Chapter 11
Jacksonian America
The People’s President
• Andrew Jackson was
popular because he related
well to the people and
came from a similar
situation as them
• Upon becoming President,
Jackson replaced hundred
of government workers
with his followers. Giving
government jobs to loyal
followers is known as the
spoils system
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The Spoils System
• The use of the spoils system caused corruption and
for people to pay bribes for jobs. It also created
political machines, organized groups of politicians
who sought to control the government
• Jackson ignored his cabinet when making
decisions and relied on his “Kitchen Cabinet”,
close friends of his who gave him advice
Attitudes and Policies
• The Indians are in the way of American
expansion
• Congress passed the Indian Removal Act,
which gave the military the power to force
Indians to move
• Many tribes go without a fight but the
Cherokees in Georgia, Tennessee, and North
Carolina refused to leave
Trail of Tears
• The Cherokees were
eventually forced to walk
from their homes to
Oklahoma through cold
and snow with little food.
About 4,000 died on the
way
• Black Hawk was an Indian
leader who tried to resist.
Most of his men were
killed and he was turned
in by other Indians
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The Nullification Crisis
• One of the major issues during Jackson’s
presidency concerned states’ rights, the rights of
the states in relation to the power of the federal
government
• Congress had a revenue tariff (a tax to raise
money) in place
• Protective tariff-protected American businesses
and manufacturers from foreign competition, but it
also raised the price of foreign goods
Webster vs. Hayne
• South Carolina Senator
Robert Y. Hayne defended
nullification and states’
rights
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• Senator Daniel Webster of
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nullification while
defending the Constitution
and the federal union
A Time of Crisis
• South Carolina takes the lead and declares
the federal tariffs void. They also stated that
if the federal government used force on
them, they would issue an order of
secession (leave the Union)
• No other state supported South Carolina and
the government passed the Compromise of
1833 to make both sides happy
The National Bank
• Nicholas Biddlepresident of the Bank
of the United States.
His position will lead
him into conflict with
Andrew Jackson, who
hated banks especially
ones run by the
government
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Pet Banks
• After winning the presidency again, Jackson set
out to destroy the National Bank.
• He did this by putting the government revenue
from taxes and land sales into 89 different state
banks, or pet banks
• The country experienced inflation (an increase in
the money supply that causes a rise in prices)
• Jackson requested that the Treasury issue a Specie
Circular which required anyone who bought
government lands to pay for them in specie (gold
or silver coins)
The Election of 1836
• Whigs-new political party that formed to
overturn Andrew Jackson’s policies
• Jackson chose his vice president, Martin
Van Buren, to run for the Democrats. The
Whigs chose several candidates but were
unable to defeat the Democrats
Martin Van Buren
• During his time, 9 states
defaulted (did not repay
the money they owed)
• Van Buren suggested an
independent treasury
system that would not
have to use banks
• Roger B. Taney-judge
appointed by Jackson who
later became Chief Justice
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The Election of 1840
• William Henry Harrison ran for the Whigs
again. Due in large part to his role in
defeating the Indians, Harrison and his
running mate, John Tyler, won the election
• Harrison died 32 days after taking office
and John Tyler took over
John Tyler
• Tyler has arguments with members of his party.
The Preemption Act of 1841 allowed squatters
(settlers without titles to the land) to buy western
lands when they were for sale.
• Tyler also faced problems with Britain. This was
solved with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty which
gave some of Maine to Canada.
• James K. Polk defeated Tyler in the election of
1844 and Tyler became a lame duck president (one
who does not have as much support and political
power as the president elect