Chapter 9 –
Jacksonian America
The Rise of Mass
Politics
Equality of
Condition
Equality of
Opportunity
Increase in Enfranchisement
Voting before the 1820s
= white male property
owners or taxpayers
Voting after 1820 =
all white males
1. New states entering the Union included the new
voting requirements in their state’s constitution
2. Older states changed their voting laws to
hopefully prevent citizens from leaving their
states and moving westward
Conservatives Resist
Conservatives
Forces of
Democratization
Important Facts:
No better is this resistance to
democratization illustrated than
the Dorr
Rebellion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Rhode Island
Thomas L. Dorr
“People’s Party”
Old vs. New State Gov’t
Rebellion failed but
forced changes
Second Party System Emerges
• Ideological commitment
• Party system was
closed off to the elite
• Parties were set on
destroying the other
• Federalists vs.
Republicans
• The idea of party needed to
be institutionalized
• The population at large
needed to participate
• Preservation of party
through loyalty and favors
was most important
• Permanent opposition was
key to a party’s survival
• Whigs vs. Democrats
The
Development of
the Second
Party System
FEDERALISTS
REPUBLICANS
(DemocraticRepublicans)
FEDERALISTS
REPUBLICANS
(DemocraticRepublicans)
REPUBLICANS
(Democratic-Republicans)
REPUBLICANS
(Democratic-Republicans)
NATIONALREPUBLICANS
DEMOCRATICREPUBLICANS
WHIGS
DEMOCRATS
(Still exists today)
Democracy Increased or Limited?
Jackson was
sometimes referred
to as the “President
of the Common Man”
“We need to expand the
opportunities to the rising classes of
the West and South.”
“Let’s first target the entrenched
federal officeholders and open
those positions to everyone.”
Lead
to…
Democracy Increased or Limited?
Jackson was
sometimes referred
to as the “President
of the Common Man”
“”We need to make the process of
how Presidential candidates are
chosen more democratic.”
“My supporters tell me that
national party conventions will give
more power to the people.”
Some feel
this lead to…
“Our Federal Union”
Jackson’s Goal
Reduce the
power of the
National
Government
While at the
same time…
Assert the
supremacy of
the Union
Jackson’s Administration
John C. Calhoun
Martin Van Buren
John H. Eaton
• From South Carolina
• Jackson’s Vice
President
• Stirred up trouble with
Theory of Nullification
• Further isolated himself
as a result of the Peggy
Eaton Affair
• From New York
• Jackson’s Secretary of
State
• Member of Jackson’s
official as well his
“Kitchen Cabinet”
• Accepted Peggy Eaton
and became Jackson’s
successor
• From Tennessee
• Jackson’s Secretary of
War
• Married Peggy Eaton
which stirred up the
political world of
Washington
A Line is Drawn
An argument between the sale of Western lands quickly morphed into a
debate between States’ Rights versus National Power
(Webster – Hayne Debate)
“Our Federal
Union…It must
be preserved.”
“The Union,
next to our
liberty most
dear.”
A very
important toast…
The Nullification Crisis
South Carolina was
furious over the 1828
“tariff of abominations”
When the a new tariff was
passed in 1832, S.C.
called a convention and
nullified the tariffs
Jackson insisted
nullification was treason
Violence was averted
thanks to Henry Clay’s
Compromise
A.J. proposed a force bill
authorizing the president
to use the military to
ensure acts of Congress
were obeyed
The tariff would be lowered gradually
Jackson signed both the compromise and the force bill; S.C. repealed
the nullification of the tariffs but nullified the force act
Discussion Question(s):
Was nullification a success?
What did it prove?
The Removal of the
Indians
Attitudes Shift
White Americans craved more territory
MMMM…
LAND
The Marshall Court gave the federal
government the authority to negotiate
with the tribes over land
Native Americans were seen as an
obstacle for whites desiring to move
West
The Black Hawk War showed the
horrific lengths white Americans were
willing to go to expel Indians from the
western lands
White
Americans
Removing the “Five Civilized Tribes”
The Removal Act
The federal
government
assisted by
passing the
Removal Act
These states were
becoming impatient
with the delay of
removing the
agrarian tribes from
their lands
Appropriated money
to finance federal
negotiations with
the southern tribes
aimed at relocating
them to the West
Trail of Tears
Treaty with the
Cherokees
Georgia
would get the
tribe’s land
Cherokee received
$5 million and a
reservation west of
the Mississippi
River
Several Indians refused to go and as
a result, Andrew Jackson sent in
7,000 troops under General Winfield
Scott to force them out
The result was the “Trail of
Tears”, which resulted in
the deaths of thousands of
Native Americans
Now the Native
Americans are
“beyond the
reach of injury or
oppression”
Discussion Questions:
Were there any alternatives to the
removal of the Native Americans?
If not, why do you think?
If so, could they have worked?
Jackson and
the Bank War
Jackson
The
Bank of
the U.S.
Nicholas Biddle
President of the Second Bank of the
United States and made it prosperous
Opposition to the Second B.U.S.
“Soft – Money”
Advocates
Wanted more currency in
circulation – meaning they
wanted more bank notes
(not backed by gold or
silver) to be issued
Stated the B.U.S.
restrained state banks
from issuing notes freely
Believed in rapid
economic growth
“Hard – Money”
Advocates
Believed gold and silver
were the only basis for
money
Condemned all banks who
issued bank notes
Were suspicious of
expansion
Battle for the Bank
VS.
JACKSON
ROUND 1
BIDDLE
Stated he would not favor the
renewing of the Bank’s charter when
it expired in 1836
Was influenced by Henry Clay &
Daniel Webster to apply to Congress
in 1832 for the Bank’s renewal
As expected, Jackson vetoed the bill;
Congress was unable to overturn the
veto
It would force the Bank to become a
major issue in the 1832 election
• Congress rechartered the
Bank
ROUND 2: The Knockout Punch
Jackson could not abolish the bank
I can’t wait until 1836 for
that “Monster” Bank to
expire!! Remove all the
government’s deposits
Sec. of Treasury –
Louis McLane
He attempted other means to
destroy the “monster”
Ummm President Jackson, I
am pretty sure that will
destabilize the financial
system so I can’t do that.
ROUND 2: The Knockout Punch
Jackson could not abolish the bank
YOU’RE
FIRED!!!!!
Sec. of Treasury –
Louis McLane
He attempted other means to
destroy the “monster”
ROUND 2: The Knockout Punch
He attempted other means to
destroy the “monster”
Jackson could not abolish the bank
Congrats on the new
position…by the way I want
you to remove all the
government’s deposits
from the Bank of the U.S.
Ummm President Jackson, I
really can’t do that. It
would be bad.
New Sec. of Treasury
– William Duane
ROUND 2: The Knockout Punch
Jackson could not abolish the bank
YOU’RE
FIRED!!!!!
New Sec. of Treasury
– William Duane
He attempted other means to
destroy the “monster”
ROUND 2: The Knockout Punch
Jackson could not abolish the bank
Attorney General Taney, my
good friend and ally congrats
on the new position in my
cabinet…now about removing
those government deposits???
New Sec. of Treasury
– Roger Taney
He attempted other means to
destroy the “monster”
You got it A.J.!!!!!
One Last Effort by Biddle
Ok Jackson…I’m not
going away so easy.
With the government’s deposits
being removed to “pet banks”,
Biddle called in loans
This caused financial distress
People went to Jackson for help but
he stood firm and told them to “Go
to Biddle”
Biddle relented and due to his
unpopular tactics lost support for
rechartering the Bank
Do you
agree with
this
political
cartoon?
Goodbye Marshall; Hello Taney
When John Marshall died in 1835,
Jackson appointed his friend Roger
B. Taney as the new Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court
This caused a shift from the previous
ultra-nationalistic rulings during the
Marshall Court
Dartmouth College v.
Woodward (1819)
Impact / Ruling:
placed restrictions
on the ability of
state gov’ts to
control corporations
Charles River Bridge v.
Warren Bridge (1837)
SHIFT
Impact / Ruling:
supported Massachusetts
right to issue the second
charter
“The object of
government was to
promote the general
happiness, an object that
took precedence over
the rights of contract and
property.”
The Changing Face
of American Politics
Rallied behind
Jackson
Supported Jackson’s
choice, Martin Van
Buren, in the 1836
election
Anti-Masons
And the winner is…
Thanks for
your support
A.J.!!!!!!!!!!!
Van B Boys
Martin Van Buren
What did Van Buren inherit??
There was a nationwide economic
boom
The federal government was selling
Western lands in great amounts
Speculators bought land in such
bulk that the federal government
paid off their debt and even had a
surplus
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
A. Hamilton
Give it to the states – The Distribution Act
I loathe Paper
currency!!!!!!!!!
• Before leaving office, A.J.
issued a presidential
order, the “specie
circular”
• Only gold or silver coins
for payment for public
lands
• A.J. thought it would curb
land speculation
• Led to the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
Worst depression in the U.S.
up to that point
Unemployment rose
Banks failed
Van Buren’s Response
Uh what do
you want me
to do???
Van Buren did nothing because he strongly
opposed government intervention
The Panic of 1837 spelled disaster for Van
Buren
Van Buren was able to get the Independent
Treasury passed
Martin Van Buren
U.S. Federal
Banks
Gov’t
Election of 1840
Martin Van Buren
for the Democrats
Democrats had no
answer to these
campaign strategies
William Henry Harrison
for the Whigs
Whigs were more
united
Log Cabin Campaign
Election of 1840
Martin Van Buren
for the Democrats
60
Electoral
Votes
William Henry Harrison
for the Whigs
234
Electoral
Votes
William Henry Harrison’s
Inauguration Speech
Shouldn’t he be
wearing a coat???
IT’S FREEZING
OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
One month later…
William Henry
Harrison
Tyler Takes Over
John Tyler
• Was a former Democrat
• Destroyed Van Buren’s
independent treasury
• Said no to Clay’s proposal to
recharter the B.U.S.
• Vetoed several internal
improvement bills
• Whigs broke ties with Tyler
• His cabinet resigned (except
Sec. of State – Daniel
Webster)
The Caroline Affair
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Treaty of Wang Hya