1. Unit 5 – A Changing Nation
Chapter 12

2. I. The Age of Jackson
A. Jacksonian Democracy and States’ Rights
1. Sectionalism Changes Politics
a. the election of 1824 tore apart the Democratic-
Republican Party
1) Adams defeats Jackson in this election
because the House of Representatives had to decide because there was no majority vote
2) the charges of a “corrupt bargain” followed
Adams throughout his term in office
3) Democrats grew out of Jackson supporters – “common man”
4) National Republicans grew out of the Adams Campaign

3. 2. Jackson Redefines “Democracy”
a. he advocated for voting rights to be extended to more of the population
b. the next election in 1828 was a fight again between Adams and Jackson
1) Jacksonian Democracy grew out of this
2) it widened more political power to more of the people through the extension of voting rights to ensure majority rule
3) women, the enslaved, and free African
Americans still could not vote
4) Jackson wins and his wife dies
c. Jackson’s term began a new political era
1) spoils system – give jobs to political backers

4. 3. Rising Sectional Differences
a. Legislatures from the Northeast, West, and South argued over three economic issues:
1) the sale of public lands in the West
2) federal spending on internal improvements (roads and canals)
3) rising tariffs

5. 4. Federal Government vs. the States
a. tariffs fueled the fire between state and national
government power – where was the balance?
b Congress passes a bill that raised tariffs on raw
materials and manufactured goods – the south called it “Tariff of
Abomination”
1) the south talked of leaving the union because
they could not afford the tax
2) Calhoun introduced the “doctrine of
nullification” which allowed the south to reject
a federal law that they felt was unconstitutional
3) this caused states’ rights debate which lasts
through the end of the Civil War
4) Jackson believes in states’ rights, but does not
believe states should nullify a federal law
5) Jackson asked Congress to lower the tariffs,
but South Carolina still was not happy and
threatened to secede

6. B. Jackson’s Policy Toward Native Americans
1. Native Americans Forced West
a. the Natives living on the east coast were viewed as an obstacle
to progress
b. whites wanted Natives to assimilate to the white culture and
others believed there were “uncivilized”
c. Jackson imposed a removal policy
1) he believed they has two choices: assimilate and become a US citizen, or move west
2) the discovery of gold in the southern states also forced
natives west
d. Jackson later passes the Indian Removal Act in 1830
1) the government must negotiate treaties that would require
Natives to relocate west of the Mississippi
2) many groups opposed this (Quakers)

7. 2. The Trail of Tears
a. the harsh journey of the Cherokees from
their homes to Indian Territory in present
day areas of Oklahoma and Nebraska
b. this forced removal caused a lot of Native
American resistance
1) Osceola – leaders of the Seminoles
in Florida that attacked US troops in
the everglades

8. C. Prosperity and Panic 1. Jackson Targets the National Bank
a. Jackson declares war on the bank
b. the bank needed a charter or written
grant from the federal government in
order to operate
c. Mr. Biddle, the bank’s president
asked Congress to renew the
charter

9. d. Jackson vetoes the renewal and after his re-election he sets out to destroy the bank before its charter ended.
1) he had government funds deposited into state banks
2) Biddle made it harder for people to borrow money
3) the bank went out of business but Jackson’s war
brought about prosperity and panic
a) people could borrow money easier and this led to
inflation because the state banks issued too
much money
b) Panic of 1837 occurred after Jackson left office and people exchanged money for gold and silver
leaving the country in a depression when there was none left
c) This left Martin Van Buren deal with the difficult
times

10. 2. The Birth of the Whigs
a. In the 1840 election the Whig Party
formed
b. It was named after a British Party that
opposed royal power
c. Whigs believed that Congress not the
President represented the will of the
people
d. Harrison won the election