Chapter 12
Jacksonian Democracy
Web
Origins of Jacksonian Democracy
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Debate in 1819 over Missouri
Rooted in 1803 Louisiana Purchase
 Slavery tied to Missouri Petition for statehood
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Debate over sectional power, not morality of slavery
Compromise, 1820
Maine admitted as free state (carved out of
Massachusetts)
 Missouri admitted as slave state
 Slavery outlawed from Missouri’s southern border
northward
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Origins of Jacksonian Democracy
(cont.)
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Opened Arkansas to slavery, outlawed it everywhere else in
Louisiana Purchase
Laid bare different sectional ideas about slavery in
the territories
Panic of 1819
Multitude of international causes
 Hit cities and countryside both
 Fed public opposition to banks
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Development in National Politics
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Jeffersonians had lost their way after 1816
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Abandoned ideas of small-government and states’ rights
Crises of 1819 and 1820 prompted a return to the party’s
principles
Role of Martin van Buren in creating Democratic Party
Election of 1824
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Four-way race that broke back of the Republican Party
John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun elected
Charges of a corrupt bargain between John Quincy Adams
and Henry Clay
Andrew Jackson vowed to get revenge and return majority
rule to politics
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Presidential
Election, 1824
John Quincy Adams in the White
House
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Foreign policy successes as secretary of state
 Rush-Bagot Treaty, 1817
 British-American Convention of 1818
 Adams-Onis Treaty, 1819
 Monroe Doctrine, 1823
Goal at home was an ambitious nationalist program
 Expansion of government power and action
 Nothing accomplished
Politically, did little to prepare for election of 1828
Election of 1828
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Clear from 1825 it would pit Adams against
Jackson
Van Buren backed Jackson and helped to create
the new Democratic Party
States rights, limited government agenda of the
Jeffersonians
 Linked popular democracy with a defense of slavery
 Unite southern planters with northern plain folk
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Election of 1828 (cont.)
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Campaign was an exercise in slander
Voter turnout double that of 1824
Big win for Jackson
Common people turned out to celebrate
Jackson’s inauguration in March 1829
Inaugural address a vague endorsement of
Democratic principles
Van Buren as secretary of state
Other appointments not as promising

Led to furor over spoils system and use of
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Presidential
Election 1828
Jacksonian Democracy and the
South
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Staunchest support for Jackson in 1828
Debate in administration over how best to
protect the region
Vice President Calhoun favored concept of states’
rights
 Secretary of State Van Buren believed the Union was
inviolable and that the South could best be protected
by8 a strong democratic Party
 Disagreement set stage for confrontation of who
would succeed Jackson
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The South and the Indian Question
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“Civilized Tribes” still had large presence in Old
Southwest by the 1820s
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Southern whites resented Indians’ presence and
wanted control of their land
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Recognized as sovereign peoples by Congress and
Treaties
Also raised question of states’ rights
Struggle in Georgia between state government
and the Cherokees
The South and the Indian
Question (cont.)
Indian removal Act of 1830 would move Cherokees
to federal land west of Mississippi
 Supreme Court intervention
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Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 1830
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Worcester v. Georgia, 1832
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Indians as “domestic dependent nations”
Banned Georgia’s extension of state law into Cherokee land
Jackson refused to obey
States continued to encroach on Civilized Tribes
Trail of Tears in 1838 complete removal
The South and the Tariff
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Tariff of 1828, designed to win votes for Jackson in
Old Northwest and Middle Atlantic, worried the South
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South Carolina took lead in opposition
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Denounced by Southern legislatures
Spoke of nullification and made states’ rights arguments
Pressure on Jackson to make modifications
Tariff of 1832 reduced rates but kept tariff in place
Led South Carolina to nullify Tariffs of 1828 and 1832
both
Jackson refused to accept nullification
The “Petticoat Wars”
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Involved Secretary of War John Henry Eaton and his
wife, Peggy
Split the administration, and Washington high society
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Entire Cabinet, save Secretary of State Van Buren, shunned
the Eatons
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Opposition headed by Vice President Calhoun
Enraged Jackson, who purged the offenders and made Peggy
Eaton his official hostess in the White House
Power struggle between Calhoun and Van Buren
resulted in latter’s choice as vice president in 1832
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Van Buren then became Jackson’s chosen successor
Jackson came to rely increasingly on informal “Kitchen
Growing Controversy over Slavery
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Evangelicals adopted postal campaign in 1835
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Began petition campaign in 1836
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Bombarded Congress with antislavery petitions
Disagreement in Jackson administration about proper
response
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Flooded mail with antislavery tracts
Postal campaign thwarted through state censorship without
federal interference
Gag rule on petitions as Congress chose to table them
without a reading
Reflected Democrats’ efforts to protect southern
slavery while ensuring the inviolability of the federal
Jacksonian Democracy and the
Market Revolution
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Battle over appropriate governmental role in
economy
Second Bank of the United States became focus
of dispute
Exercised control over nation’s monetary and credit
system
 Supported by Businessmen, distrusted by public
 Jackson saw as concentration of power that
threatened the republic
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Jacksonian Democracy and the
Market Revolution (cont.)
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Jackson’s opponents tried to engineer crisis by
applying for Bank’s re-charter four years early
Jackson vetoed, with message that served as
manifesto for Jacksonian Democracy
 Tried to use veto against Jackson in presidential
campaign of 1832
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Backfired, as public supported Jackson
After winning re-election, Jackson removed
federal deposits from Bank
Took three treasury secretaries before he found one
willing to assent
 Essentially destroyed Bank
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Presidential
Election, 1832
Origin of the Whig Party
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Opposed to Jackson’s perceived “executive usurpation”
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Core of old National Republican coalition became new
Whig Party
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Bank War
Over-use of veto
Spoils system
Joined by southerners upset at Jackson’s opposition to
nullification
Continued partisan disagreement on the economy
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Governmental surplus demanded federal attention
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Deposit Act (1836) increased number of banks receiving federal
deposits
Specie Circular (1836) set rules for purchase of federal lands with
specie and banknotes
The Second American Party
System
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Whigs ran sectionally based campaigns in 1836
Democrats ran a united front behind Martin van Buren
Panic of 18377 hit just after van Buren took office
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Whigs believed they had good chance to win in 21840
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Almost all segments of the economy hurt
Commercial and export sectors suffered most
Administration sought Independent Treasury as solution
Whigs scored big gains in mid-term elections in 1838
Blamed Van Buren for Panic
Sought to build consensus by nominating William Henry
Harrison
Whig victory completed creation of second American
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Presidential
Election , 1836
Web
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Presidential
Election, 1840