Jacksonian Democracy
11-1
Objectives
• Why the nation’s sixth president was chosen
by the House of Representatives.
• What political changes came under President
Jackson
The Election of 1824
In the election of 1824 Andrew Jackson had the most popular and
the most electoral votes. Why did he not win the election?
House Vote
If no candidate receives a
majority of electoral votes, the
House of Representatives
decides the election. When the
House voted, John Quincy
Adams received a majority of
votes and won the Presidency.
Corrupt Bargain
Henry Clay believed the
Secretary of State was the
stepping stone to the Presidency.
Some believe he used his position
of Speaker of the House to
influence the House vote. After
Adams won, Clay was appointed
Secretary of State. Jackson’s
supporters called this the
“Corrupt Bargain”.
Adams’ Presidency
Because of the controversy
surronded Adams’ election, his
popularity, policies, and
programs were never really
accepted. In response, in the
1826 mid-term elections,
opponents of Adams came to
power in both the House and
Senate.
Election of 1828
By the election of 1828, the Democratic-Republican Party had
split. Jackson’s wing became known as the Democrats. They
favored strong states rights and a weak central government.
Mudslinging
During the campaign, both
sides used a tactic called
“mudslinging”. As the name
implies, both sides threw insults
at the opposing candidates.
What angered Jackson was that
insults were hurled at his wife,
Rachel
1828 Election
On election day, Jackson
won by a landslide
(overwhelming amount) and
was innuagurated March 4,
1829 as the seventh President
of the United States.
Old Hickory
Andrew Jackson was the first
president not to be an arisocrat.
His home was tennessee. He
was a self made man who had
fought in the Creek Wars and
the War of 1812. Because of his
toughness he was given the
nickname “Old Hickory”.
New Voters
Jackson pushed for reforms to give more people “sufferage”, the
right to vote. By 1840, 40% of the eligible population would be
voting. Many states also changed the way electors were chosen.
The Spoils System
A political practice of giving governmental jobs to supporters of
the winning candidate.
Electoral Changes
Caucus System
Nominating Conventions
Tariff Debate
Congress passed a tariff in 1828 designed to protect American
manufacturers in the Northeast.
The South Protests
The South which imported many
goods, opposed tariffs because it
raised the price of imported
goods. Southern politicians led by
Vice President John C. Calhoun
called the act the “Treaty of
Abominations”.
Webster-Hayne Debate
Daniel Webster
Robert Hayne
Jackson vs. Calhoun
Andrew Jackson
John C. Calhoun
Nullification
South Carolina passed
legislation allowing them
not to enforce acts passed
by Congress. The crisis
ended when Jackson
supported a lower tariff.
Force Bill
In 1833, Congress passed the Force Bill which allowed the
president to use the military if necessary to carry out the laws.