1. The First Imperial President
Jacksonian Era
The First Imperial President

2. Expanding Democracy
In the 1820s voter rights were expanding to the common man
In order to vote you had to be a white, adult, property owning man but that began to change
The majority of states had made it legal for any white man to vote regardless of his wealth
Jackson was able to use this to his advantage
Party conventions for nominating candidates was also created by Jackson’s supporters

3. The Spoil System
When Jackson became president he fired a large group of the federal employees, some of who had been there since Washington
In their place, Jackson put his own supporters
This was known as the spoils system, where the person in power would give political positions as rewards for support

4. The Spoils system

5. New Politics
Jackson wanted to disperse the powers of the federal government in order to make politics more representative and democratic
At the same time, Jackson wanted to preserve the Union and was willing to go to any lengths to do so

6. The Tariff of Abominations
The Federal Government had enacted a tariff on foreign good like cotton in order to promote the American economy
The problem was that this tariff primarily benefitted the North who was able to produce their own goods
The South’s economy, which bought cheap products from other countries to cloth their slaves, was harmed by this tariff

7. Calhoun and Nullification
The new Vice President, Calhoun created the idea of nullification
Nullification was the idea that the states had created the Federal Government so it was within the state’s power to nullify or void any federal law that they did not approve of
While at a dinner party with Calhoun and many other politicians who were making toasts to states rights, Jackson made his own toast saying “Our Federal Union, it must be preserved!”

8. Mr. Crazy Hair Calhoun

9. The Nullification Crisis
In 1832 South Carolina finally acted on nullification, refusing to pay duties to the Federal Government
Jackson responded to this by strengthening federal forts in South Carolina and sending a war ship
He also proposed what he called a force bill that allowed the president to use the military to make sure that congressional acts were carried out in the states

10. Nullification Crisis
Not a single other state supported Calhoun and South Carolina
Henry Clay came up with a compromise that kept the peace by lowering the tariff gradually over the years
The compromise and the force bill both passed
In South Carolina, the nullification was repealed but they also nullified the Force Act to show the federal government they could

11. The First Imperial President

12. Jackson and the Bank
Jackson was very opposed to paper currency and therefore did not support the federal bank
Henry Clay was a big supporter of the bank and was able to recharter the bank a few years early right before Jackson was up for reelection
Jackson vetoed the bank’s recharter as Clay had expected and Clay who ran against Jackson was sure it would lead to his election
Jackson still won however, and he was able to slowly kill the bank

13. Andrew Jackson

14. Democrats v Whigs
At the rise of Jackson’s Democratic party, there came the rise of an opposing party, the Whigs
This was the first time since the Federalists that there was a two party system again
After Jackson’s retirement, his Vice President Van Buren easily won the election of 1836
The Whigs, unable to pick one candidate let several run hoping to split the vote enough to beat van Buren

15. Democrats
Jacksonian Democrats main beliefs were that the Federal Government should have enough power to limit the corruption that lead to social and economic inequality
They believed that states should have freedom in their decisions except when those decisions limits social and economic mobility
They celebrated simple farmers, hardworking men, and small businessmen as opposed to the corrupt, monopolistic aristocracy
The most radical Democrats were called “locofocos”

16. Whigs Whigs believed in the expansion of the Federal Government
They were also strong proponents of industrial and commercial development
They were fearful of westward expansion, believing that it would lead to instability
When fear arose about the Freemasons, the Whigs ran campaigns against the Freemasons because Jackson and Van Buren happened to be Freemasons

17. The First Whig President
The Whigs were a party for over twenty and only ever won two elections
Henry Clay, a Whig ran for president three times and never won
The first Whig president to get elected was William Henry Harrison
They ran a campaign for Harrison trying to make him look like a common man when he was really a part of wealthy elite
This became known as the Log Cabin Campaign

18. William Henry Harrison
You might remember him from the battle at Tippecanoe when he fought against Tecumseh
Harrison gave the longest inaugural speech in history at one hour and 45 minutes
Even though it was freezing and raining, Harrison did not wear a coat and he caught a cold that turned into pneumonia
He died after only 32 days in office