1. The Age of Jackson 1828 - 1840

2.  What impact did Andrew Jackson’s presidency have on the nation?

3.  North was now run by large factories with hired workers  South was run by small personal farms and/or large plantations with slave labor  Many believed power was in the hands of the wealthy in both North and South, so many small farmers and frontier settlers supported Andrew Jackson for President as the defender of the common man

4.  Many democratic reforms  Laws allowed for more white male suffrage  Nominating Conventions were held for party members to choose the party’s candidates  Jacksonian Democracy: period of expanding democracy in 1820s and 1830s  Jackson’s supporters formed the Democratic Party to support his run for President

5.  Jackson v. Adams  Nasty election – lots of making fun of each other  Jackson was described as hot-tempered, crude, and ill-equipped to be president  Adams was described out of touch with the average person, cold, and aloof  Jackson wins – huge party at the White House

6.  Jackson rewarded his political supporters with government jobs – spoils system  3 regions begin to emerge:  North (manufacturing, high tariffs)  South (farming, slaves, low tariffs)  West (cheap land, internal improvements)  Tariff of Abominations (1828): high tariff on imports – hated by the South

7.  Previous tariffs hurt southern economy – Vice President John Calhoun joined southern protest of the tariff  States’ Rights Doctrine: states had formed the national government, state power should be greater than federal power – states can nullify or not accept federal laws (nullification)  Calhoun resigned from the vice presidency and became senator from South Carolina

8.  Jackson urged Congress to pass a new tariff in 1832 that lowered the previous rate, but the South, especially South Carolina, thought it did not go far enough  South Carolina passed the Nullification Act, which declared the tariffs null and void, and threatened to leave to the Union if federal troops called in

9.  Jackson requested Congress pass the Force Bill, approving the use of the army if necessary  South Carolina backed down after a compromise was reached by Henry Clay

10.  Although Jackson used federal authority with nullification, he opposed the Bank of the United States because it was the sole federal financial institution  Many believed, especially in the South, the Bank only helped wealthy businessmen – Jackson thought it was unconstitutional  Jackson vetoed the bank renewal in 1832, moved all funds to state banks

11.  The state banks offered easy credit to people buying land, but inflation grew  Martin Van Buren was elected President in 1836, defeating the new Whig Party – favored a weak president and a strong Congress  A severe economic depression hit in 1837 due to Jackson’s economic policies, but Van Buren got the blame

12.  Indian Removal Act (1830): authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River to lands in the West  Congress established the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to manage the removal to western lands  The Cherokee were especially resistant to moving west – even with the Court decision Worcester v. Georgia that stated that only the federal government had authority over Native Americans – Trail of Tears