Chapter 10:
The Age of Jackson
1824-1840
Argument
The Era of Jacksonian Democracy can be
characterized by democratic reform for the
“common man”, economic changes caused by
this reform, and the effects of government
corruption on a President’s public view.
Rise of Democratic Society
• 1830’s- foreigners could not distinguish between classes in
America because all men dressed the same and sat together
at dining tables and on transportation
• Equality was becoming the governing principle of American
Society
• Really only for white men though
-equality of opportunity for white men allowed them to
rise as far as their talent and industry would take them
The Common Man
• White males of lower/middle classes began to
vote in larger numbers
• Reasons: new state suffrage laws, changes in
political parties and campaign methods,
improved education, and increases in
newspaper circulation
Important Political Changes and
Reforms
• Universal male suffrage-all white males could vote
regardless of social class and religion and political
offices could be held by people In lower and middle
ranks of society
• Party nominating conventions
-originally candidates for office were nominated
by state legislators or by “King Caucus”
-1830’s: caucuses were replaced by nominating
conventions
Cont.
• Popular election of the president- voter’s choose state’s slate
of presidential electors.
• Two-party system- campaigns for president now had to be
conducted on a national scale, therefore, large political
parties were needed
• Rise of Third parties
-only national parties had hope of winning, but others
emerged
ex. Anti-Masonic party and Workingmen’s party
Cont.
• More elected offices- during Jacksonian era more state and
local officials were elected to office, instead of being
appointed.
-gave voters more say in their government and increased
interest in elections
• Popular campaigning
-directed towards interests of common people
-politics became new form of local entertainment
-1830’s/1840’s: parades with floats, marching bands, free
food and drinks
-negative: personal attacks and downplay of real issues
Can anybody see what’s wrong with this method of campaigning?
Jackson’s Reform
• Spoils system
-federal jobs based on democratic campaigning
-non democrats replaced with democrats
-promoted government corruption
• Rotation of office holders
-wanted maximum number of Democrats in office
-limit person’s tenure to just one term and appoint
another Democrat in his place
• he believed ordinary Americans were capable of holding any
govt. office
In memoriam--our civil service as it
was, a political cartoon by Thomas
Nast in Harper’s Weekly, 1877 April
28, p. 325.
The Election of 1824
• Marked end of the Era of Good Feelings
• Old congressional caucus system for choosing
presidential candidates had broken down
-result: four candidates of the same party
(Republican party) campaigned for presidency
who were John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay,
William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson
• What went wrong?
Jackson versus Adams
• Jackson won most popular votes, but lacked majority
in electoral college as required by the Constitution
• House of Representatives had to choose from the
top three candidates
• Henry Clay used his influence in the House to provide
Adams with enough votes to win.
-Pres. Adams then appointed Clay his secretary
of state, and the two were accused of “corrupt bargain”
by supporters of Jackson
David Claypool Johnston, 1824.
President John Quincy Adams
• -Alienated followers of Jackson, by asking
Congress for money for internal improvement,
aid to manufacturing, and a national
university/astronomical observatory
-Jacksonians saw this as a waste of
money/violation of Constitution
The Revolution of 1828
• Jackson sought reelection in 1828
• his party resorted to smearing the
president/accusing Adams’ wife of being born out
of wedlock.
-Adams’ supporters retaliated by accusing
Jackson’s wife of adultery.
• Attracted a lot of interest
• Jackson won, his reputation as a war hero/man of
the western frontier assisted this win
The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
• strong leader, symbol for emerging working
class/middle class (the common man), a lot of
support
• fame/fortune as a military man (victor of
Battle of New Orleans)
• first president since Washington to be w/out a
college education, he was an extraordinary
ordinary man
Role of President according to Jackson
• representative of all the people
• protector of the common man against the
abuses of power by rich/privileged
• Jeffersonian, opposed increasing federal
spending and national debt
• interpreted powers of Congress narrowly and
vetoed many bills
-example: Maysville Road
President Jackson’s Veto of the
Maysville Road Bill, 27 May 1830
Peggy Eaton affair
• Peggy O’Neale Eaton was the wife of Jackson’s
secretary of war
-target of gossip by other cabinet wives, not
invited to parties because she was suspected of
adultery
• Jackson tried to force them to accept her
- most resigned along with Vice President
John C. Calhoun,
-Martin Van Buren was chosen as the next VP
because he was loyal to Jackson during the crisis
Rats Leaving a Falling
House
Unknown author,
1831
Nullification Crisis
• 1828-SC legislature declared increased tariff of 1828, Tariff of
Abominations, unconstitutional.
• confirmed John C. Calhoun’s nullification theory; each state had the
right to decide whether to obey a federal law or to declare it null
and void.
• 1830- David Webster of MA debated Robert Hayne of SC on nature
of federal Union under Constitution.
-after, Jackson declared the federal union must be preserved
• SC convention passed resolution forbidding collection of tariffs
within the state
-Jackson threatened to use force, but then came to a
compromise where Congress would lower the tariff
• Results: advocates of states’ rights retreated and militant
southerners won Jackson’s support.
Bank Veto
• Jackson believed the Bank of the U.S. was
unconstitutional because of the banks president,
Nicholas Biddle’s arrogance towards running it.
• Henry Clay, Jackson’s enemy, favored the bank
• 1832- Clay challenged Jackson in election year by
persuading most of Congress to pass a bankrecharter bill, Jackson vetoed it, and Jackson won
reelection.
President Andrew Jackson’s Veto
Of The Bank Bill
10 July 1832
Jackson’s Second Term
• Created pet banks in which he took federal
funds out of the national bank and transferred
them into various state banks
• prices for land/goods became inflated
• Issued Specie Circular-required all future
purchases of federal lands to be made in gold
and silver rather than in paper bank notes
• -led to Panic of 1837
The Election of 1836
• Jackson persuaded Dem. Party to nominate
loyal VP, Martin Van Buren, while Whig party
(fearing defeat) nominated three ppl. from
three different regions, but failedBuren won
• President Van Buren and the Panic of 1837Democrats blamed for laissez-faire economics
(little federal involvement)
Conclusion
The period from 1824 to 1840 is often referred
to as the Era of Jacksonian Democracy because
during this time Andrew Jackson fought strong
for democracy that would benefit all classes in
an American society and was willing to use
whatever political techniques necessary to
achieve this.