Jacksonian Democracy
Election of 1828
• Jackson vs. Adams
– 1st modern campaign
– Jackson supporters use electioneering techniques
• Huge public rallies, torchlight parades, barbeques
– Heavy mudslinging
• Jackson’s wife accused of bigamy
• Jackson’s edge—viewed a man of the people
• Anti-intellectualism is powerful force in American
politics
Jackson the Man
• War Hero
• Image of a tough frontier man
• Turns out to be one of the most forceful
and dominating American presidents
– Strong-willed, intolerant of opposition,
unforgiving of an insult
– Frontier background made his tough and
resourceful but also inflexible.
Spoils System
• Makes extensive use
– Appoints supporters to federal jobs
– 1st president to acknowledge use and view it
as acceptable
• Problem—some very questionable
appointments—old friends and political
supporters
Three Major issues of Jackson
presidency
• Indian Removal Issues
• Nullification Crisis
• Bank of the United States
Indian Removal
• In Southeast, final crisis between frontier
whites and Native Americans
• Whites want land from Indian tribes
– Supported by state governments
• “Civilized Tribes”-Cherokees, Creeks,
Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles
• Jackson offers to remove Indians to
federal lands west of the Mississippi
– Indian Removal Act of 1830
Indian Crisis
• Supreme Court sides with Indians
– Jackson refuses to support laws
• Does nothing as Southern states moved
into Indian lands
• Believe federal government should defer
to States rights on issue
– Gives impression that Jackson is universal
supporter of state’s rights
Nullification crisis
• Southerners upset by Tariff of 1828
• Began to embrace extreme state’s rights
position of Nullification
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Ability of state to reject a federal law
Believed constitution was agreement among states
States could decide constitutionality of federal laws
Union a voluntary compact
• Most extreme—South Carolina
Jackson’s View
• Supporter of state’s rights but within
permanent union
– Indian policy was local issue
– Tariff was foreign policy—federal issue
• Rejected nullification—carrot and stick
– Carrot—asks Congress to lower tariff
– Stick—Force Bill
• Compromise Tariff of 1933
Bank of United States
• Functioned as simple central bank
– Provided some control over local banks
• Nicolas Biddle
• 20 year charter expires in 1836
• Jackson opponent of bank
– Vetoes re-charter of bank
– No attempt to reform, just kill
• Jackson withdraw money
– “pet banks” –states banks given US money
• Wild Speculation on western lands—
controls gone
• Summer 1836—Specie Circular
– Land purchases must be back with metals
– Bank panic
• Reflects Jackson’s lack of knowledge
Results of Jackson
• Big stamp on American politics
• New Political party
– Diverse
• Favored giving small man a chance.
Opponents of Jackson
• Far less organized
– Henry Clay provided leadership
• 1834—opponents started calling
themselves Whigs
– Roots—opposed to powerful king