Andrew Jackson’s Presidency
Unit 5, Lesson 1
Essential Idea
• Andrew Jackson’s presidency involved “new”
democracy, the Nullification Crisis, the Indian
Removal Act, and the Bank War.
Jacksonian Democracy
• Jacksonian Democracy:
• During Jackson’ time, American
democracy included more
“common man” involvement and
equality
• 1. Universal White Male Suffrage
• Gave the “common man” power in
elections
• 2. Campaigning/Mudslinging
• Candidates began
campaigning/mudslinging to
appeal to common people
• 3. Spoils system (patronage)
• Jackson awarded government jobs
for political support
• This system quickly became
corrupt
Jacksonian Democracy
• 4. Alexis de Tocqueville
• Wrote “Democracy in America,” commenting on the equality he saw between
different classes in America
• Limits on Democracy:
• Blacks, women, and Native Americans were still not treated equally or given
voice in government
Nullification Crisis
• The Nullification Crisis:
• “Tariff of Abominations”—
Congress passed a new tariff
that South Carolina hated
• South Carolinians threatened
to secede, or withdraw, from
the United States
• Jackson’s own vice-president,
John Calhoun, suggested
nullification instead of
secession
• Nullification— idea that
states can reject federal laws
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Webster-Hayne Debates
Webster-Hayne Debates:
Senators debated the issue of nullification in Congress
Senator:
Daniel Webster
Position:
Against nullification—the Union (federal government) comes BEFORE individual states
Senator:
Robert Hayne
Position:
For nullification—the freedom of states comes BEFORE the Union (Calhoun agreed)
Jackson’s position:
Jackson favored states’ rights, but NOT if it broke up the Union (against Calhoun)
Jackson vs. South Carolina
• South Carolina’s Action:
• South Carolina nullified the “Tariff of
Abominations”
• Jackson’s Reaction:
• Jackson was furious, called the action
treason, and sent a warship to South
Carolina
• Conflict and Compromise:
• Henry Clay:
• Compromise Tariff of 1833– Clay got
Congress to lower the tariff to satisfy
South Carolina
• Force Bill:
• Authorized the president to use
military to enforce laws
• The Nullification Crisis
Civil War Foreshadowed
• Future implications:
• In 1860, South
Carolina “nullified”
the election of
Abraham Lincoln
• South Carolina and
other states
seceded from the
Union
• The Civil War
started when
President Lincoln
used the military to
preserve the Union
Indian Removal
• Jackson and Native
Americans:
• Jackson intended to move
Indians out of the eastern
United States
• Indian Removal Act—
authorized the relocation of
Indians to the Great Plains,
(west of the Mississippi River)
• Worcester v. Georgia:
• Cherokee Indians sued to stay
on their land in Georgia
• The Supreme Court ruled in
favor of the CHEROKEE
Indian Removal
• Jackson’s reaction:
• Jackson IGNORED
the ruling
• Trail of Tears:
• The Cherokee were
forced to walk 800
miles to Oklahoma
• About 4,000 died
from starvation,
disease, and cold
• The Trail of Tears
Indian Wars Foreshadowed
• Future implications:
• Eventually, Americans would also take Indian land in the
West
• Indians fought back (Indian Wars) but were forced onto
reservations
Election of 1832
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Election of 1832:
Democrats—Andrew Jackson
Whigs—Henry Clay
Major Issue:
Whether or not to keep the
BUS
Clay wanted to keep the BUS
Jackson distrusted the BUS
and thought it
unconstitutional
Results:
Jackson won easily
Jackson felt he had a
“mandate” from the people to
destroy the BUS
The Bank War
• The “Monster” Bank:
• Jackson took money from the
“monster” bank (BUS), which
“killed” the BUS
• “Pet” Banks:
• Jackson put the money in state
banks, known as “pet banks”
• Constitutional?
• McCulloch v. Maryland had
established the BUS as
constitutional
• Again, Jackson defied the
Supreme Court
Evaluation of
Jackson
• Man of the people?
• Jackson’s supporters felt
he would do whatever
necessary for the people
• Dictator?
• Jackson’s critics thought
he acted like a dictator
who ignored the
Constitution
• Jackson's Legacy
The Panic of 1837
• Panic of 1837:
• Panic of 1837—this economic recession hit just after Jackson left
office
• Some blamed Jackson’s economic policies, like killing the BUS
• The Democrats were blamed and lost popularity
Election of 1840
• Election of 1840:
• Many Americans started to favor the Whig Party
• Whig party candidates—William Henry Harrison (hero from
Battle of Tippecanoe) and John Tyler
Appealing to the Common Man
• Jacksonian Campaigning:
• “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”—catchy slogan of Whig
campaign
• “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” campaign—made Whigs look
like common men, appealed to voters
Tyler Becomes President
• Results:
• Harrison and Tyler won easily
• Harrison died a month after the inauguration and Tyler
became president