientific expeditions. Adams also wanted the government to direct economic growth.

Election of 1828 By 1828, the Republicans had divided into two separate parties: Democratic- Republicans, who supported Jackson, and the National Republicans, who supported Adams. Democratic-Republicans supported states’ rights, while National Republicans supported strong central government.

Jackson Wins Jackson received most of the votes from the new frontier states, as well as many votes from the South. John C. Calhoun changed parties and ran as Jackson’s vice president. Andrew Jackson won the election in a landslide with 56% of the popular vote and 178 electoral votes.

Andrew Jackson

“Old Hickory” Andrew Jackson had been born in a log cabin to poor farmers in North Carolina. His parents died when he was only 15 years old and he moved to the frontier in Tennessee. He fought in the American Revolution with the Patriots when he was a teenager. Jackson was elected to Congress before he was 30 years old.

“Old Hickory” Jackson gained fame during the War of 1812 with victories at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend and the Battle of New Orleans. His soldiers called him “Old Hickory” because he was as tough as a hickory stick. The new president appealed to the common man because of his rise from a log cabin to the White House.

The Spoils System Jackson and the Democrats argued that ordinary citizens could handle any government job. President Jackson fired many federal workers and replaced them with his supporters. The fired employees said Jackson was acting like a tyrant, hiring and firing people at will.

The Spoils System Jackson believed that a new set of federal employees would be good for democracy. This new practice of replacing government employees with the winning candidate’s supporters became known as the spoils system.

Tariff of Abominations Name given by Southerners to a tariff passed by Congress in Was a very high tariff on goods from Europe. Manufacturers in the Northeast welcomed the tariff because it would cause Americans to buy American made goods. Southerners hated it because it meant they were being forced to buy American goods at higher prices.

Southern Protests Vice President Calhoun argued that a state or group of states had the right to nullify, or cancel, a federal law it considered against state interests. Some Southerners called for the Southern states to secede, or break away, from the United States and form their own government.

Calhoun’s Argument Calhoun argued that since the federal government was a creation of the states, the states themselves are the final authority of the constitutionality of federal laws.

Jackson Takes a Stand Southerners hoped that Jackson would side with them in their support for states’ rights. At a dinner for supporters of states’ rights, Andrew Jackson spoke directly to Calhoun and said, “Our federal union…must be preserved!” To fight for Southern interests, Calhoun resigned as vice president and ran for a seat in the Senate in 1832.

Nullification Crisis Congress passed a new, lower tariff in South Carolina, Calhoun’s home state, continued the protests and took the battle one step further by passing the Nullification Act. The Nullification Act declared that South Carolina would not pay the “illegal” tariffs of 1828 and 1832, and threatened secession.

Force Bill Henry Clay created a compromise bill that would gradually lower the tariff over several years. Jackson supported this new compromise, but wanted to make sure the South would accept the compromise. Jackson persuaded Congress to pass the Force Bill in 1833, allowing the president to use the U.S. military to enforce acts of Congress.

South Carolina Accepts South Carolina accepted the new tariff, but then voted to nullify the Force Act. Calhoun claimed victory for nullification by stating their actions forced a revision of the tariff.

Conclusion John Quincy Adams won the election of 1824 with what many considered to be a conspiracy. After four years of what many Americans considered a failure, Andrew Jackson easily won the presidency in Jackson was a president for the common man, but still understood that the preservation of the Union was important, even when faced with the threat of secession from Southerners.

Assignments Answer the four review questions for this lesson. Complete the Nullification Crisis Activity Sheet. You will have a Unit 6 test after you complete Lesson 39