The Era of Jacksonian Democracy
“I've got big shoes to fill.
This is my chance to do
something. I have to seize
the moment.” Andrew
Jackson, upon entering the
Presidency.
(1828-1850)
1. The Administration of
John Quincy Adams
2. An Era of Jacksonian
Democracy
3. Pre Civil War Presidential
Administration and
Westward American
Expansion
Presidential Administrations and Westward
Expansion
•
The idea of forming one complete nation expanding from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and preserving the political
and economical rights of all Americans from all regions of the
country, will be the center of presidential administrations from
the 1820’s to the eve of the Civil War.
The Administration of John Quincy Adams
•
•
•
Son of John Adams, 2nd President of the United States,
decided to run in the election of 1824.
One of many opponents included the war hero of New Orleans
Andrew Jackson, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and
strong states’ rights supporters John C. Calhoun and William
Crawford.
Westward Expansion and voting rights played an important
role in the election.
The Election of 1824 - The Candidates
•
•
Because there were
so many candidates
running in the
Election of 1824,
none of them
received the
majority of the
Electoral College
votes.
This was the second
time in American
history that the
presidential election
would be decided in
the House of
Representatives.
John Quincy Adams
•
•
•
John Quincy Adams of
Massachusetts carried the
New England states.
He was the son of the
great John Adams, the
second President of the
United States, and
perhaps, one of the more
successful secretaries of
states the country has
ever seen.
He was a strong nationalist
and believed that the
Federal government should
actively be involved in the
shift from agriculture to
industry.
Andrew Jackson
•
•
•
•The “Common Man’s” Presidential
Candidate
Andrew Jackson of
Tennessee proved to be
the most popular
candidate and carried
nearly every state.
The former
Congressman was the
spokesman for the
common people and
hailed as the hero at
the Battle of New
Orleans.
Although he had a
majority of the popular
vote, he could not get
enough votes from the
Electoral College.
William Crawford
•
•
•
William H. Crawford of
Georgia called for a
limited federal
government and strong
state governments
He served as the U.S.
Secretary of War
(1815-1816) and U.S.
Secretary of Treasury
(1816-1825)
Because of his health,
he was forced to
withdraw his name from
the race.
Henry Clay
• Henry Clay of
Kentucky, perhaps
the most powerful
political figure during
the election, was
Speaker of the
House of
Representatives.
• He called for internal
improvements in his
American system.
• He had enough
influence in the house
to elect any of the
candidates.
John C. Calhoun
•
•
•
John C. Calhoun of
South Carolina, who was
quite popular in the
South, but lacked a
national following.
He eventually dropped
out of the race and
becomes Vice President
under Andrew Jackson.
His ideas will eventually
lead to the secession of
South Carolina and the
start of the United
States Civil War.
The Election of 1824
The Election of 1824
Popular Vote
Electoral
Vote
Andrew
Jackson
43%
99
J.Q. Adams
31%
32
William
Crawford
13%
41
Henry Clay
13%
37
Candidate
A Corrupt Bargain
•
•
•
Rumor had it that John Quincy Adams had approached
Henry Clay secretly and the two had struck a deal. If
Adams were elected president, Henry Clay would be
appointed secretary of state.
Since the state department was the stepping stone to the
presidency, it was assumed that Henry Clay would take over
the presidency after Adams.
When news of this bargain reached Jackson, he was
furious. He instantly accused the two of a “corrupt
bargain.”
Hey
C
boy lay,
h a v do I
ea
fo r deal
If y you!
me ou mak
pre
side e
nt
...
What
did I
hear?
ms,
a
d
A
Mr.
hy
but w ant
Iw
d
l
u
o
w
the
e
b
o
t
y of
r
a
t
e
secr te ?
sta
The secretary of state was the
stepping stone to the
presidency!
The Results
•
•
•
John Quincy Adams
won the Election of
1824, and became the
sixth President of the
United States. Henry
Clay was appointed
secretary of state.
With this
appointment, Jackson
was certain that the
two had struck a deal.
He cried corruption all
over Washington, D.C.
and with this
accusation became the
champion of the
common man.
He started
campaigning for the
Election of 1828 right
a way.
Curse you
Adams, A
deal was
made and I
will ruin
you!
The Significance
•
•
Was there a deal? Historians will never no the truth, but
chances are there was no deal. It was not in the moral
character of John Quincy Adams. He had to have earned
his administration or he would never have lived up to his
father’s expectations and legacy.
This so-called bargain casted a dark shadow over Adam’s
presidency.
Quincy Adams Presidency
•
•
•
Adams policies were
always against popular
opinion, and after the
congressional elections of
1824, Adam’s enemies
controlled both houses in
Congress.
He supported a wide
variety of federal
government projects,
from canals and roads to
a national university and
a standardized system of
weights and measures.
Perhaps the greatest
secretary of state the
country has seen, John
Quincy Adam’s
presidency proved
ineffective.
Jacksonian Democracy
•Champion of the
“Common Man”?
OR
•“King”Andrew?
Jackson
’s Faith in the ““Common
Common Man
Jackson’s
Man””
3
Intense distrust of Eastern
“establishment,” monopolies, & special privilege.
3
His heart & soul was with the “plain folk.”
3
Belief that the common man was capable of
uncommon achievements.
Why Increased Democratization?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•National Republicans – Quincy Adams
•
•Democrats – Andrew Jackson
White male suffrage
increased
Party nominating committees.
Voters chose their state’s
slate of Presidential electors.
Spoils system.
Rise of Third Parties.
Popular campaigning (parades,
rallies, floats, etc.)
Two-party system returned in
the 1832 election:
– Dem-Reps  Natl.
Reps.(1828)  Whigs
(1832)  Republicans
(1854)
– Democrats (1828)
Re-emergence of the Two Party System
•
•
The election of Adams as president helped spur the
return of the Democratic-Republicans in 1824. Those who
supported Adams became National Republicans.
They wanted a strong central government and supported
federal legislation for internal improvements.
The Whig Party
•
•
Because John Quincy
Adams lacked political
experience, the
National Republicans
were not very
successful. They
eventually dissolve
and later form into
the Whig Party.
The Whig Party was
eventually
reorganized under
Abraham Lincoln and
later formed into the
Republican Party.
Democrats
• The remaining
Democratic-Republicans
fell behind Andrew
Jackson.
• Jackson formed the
Democratic Party.
Martin Van Buren is
considered the father
of the Democratic
Party.
• This party favored
state rights and
mistrusted a strong
federal government.
The Election of 1828
•
•
•
•
A Vicious Campaign
During the campaign,
both parties resulted
to mudslinging, which
were attempts to ruin
their opponent’s
reputation with
insults.
Election slogans,
rallies, and buttons
were also used to
arouse enthusiasm.
All these features will
become a permanent
part of American
political life.
Jackson’s Triumph
•
•
Jackson won the election by a landslide. He won 56% of
the popular vote and received 178 Electoral College votes
to Adam’s 83.
John C. Calhoun became his vice president. He would
eventually resign and leave the party over the question of
an economic tariff.
Jackson as President
•
•
As President, Jackson
promised “equal
protection and equal
benefits” for all
Americans. Although
Jackson was a states’
rights advocate, he, as
president, would expand
the powers of the
federal government.
His popularity with the
common masses would
change politics in
Washington, D.C..
The Reign of ““King
King Mob
Mob””
•The election of President
Jackson in 1828 marked a
clear break with the politics of
the past.
•On Inauguration Day, the
people celebrated by lining the
streets of Washington to see
their hero go by.
•“A proud day for the people,”
declared one newspaper.
•Jackson allowed his followers
to join in a celebration at the
Presidential Mansion, and the
party soon got out of control
when as many as 20,000
visitors caused extensive
damage to the home.
•President Jackson escaped
the crowd out one of the
windows.
Rachel Jackson
Final Divorce Decree
•Andrew Jackson married Rachel Donelson-Robards in August 1791,
at Natchez, Mississippi. They were both aged 24.
•This marriage was later deemed invalid because Rachel's divorce
from an earlier marriage had not yet become final.
•They remarried, this time legally, on January 17, 1794.
•Unfortunately, their remarriage did not end the matter. The charge
of adultery was to haunt the couple ever after.
Jackson in Mourning for His Wife
•Jackson was devoted to his
beloved wife and even fought
13 duels to protect her honor,
even killing one opponent.
•1809-Jackson’s adopted
Rachel’s nephew – Andy Jr.
•During 1828, the press got a
hold of their premature
marriage and Rachel was
accused of Adultery.
•Rachel did suddenly of a heart
attack on December 22, 1828,
just two weeks after Jackson
had won the election.
•Rachel Jackson was buried on
Christmas Eve in her white
house inaugural gown.
•This deeply affected Jackson
and shaped his presidency.
The ““Peggy
Peggy Eaton Affair
Affair””
•An affair that started in
President Jackson’s
administration.
•Peggy Eaton, daughter of
a Washington tavern
keeper, was married to
Senator John Eaton, close
personal friend of Jackson.
•Mrs. Eaton, like Rachel
Jackson had a previous
marriage and she was
accused of adultery and
infidelity.
•President Jackson, who
had lost his wife, felt
sympathy for her and
demanded that the
“Washington socialites”
accept and return social
invitations.
New Voters
•
•
In the early years of the nation, most states limited their
voting to men who owned property or paid taxes.
In the 1820’s, voting requirements loosened, and for the
first time, white male sharecroppers, factory workers,
and others could be involved in the political process.
The Spoils System
•
•
•
President Jackson
replaced
government
employees with his
supporters on the
basis that this
would be good for
democracy.
This practice, later
coined as the spoils
system, outraged
many federal
employees.
Some eventually
painted Jackson as
“King Andrew I”
and charged that
he acted like a
tyrant.
The Electoral Process
•
•
•
Democrats
abandoned the
unpopular traditional
caucus, in which
members of
Congress chose
political candidates.
The caucuses were
replaced by
conventions in which
delegates from the
states selected the
party’s presidential
candidate. (We
elect those
delegates).
Andrew Jackson
liked power and he
expanded the
powers of the
executive branch,
and, at the same
time, tried to limit
the role of the
federal government’s
involvement in state
affairs.
Indian Removal
3
Jackson’s Goal?
3
1830 Indian Removal Act – Indians should be removed westward to
Oklahoma, where “their white brothers will not trouble them.”
3
Cherokee Nation v. GA (1831) * “domestic dependent nation” –fought
for their rights through the courts. The Supreme Court ruled that
the nation was not sovereign and were subject to federal law.
Worchester v. Georgia
•Worcester v. GA (1832) –
What about state law? Chief
Justice Marshall ruled in
favor of Worchester and the
Cherokee, limiting state
power and indicting that the
federal government had an
obligation to protect the
Cherokee from the state
governments that were
trying to take their lands.
•Jackson: “John Marshall has
made his decision, now let
him enforce it!”
•Without federal protection,
the Cherokee had no choice
but to accept a treaty that
granted Cherokee land in the
Indian Territory. The U.S.
government ordered the
nation to move within three
years.
Trail of Tears (1838
-1839)
(1838-1839)
•By 1838 deadline, few of the some 18,000 Cherokee had moved west. An
estimated 4,000 Cherokee died on the 800-mile journey that came to be
known as the Trail of Tears.
The Tariff Crisis of 1828
•
•
•
•
American Indian removal
remains one of Jackson’s
most controversial
legacies, however, the
issue of states rights’
was a more immediate
concern
In 1828, Congress passed
a high tariff on all
manufactured goods
coming from Europe.
Northerners, who wanted
to protect American
manufacturing, welcomed
the tariff.
Southerner’s hated the
“tariff of Abominations”
because it made the cost
of traded goods with
Europe higher.
The South Protests
•
•
•
Southern politicians and plantation owners suggested
that the states had the right to nullify, legally
overturn, a federal law and consider it unconstitutional.
They further suggested secession, the right to break
away from the Union.
Does a state have the right to nullify a federal law
and/or secede from the Union?
Jackson’s Stance
•
•
President Jackson felt that the federal
government must be preserved and at all costs.
After Vice President John C. Calhoun realized
that Jackson would not change his mind, he
immediately resigned from the vice presidency,
and won election to the Senate to South Carolina.
• “President Jackson I hear by
resign my position of the vice
presidency.”
The Nullification Crisis
•
•
•
In 1832, Congress did pass a
lower tariff, but South
Carolina along with other
southern states passed the
Nullification act, declaring
that it would declare all
tariffs of 1828 and 1832
illegal. If the Union
interfered, the state would
secede.
Henry Clay in 1832,
persuaded Congress to pass
the Force Bill, which would
allow the president to use
military force to enforce
acts of Congress.
South Carolina quickly
accepted the lower tariff,
and realized that the federal
government would not allow a
state to leave-at least
without a fight (Civil War).
The National Bank Debate
Nicholas
Biddle
President
Jackson
•The war against the National Bank
•The bank was chartered by Congress in George Washington’s first
administration and was re-charted in 1816 during James Monroe’s
administration.
•It held all federal government’s money and controlled much of the
countries’ wealth.
•Jackson disliked the powers of the National Bank and charged that it was
an organization of wealthy Easterners. For years, he will try to destroy the
bank.
Opposition to the 2nd Bank of the U.S.
“Soft”
(paper) $
3
3
state bankers felt it
restrained their banks
from issuing bank notes
freely.
supported rapid economic
growth & speculation.
“Hard”
(specie) $
3
felt that coin was the only
safe currency.
3
didn’t like any bank that
issued bank notes.
3
suspicious of expansion &
speculation.
A Plan to Defeat Jackson
•
•
•
•
Senators Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster
planned to use the
bank to defeat
Jackson. They
thought that an
attempt to veto the
bank’s charter to
continue the National
Bank would lead to
Jackson’s defeat.
The bank question
played a big role in the
Election of 1832, but
Clay and Webster’s
plan backfired.
Most of the general
public favored
Jackson’s plan to
dismantle the bank.
Jackson was reelected receiving 219
electoral votes to
Clay’s 49. Martin Van
Buren was elected
Vice President.
The End of the National Bank
•
•
Once reelected, Jackson dismantled the bank by ordering the
withdrawal of all federal deposits from the bank and placed the
funds in smaller banks – pet banks
By 1834, Nicolas Biddle, the Bank’s president, was forced to
close the National bank.