The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
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Born in March 1767 on NC/SC Border
He was orphaned at 13
 Self-educated with no formal education
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Emotional, Arrogant and Passionate man
 Involved in countless Duels
▪ Killed Charles Dickenson in a duel over a horse racing
bet and an insult to his wife
 Could drink, smoke and fight with the best of
them
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Defeated the Creeks at
Horseshoe Bend in 1814
Defeated the British at
New Orleans in 1815
Took Florida and Claimed
it for the US in 1819
Loved by his soldiers who
called him “Old Hickory”
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Regional and personality
differences led to a multicandidate race
Emerged as rival of Clay for West vote;
appealed to the “common man” due to
his upbringing and war record
The Participants
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John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Henry Clay
William Crawford
Sought to continue conservative
course set by Monroe, supported
strong national gov’t
Sought support from both North and West
for his “American System” of tariffs and
support for internal improvements
Let the Battle Begin!
Competed with Calhoun for the
regional vote of the South; Supported
Jefferson’s strict construction
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Even though Jackson
won the popular vote,
he didn’t receive a
majority of electoral
votes.
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Sent to the House of
Representatives to
choose the President
Jackson -v- Quincy Adams
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Jackson appeals to West and South voters
Henry Clay gives his support to Adams and
the House chooses Adams as President
 Two weeks later, Adams appoints Henry Clay as
his Secretary of State….
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Jackson cries foul and calls it the Corrupt
Bargain…or as Mr. Ewald calls it…Shennanigans
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One of the ablest, hardest working Presidents.
Not popular failed to relate to the common man
Often irritated those around him
Supported protective tariffs and National Bank
 Passed the tariff of 1828 (tariff of abominations)
 Tariff upset those in the South

Minority president, last of the Federalists, and
last connection to Founding Fathers…..
Jackson -v- Quincy Adams II
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Rise in the Common Man
 Property qualifications and education dropped as
voting requirement
 Population shifts to West and South
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One of the worst elections for mudslinging
 Accusations of improper use of funds and prostitution
from Anti-Adams people
 Accusations of murder and bigamy from Anti-Jackson
People
•Election
of 1824,
355,817
voted.
•Election
1828,
1,155,350
voted.
Whatever governing needed to
be done, it should be done by
the common man.
“Government by
the majority of
people; instead of
a gov’t governed
by the upper class”
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Spoils System – Providing jobs and
appointments to friends and supporters
Eaton Affair –
 Wife of Jackson’s sec of defense, target of gossip by other
cabinet wives
 Tried to force cabinet wives to accept her
 Led to resignation of most of his Cabinet

Jackson’s Kitchen Cabinet
 Group of unofficial advisors
 Often consulted instead of actual cabinet

Jackson vetoed more bills than the previous six
presidents combined

Maysville Road Veto (1830)
 Vetoed the use of federal money to construct the
Maysville Road because it fell within one state (KY)

Most of Jackson’s policy sought to balance
sectional interests, but were clearly entrenched
in Southern and Western motives

Jackson supported states’ rights, especially in
the South, but when pressed would defend the
rights of the National Government
 “Tariff of Abominations” and Tariff of 1832 led to the
South Carolina challenging federal law through
interposition and nullification
 Conflict with John C. Calhoun (former Jackson VP)
 Appealed to South Carolina to obey federal law and
obtained authority from Congress (Force Act) to
enforce the laws any way necessary
 Clay negotiated a compromise (Tariff of 1833)
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Jackson vetoed Congress’s attempt to recharter the national bank
 Jackson distrusted Northern commercial interests
▪ Nicholas Biddle represented these interests
 South and West blamed the national bank for
Panic of 1819 – preferred “soft money” & “easy
credit” of state banks

Pet Banks – Jackson removed government
deposits and placed them in local (pet) banks
loyal to the Democratic party
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Easy lending of the Pet Banks led to
speculative boom in the early 1830’s
Jackson became concerned that the banks
were issuing too much paper money
 Issued Specie Circular (1836) requiring gold and
silver for land purchases
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These policies (combined with other issues)
led to a rapid “bursting of the bubble”, that
caused a nationwide depression
 Plagued Martin Van Buren’s time in office
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Jackson’s Native American Policy
 Indian Removal Act of 1830 – Forced resettlement of Native
Americans west of the Mississippi
 Bureau of Indian Affairs created to oversee resettlement
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Worcester -v- Georgia – Cherokee claimed the
relocation was wrong and it went to the supreme
court. Marshall ruled in favor of the Cherokee Tribe.
 Jackson’s response
 “Marshall has made his decision, now let him
enforce it-Build a fire under them. When it gets hot
enough, they'll go.”
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Forced relocation of the Cherokee tribe. Before the
journey was over ¼ of the tribe perished.
 Reflected Jackson’s personal apathy toward Native
Americans
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The Good
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The Bad
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The Common Man involvement in Government
Strong Executive Power
Massive Voter Turnout
Sparked Re-Creation of 2 Party System
The Spoils System
Banking Instability
Excessive Check of the Supreme Court
Greater Sectionalism –Result of Split with Calhoun
The Ugly
 Native American Policy
 Trail of Tears