Jacksonian Democracy
Personality
► “Old
Hickory”
► From Tennessee
frontier
► Doer – not thinker
 Invasion of Fla: 1817
► Decisive
► Temper
► Hero
– romantic
figure
Election of 1824
Henry Clay
[KY]
John Quincy Adams
[MA]
William H. Crawford
[GA]
Results of the 1824 Election
Election of 1828
►
►
JQA v. Jackson
Corrupt Bargain

►
Jackson appears
virtuous
Mudslinging

Jackson
home wrecker
► murderer
►

Adams
►
►
pimp
frivolous spender
1828 Election Results
Jacksonian Democracy
►
►
►
►
►
Worth of the
common man
 Equal opportunity
to succeed
 Made it cool to be
common
Gov’t should not
create special
advantages
States rights
Strict interpretation
of the Constitution
Union was a
permanent entity
Jacksonian v. Jeffersonian
Democracy
► After
Jefferson: All Dem-Rep Presidents
► Birth of Democratic Party
► Differences
 Education required for effective decision making
► Jefferson:
Yes
Jackson: No
 Jefferson: OK to be a common man
 Jackson: Glorified the common man (mediocrity was a
virtue)
► Capable
of uncommon things
► Rotation in Office
King Andrew I
► Weak
federal gov’t but a
strong presidency
 Reshapes it
► Representative
of the will of
the American people
 Ignored Supreme Court
and Congress
 Veto use
 Rules on constitutionality
Spoils System
► Reward
political
supporters
 Remove JQA’s guys
► “To
the victor goes
the spoils”
► Seen as democratic,
but also allowed him
to control Presidency
► Kitchen Cabinet
Retrenchment and Reform
► Retrenchment
(reduce expenses)
 Eliminate federal deficit
 Threat to liberty
 Done by 2nd term
► Reform
 Remove corruption from gov’t
 Kickbacks with government contracts
 They were a threat to democracy
Crises
► Peggy
Eaton Affair
► Nullification Crisis
► The National Bank War
► Indian Removal
Peggy Eaton Affair
► John
Eaton – Sec of War
 Married Peggy Timberlake
– commoner
► Eatons
excluded by
Washington insiders
 John Calhoun (VP) – his
wife was worst
► Jackson
will remove
Calhoun in 1831
Nullification Crisis
► South
feels isolated
 Tariffs (1816, 1824, 1828)
 American System
 Rising opposition to slavery
► Tariff
of 1832
► Ordinance of Nullification
► Clay’s Compromise – Tariff of
1833
► Force Bill
► SC concedes
Second National Bank
► First
Bank expired 1811
► Second Bank chartered
1816
 80% private investors –
some foreign
► Bank
Pres - Nicholas
Biddle
 Young, cultured, arrogant
 He and Jackson did not get
along
Bank War
► Election
of 1832: Jackson v. Clay
► Bank recharter scheme
► Jackson Veto




Bank of US is a monopoly
Bank is unconstitutional
Instrument of the wealthy
Foreign owned
► The
veto stands
Election of 1832
Destroy the National Bank
Pet Banks
►

pro-Jackson
Two Secs. of Treasury refused
Jackson appoints Roger B. Taney
Senate censure - 1834
►
►
►



Only time in history
Violation of the Constitution and abuse of
power
Conflict of interest
Downfall of Mother Bank
Impact of Jackson’s Economic Policy
► National Bank no
► Land Speculation
longer regulates currency
 Borrow from wildcat banks
► Jackson discouraged by speculation
► Issues Specie Circular - 1836
 Land sales transactions must be completed in gold or
silver
► Stopped
speculation
 Land prices fall – people lose everything (Foreclosures)
 Banks go under
► Leads
to Panic of 1837
Destruction of the National Bank
►
Many historians argue..

Jackson destroyed a vital financial institution
►
►
Could have helped alleviate pressures from Panic of
1837
It seemed like he reduced this issue to a
personal vendetta rather than trying to
understand the importance of this
institution to society. He did not keep the
best interests of the country in mind.
Indian Removal Act
► Cotton
Land – South East
 Americans wanted it
► Treaties
gave land to Native
Americans
► Americans began
encroaching
► What are his alternatives?
Indian Removal Act
► Georgia,
Alabama, and Mississippi legislatures
disbanded the treaties
 unconstitutional act - treaties were federal policies
► Indian




Removal Act
Some moved without issue
Seminoles fought – Second Seminole War
Cherokees attempted to adopt European culture
Challenged the legislation through the court system
► Cherokee
Nation v. Georgia - 1831
► Worchester v. Georgia - 1832
 “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it”
Cherokee Nation – 1820s
Indian Removal 1831-1838
Costly Mistakes
► Lack
of organization
 no monitoring of this operation
 Very few regulations established
► Inadequate
funds
► Widespread disease, injuries and death
 Trail of Tears
 About 25% don’t make it
► Black
eye for America
Trail of Tears