Chapter 13
The Rise of Mass
"Jacksonian" Democracy
APUSH
Politics shift in the 1820s:
"Jeffersonian Democracy" where the people
were governed as little as possible
"Jacksonian" Democracy" takes it one step
further
a. whatever governing was to be done
should be done DIRECTLY by the
people
b. universal white manhood suffrage began
to replace property requirements
(VT was the 1st)
Voter turnout rose w/ new style of
politicking:
a. banners
b. badges
c. parades
d. barbecues
e. free drinks
f. baby kissing
Everywhere people began to flex their
political muscles
a. members of the Electoral College were
being chosen directly by the people
rather than by state legislatures
b. desire of the people to nominate their
own presidential candidates rather than
by congressional caucus
Election of 1824
Andrew Jackson
"Old Hero of New Orleans"
Henry Clay
"Harry of the West"
William Crawford
chosen by congressional caucus
John Quincy Adams
son of ex-Pres.
TN
KY
GA
MA
Jackson won the popular vote but failed to
win the majority of electoral votes so based
upon the 12th Amendment the election went
to the House of Rep. to choose b/w top three
candidates.
Clay eliminated (last) but he was the
powerful Speaker of the House:
a. Crawford - had a stroke - eliminated
b. Jackson - hated by Clay as his arch rival
for "King of the West"
c. Adams - no real association
Clay met privately w/ Adams and gave
Adams his support. House held its vote
and Adams won. Adams then nominated
Clay as Sec. of State.
Public outcry - private meeting seen as a
bribe. Public wanted Jackson as Sec of
State and Jackson supporters cried a
"corrupt bargain" had taken place.
Impact: JQA becomes 1st minority
president (only 1/3 voted for him)
John Quincy Adams'
Administration:
Not popular
"Old Nationalist"
– a.
– b.
– c.
– d.
– e.
roads/canals
idea of nat'l university
wanted fed. $ for astronomical observatory
cut back on speculation of W lands
supporter of Cherokee nation's rt to land in
GA
– f. maintained competent gov't workers
Opposition:
waste of $ for observatory
to fund projects - continue w/ tariff
(hated in the S)
resisted fed. in state matters:
1. Cherokee - GA wanted them removed to
make room for whites (ex. of nullification)
2. Education - state decided curriculum
3. Transportation - state decided projects
4. Slavery - basis of Southern state economies
Tariff of 1828
passed at the very end of JQA's
administration (see below) another
protective tariff
Election of 1828
National Republicans
John Quincy Adams
Support from N and NE
Democratic Republicans
Andrew Jackson
Support from S and W
Campaign Is riddled with mudslinging both
personal and political
Results: Jackson wins by landslide 173 to 83.
Jackson’s Life
Born Mar. 15, 1767, on the border of North
Carolina and South Carolina, Jackson was
orphaned at the age of 14.
After reading law and gaining admission to the
bar in North Carolina, he migrated to Nashville,
Tenn., where he allied himself with a powerful
political faction.
In 1791, Jackson married Rachel; both he and
Rachel mistakenly believed that she and her first
husband had received a legal divorce. When
they discovered their error, they remarried
(1794).
Jackson's Administration
1. Tariff of 1828 - "Tariff of Abomination" or
"Black Tariff"
South continued to see the Tariff of
Abominations as
a. threat to slavery
b. interference of the federal gov't to
southern states.
c. SC Exposition (written by Calhoun)
denounces the tariff as unjust and
unconstitutional and demands that
states nullify the tariff.
In response, Congress passed the Tariff of 1832
which did lower tariffs to about 35% (10% less
than the 1828 tariff). South Carolina still
resented the tariff. The situation came to a head
in the election of 1832 when Nullifiers and
Unionists clashed and in 1832 the Nullifiers were
victorious in SC.
1. State legislature called a special convention
2. Declared existing federal tariff null and void
within S.C.
3. S. C. would make any necessary military
preparations to prevent federal forces from
collecting the tax
4. If federal troops did come, S. C. would withdraw
from the Union.
Jackson reacted violently:
1. pledged to uphold the Union
2. promised to hang the nullifiers
3. Dispatched modest naval and military
reinforcements to SC
4. quietly raised a sizable Union army
5. issued a proclamation against the
nullifiers
*Gov. Hayne responded with a counterproclamation.
Henry Clay steps in with the
Tariff of 1833
called for the gradual reduction of the
Tariff of 1832 by 10% over an 8 year
period - basically equal to the 1816 tariff
of 20-25%.
Congress passed the Force Bill to
save face
known to South Carolinians as the Bloody
Bill - authorized the president to use army
and navy if necessary to collect federal
tariff duties. In response, South Carolina
would gradually abandon nullification in
favor of secession.
Indian Problems
Jackson regarded the Indian tribes as separate
within a state.
The Sup Ct/Marshall ruled that the US could not
separate the individual tribes within a state.
Jackson strongly opposed the Court but decided
to remove all eastern tribes (5 Civilized Tribes)
beyond the Mississippi River (to make room for
whites). Individual Indians could stay if they
assimilated into the white man's society. Thus
the "Trail of Tears" began.
Various Indian tribes began to
resist the removal.
Black Hawk - Illinois/Wisconsin - were crushed
Seminole - Florida - joined by runaway blacks
retreated into the swamp lands (everglades)
where they staged guerrilla warfare for 7 years.
Finally their leader, Osceola, was seized under a
truce flag. Some Seminoles retreated further
into the swamps but 4/5 were removed to
Oklahoma.
Bank Issue:
Jackson didn't hate all banks and all
businesses - he distrusted monopolistic
banking and oversized business - Hated
the Bank of the US (BUS). Jackson
probably would have approved the bank's
recharter in 1836 but Clay decided to push
for its recharter 4 years sooner.
BUS
Clay's reasoning - if Jackson signed it - he would
alienate the West and if he vetoed it Jackson
would presumably loose the presidency in the
next election.
The bill to recharter the BUS was approved by
Congress and Jackson did veto it as being
unconstitutional - even though the Sup Ct in
McCulloch v. Maryland declared it constitutional.
(federal gov't was needed but was also immune
to state taxes).
Reasons:
1. Jackson believed the executive branch to
be superior to the judicial branch.
2. He condemned the bank as not only antiWestern, but Anti-American
(stockholders were foreigners)
3. succeeded in pitting West against East
4. Pitted "Native Americans" (people born
here) against foreigners
5. Pitted States' righters vs. centralizers
Outcome
Created an election issue and a financial
panic.
Complete Explanation:
A satire on Andrew Jackson's campaign to destroy the Bank of the United
States and its support among state banks. Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and
Jack Downing struggle against a snake with heads representing the states.
Jackson (on the left) raises a cane marked "Veto" and says, "Biddle thou
Monster Avaunt!! avaount I say! or by the Great Eternal I'll cleave thee to the
earth, aye thee and thy four and twenty satellites. Matty if thou art
true...come on. if thou art false, may the venomous monster turn his dire
fang upon thee..." Van Buren: "Well done General, Major Jack Downing,
Adams, Clay, well done all. I dislike dissentions beyond every thing, for it
often compels a man to play a double part, were it only for his own safety.
Policy, policy is my motto, but intrigues I cannot countenance."
Downing (dropping his axe): "Now ,now you nasty varmint, be you
imperishable? I swan General that are beats all I reckon, that's the horrible
wiper wot wommits wenemous heads I guess..."
The largest of the heads is president of the Bank Nicholas Biddle's, which
wears a top hat labeled "Penn" (i.e. Pennsylvania) and "{dollar}35,000,000."
This refers to the rechartering of the Bank by the Pennsylvania legislature in
defiance of the administration's efforts to destroy it.
Election of 1832:
National Rep - Henry Clay
Demo- Rep - Andrew Jackson
*Anti-Masonic Party - William Wirt
– opposed secrecy of Masonic Order
– opposed Jackson who was a Mason
– appealed to evangelical Protestants
opposed mail service on Sunday
favored keeping Sunday "holy“
*National nominating convention name
candidates
*had formal platform to publicize their positions
on various issues.
Outcome Jackson won.
Jackson's Second Term:
1. BUS - because he didn't like it, he weakened
the bank by "removing" federal deposits.
Surplus funds were to be placed in state "pet
banks" In reaction, Nicholas Biddle, head of
the BUS recalled western loans to force
Congress to reconsider the Bank's charter.
This action caused a panic - "Biddle's panic"
Jackson's reaction - forced the Treasury
department to issue a "specie circular" - a
decree that all public lands were to be
purchased with "hard" or metallic money caused hard times for the West (where
"hard" money was scarce).
1835
National debt was resolved - custom
duties continued to come in and thus the
US finally had a surplus of money coming
in.
Election of 1836
Whig Party
Democratic Party
William Henry Harrison
Martin Van Buren
"Tippecanoe"
“Jackson's pick and a
"yes" man“
Jackson's (+) impact
Tippecanoe
a.
b.
c.
d.
supporters of the American system
were southern states' righters
were large northern industrialists
Evangelical Protestants of the AntiMasonic Party
Goal: to run several "favorite sons" to
distribute the vote so that no one
candidate would win a majority.
Van Buren
Jackson's (+) impact
a. strong executive leader
b. led common man into national politics
c. united the common man into the Democratic
party
d. proved that the common man could be
trusted with the vote.
Jackson's (-) impact:
a. encouraged the spoils system
b. unsound finances – bank failures.
Results: Van Buren wins!
Van Buren's Administration:
First American-born president; above
average (intelligent, educated)
Inherited problems:
– "bastard politician" - got into office on the
coat-tails of Jackson
– victim of Jackson's enemies
– Canadian/American boundary dispute that
threatened war
– slavery issue (Texas)
– depression (panic)
Panic of 1837
Cause: over speculation in "get rich schemes“
a. "land office" business with wildcat banks and shaky
currency
b. canals, roads, railroads, and slaves were over speculated
c. Specie Circular
d. poor wheat crop (prices went up and caused a riot in
NYC)
e. British banks facing problems of their own call in some
federal loans
f. "Pet banks" collapsed
g. commodity prices fell
h. sale of public lands dropped
i. custom duties dried up
j. factories closed their doors
k. high unemployment
Whigs were give the opportunity to:
expand bank credit
call for higher tariffs
pursue subsidies for internal
improvements
Van Buren promoted the "Divorce Bill" wanted government to disassociate
government and banking in order to create
a more stable economy
Result: failed to pass.
Texas
Mexican government (1823) made an
agreement with Stephen F. Austin to bring
300 American families and settle in Texas
but they had to:
a. be Roman Catholic
b. agree to become Mexican citizens.
Texas
Problems occurred over:
a. slavery - prohibited under Mexican law
b. immigration - after 1830 - no more
Americans could come
c. denied local rights
Texas
1836 - American citizens declared their
independence after:
a. Battle of Alamo - Mexican victory
b. Battle of Goliad - Mexican victory
c. Battle of San Jacinto - Texas victory
Texas
Treaty:
a. Mexico had to withdraw Mexican army
b. Mexico agreed to recognize the
Rio Grande as the border.
Santa Anna signed the treaty but later
claimed he was under duress and
therefore voided the treaty.
US Response
a. Refused to annex Texas due to the
slavery issue in 1836 – too
controversial
b. Texas began to talk with Britain and
France to gain support and protection
against Mexico.
Election of 1840:
Whig party :William Henry Harrison w/ John
Tyler as VP
(nominated mainly because he was issueless
and had no enemies)
benefited from economic distress
had no platform
appealed to the West "log cabin & hard cider"
people
portrayed Harrison as a lowborn farmer (reality
he was a FFV, lived modestly, and didn't like
cider at all, preferred whiskey)
Election of 1840:
Democratic Party: Van Buren
Results: Harrison by a slim margin but
overwhelming electoral vote (out with the
old, in with the new)
Two Party System
Differences
Democrats
1. liberty of individuals
2. favored state's rights
3. against special privileged groups
Whigs
1. renewal of bank
2. favored protective tariff
3. for internal improvements
4. for public schools
5. for prohibition
6. favored abolition of slavery
Similarities
1. Mass-based "catch-all" parties - in an
effort to maximize voters
2. commanded loyalty from voters to the
party
3. A lot of "horse-trading" within the party to
compromise to achieve power
4. geographically diverse - helped to
forestall the slavery issue. to become
Mexican citizens.
Chapter 13 Quiz
Answer the 15 multiple choice questions on a separate sheet
of paper and have it ready to turn in next class period for a daily grade.
1.
During his long political career, John
Quincy Adams was at one time or
another all of the following except
a. a nationalist.
b. vice president.
c. secretary of state.
d. a congressman.
e. president.
2.
In his veto of the bank recharter bill,
President Jackson claimed that the
bank was all of the following except
a. unconstitutional.
b. anti-western.
c. too much influenced by aristocrats
and foreigners.
d. corrupt and monopolistic.
e. controlled only by the government.
3. Stephen F. Austin's grant from the
Mexican government required that
immigrants whom he helped settle in
Texas (select 2)
a. become Mexican citizens.
b. be Roman Catholics.
c. own slaves
4.
Copy the correct sentence.
___ A. Andrew Jackson was vice
president on the ticket of two
presidential candidates in 1824
1824
___ B. Henry Clay received more
popular votes than any other
candidate in 1824
___ C. John C. Calhoun was eliminated
as a candidate when election of
1824 was thrown into the House
of Representatives
5.
The House of Representatives decided
the 1824 presidential election when
a. Henry Clay, as Speaker of the House,
made the request.
b. no candidate received a majority of the
vote in the Electoral College.
c. widespread voter fraud was
discovered.
d. the House was forced to do so by
"King Caucus."
e. William Crawford suffered a stroke
and was forced to drop out of the
race.
6. The purpose behind the spoils system
was
a. to reverse the trend of rotation in office.
b. to press those with experience into
governmental service.
c. to reward political supporters with public
office.
d. the widespread encouragement of a
bureaucratic office-holding class.
e. to make politics a sideline and not a fulltime business.
7. The spoils system under Andrew
Jackson resulted in
a. the destruction of the personalized
political machine.
b. the replacement of insecurity by
security in employment.
c. the appointment of many corrupt and
incompetent officials to federal
jobs.
d. the same actions of those taken by
John Quincy Adams.
e. a clean sweep of federal job holders.
8.
The section of the United States most
hurt by the Tariff of 1828 was
a. the Southwest.
b. the South.
c. the middle states.
d. the West.
e. New England.
9. In their treatment of Native Americans,
white Americans did all of the following
except
a. try to civilize them.
b. argue that Indians could not be
assimilated into the larger society.
c. trick them into ceding land to whites.
d. promise to acquire land only through
formal treaties.
e. recognize the tribes as separate
nations.
10. One of the positive aspects of the Bank
of the United States was
a. its preservation of the public trust.
b. that it loaned money to western
farmers.
c. its officers' awareness of the bank's
responsibilities to society.
d. its promotion of economic expansion
by making credit abundant.
e. its issuance of depreciated paper
money.
11. Americans moved into Texas
a. upon Sam Houston's defeat of
General Santa Anna.
b. after an agreement was concluded
between Mexican authorities and
Stephen Austin.
c. to spread Protestantism.
d. after the Battle of San Jacinto.
e. when invited by the Spanish
government
12. The government of Mexico and the
Americans who settled in Mexicancontrolled Texas clashed over all of the
following issues except
a. immigration.
b. allegiance to Spain.
c. slavery.
d. local rights.
e. Santa Anna raising an army to use
against Texas.
13.Texas gained its independence with
a. help from the French.
b. no outside assistance.
c. help from Britain.
d. help from Americans.
e. the blessing of the Mexican
government.
14.Most of the early American settlers in
Texas came from
a. the South and Southwest.
b. the Ohio Territory.
c. New England.
d. the middle Atlantic states.
e. the Old Northwest.
15. William Henry Harrison, the Whig
party's presidential candidate in 1840,
was
a. a true "common man."
b. born in a log cabin.
c. the first military officer to become
president
d. a very effective chief executive.
e. made to look like a poor western
farmer.