1. Jackson Era 1

2. Objectives
Analyze the movement toward greater
democracy and its impact.
Describe the personal and political qualities of Andrew Jackson.
Summarize the causes and effects of the
removal of Native Americans in the early 1800s.

3. Terms and People
caucus – a meeting of party members for the purpose of choosing a candidate.
Andrew Jackson – popular war hero elected president as a Democrat in 1828
Martin Van Buren – Jackson’s campaign manager who ran the first modern election campaign in 1828
Jacksonian Democracy – a movement toward greater popular democracy and recognition of the common people as symbolized by Andrew Jackson

4. Terms and People (continued)
spoils system – practice of giving government jobs to loyal party supporters
Indian Removal Act – 1830 Act forcing the relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeast to present day Oklahoma
Trail of Tears – forced march to Oklahoma in the winter of 1838, during which 4,000 Cherokees died

5. What changes did Andrew Jackson represent in American political life?
In 1824, a new political party emerged, signaling a shift in American culture. The nation’s concept of democracy was changing. The era became known for one towering and controversial figure: Andrew Jackson.

6. Four candidates ran for President in 1824.
Secretary of State John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts was the most experienced.
A congressional caucus of Democratic Republicans favored Georgian William Crawford.
War hero Andrew Jackson of Tennessee and Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky were seen as Adams’s greatest competition.

7. Jackson received the most popular votes, but no candidate won a majority in the electoral college.
When Adams named Clay to be Secretary of State, Jackson angrily called it a “corrupt bargain” and started preparing early to defeat Adams in 1828.
In the House of Representatives, Adams was selected after Clay threw his support behind Adams.

8. Jackson was elected President in 1828.
Jackson symbolized the rise of new democratic ideals uniting city workers, western settlers, and southern farmers against privileged “aristocrats.”
This combination came to be known as Jacksonian Democracy.
Jackson greets supporters on his way to his inauguration in 1829.

9. Jackson’s followers called themselves Democrats.
Under his campaign manager Martin Van Buren, Jackson’s campaign was the first to be run in a disciplined and professional fashion.
Opponents were replaced in government jobs by supporters, using what critics called the spoils system.
Jackson promised a return to a weak federal government, but he was ruthless against anyone who challenged his decisions.
Jackson’s followers called themselves Democrats.

10. As the “People’s President,” Jackson symbolized America’s get-ahead and self-made image.
Born poor in a log cabin, Jackson was orphaned as a boy and wounded in the Revolutionary War.
As an adult, he ventured west, earned a fortune as a lawyer and planter, and fame as an Indian fighter, and he was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.
His inauguration was attended by a rowdy crowd of common people.

11. Most states became more democratic in the Jacksonian era.
By 1836, every state except South Carolina selected electors for the President based on popular vote.
Increasingly, popular elections replaced caucuses for selecting state and local officials.
New state constitutions dropped property qualifications for voting.
Participation in elections among white males rose from less than 30 percent in the 1800s to nearly 80 percent in 1840.

12. Loopholes in New Jersey that had allowed woman property owners to vote were closed.
Free Blacks lost the right to vote in most states even if they owned property.
Native Americans were not considered citizens and were not permitted to vote.
New state constitutions expanded democracy by including workers who did not own property. Nonwhites and women were still restricted.

13. Conflict arose between Native Americans and whites
In the Southeast, the “five civilized tribes” adopted white American culture.
Many ran newspapers, schools, and churches and elected officials under republican constitutions.
Settlers wanted Native American land. Many believed Indians to be inferior.

14. Jackson supported Southerners and Westerners over Native Americans.
With Jackson’s urging, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
In 1832, Chief Justice Marshall ruled that the seizure of native lands was unconstitutional.
Jackson defied the ruling. He reportedly said, “Justice Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”
Jackson supported Southerners and Westerners over Native Americans.

15. In 1838, federal troops made 16,000 Cherokee move from the Southeast to Oklahoma.
At least 4,000
people died on what came to be called the Trail of Tears.