The Age of Jackson
Rebirth of Jeffersonian
Democracy
The divisive Andrew
Jackson-a
“decapitated bust”
from the USS
Constitution in 1834.
The election of 1824
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Until 2000…the most compelling
election in history?
Players:
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Andrew Jackson
John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
William Crawford
results?
Henry Clay: the key player in
the election?
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12th Amendment?
Clay as speaker of
the house…holds
all the cards in the
election…why?
Clay on Jackson?
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A ringing
endorsement?
“I cannot believe
that killing 2500
Englishmen at New
Orleans qualifies
him for the various
difficult and
complicated duties
of the Presidency”
The final two in 24
Adams…characteristics?
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Election results
label him a
“minority”
president…correlati
on to today?
Lineage
Attitude
Political
parties…disdain.
Aggressive
John Quincy Adams as
President
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Ranking sheet?
Expand American
System
Sale of public land
to improve nation
Promote art and
literature
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Est. a National
University
Finance Science
Protect Indian
rights and prevent
the sale of their
land
The Birth of the Democratic
Party: 1828
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Done out of large
part to spite John
Adams, a
movement
spearheaded by
Jackson in 1828.
Jacksonian Democracy
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Like Jefferson, Jackson believed that every
American, no matter if they’re poor or rich,
educated or uneducated, had the right to
run for office.
Under the influence of Jefferson and
Jackson, the Democratic Party grew.
Democrats believed that:
The people should govern themselves and
not depend on a king to rule them.
Government should serve the people;
people are not servants to government.
Jacksonian Campaigns?
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Campaigns…forever changed!
Parades, barbecues, tree plantings, buttons,
posters, and clothes
Songs, bands, propaganda
Resembled a modern election with old
fashioned means.
Goal?
Heighten interest and promote democracy, get
people participating.
Jackson as President
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Rankings?
Our first “sectional” president
Very popular
Only president to kill a man in a duel
Kitchen cabinet: symbolic of Jackson’s
informal style of governance
Spoils System
Jackson and the Veto?
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Used it as a legitimate political tactic to
challenge the other branches of
government
Used it to get back at Henry Clay!
Jackson and the Indians
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A major black eye for US History
Assimilate versus Isolate?
Problem here?
Jackson and the Reservation
philosophy
Page 263…comments
Conflicts arise over the issue of
Reservationism
Black Hawk and Osceola
Resist
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Epitomizing the problems evident in
the situation.
Black Hawk War led by the skilled
Chief Osceola
Chief Blackhawk and the story
of the Black Hawk War
Battle of Bad Axe
Jackson and the Indians
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Court decisions support the
Indians…John Marshall in the decision
Worcester v. Georgia-1832 held that
the Cherokees had autonomy in their
lands.
Jackson’s stubborn response?
“Marshall has made his decision…now
let him enforce it!”
The Trail of Tears
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The defining moment in the issue of
Indian Rights…Jackson’s forced
movement of the Cherokee out of their
homeland in Georgia to the areas in
and around Oklahoma.
The 800 mile journey home as made
partly by steamboat, partly by rail, and
partly by foot
They lost more than a ¼ of their
people.
Trail of Tears: Links
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A terrific site on the trail of tears and its
impact:
http://www.ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.h
tml
Jackson Divides The Nation
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While it seems that for months we have
been pointing to the upcoming
sectionalism…the best example of
Presidential politics breeding this
sectionalism comes during the age of
Jackson.
Jackson will serve to drive a stake through
the nation with his policies and actions
during his powerful presidency.
Sectional Issues Tear Apart The
Nation
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There were two main issues during the
Jacksonian period that would nearly bring
us to our own destruction internally
between the sections of the nation. They
are:
Jackson and the Bank
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Why Jackson hated the Bank?
Everything he stood against, privilege,
aristocracy and concentrated wealth.
Impact on Farmers…distrusted Paper
money and the foreclosure of
farms/homes.
Hated its founder Nicholas Biddle.
Jackson, the Bank and the
election of 1832
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Clay and Webster (running against
Jackson) assumed that the public liked
the bank and wanted to take this
opportunity to make the bank an issue.
If Jackson vetoed the rechartering act
in Congress he would be viewed as an
enemy of the bank and as a result
would lose the election.
Clay/Webster’s problem…
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The people hated the bank and
Jackson won easily!
Cartoons page 271
Jackson’s popularity approaching
“King” like levels.
Jackson destroys the banks, and the
economy in one “clean sweep”. The
Pet Banks.
Two impacts of Jackson’s
bank war:
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Wall street:
Jackson’s war
simply replaced
one privilged group
with another and
this one would last
much much longer!
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Whig Party is
formed
Formed out of the
bank dispute in
1833 it consisted of
Northern
Democrats and
Republicans who
disagreed with
Jacksonian
Economics
Issue #2: The Tariff/States Rights
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Purpose of the Tariff: protect Northern
industry from British goods.
Impact on the South? How did the tariff
impact the amount of Southern goods the
British bought?
Little doubt it favored the North
Southern Response
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John C. Calhoun the
leader of the
Southern response
movement to the
“Tariff of
Abominations”
Previously a devout
nationalist he had
since developed
some secessional
points of view.
Calhoun’s Nullification
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Calhoun’s argument (South Carolina
Exposition and Protest) that the US
Constitution was a contract between
sovereign states and the states must be
sovereign.
In a nutshell…every state should have the
right to veto, nullify unwanted
inapplicable legislation.
Nationalist no more!
South Carolina Expositon
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Calhoun said: “If the federal government
refuses the right of a state to nullify a
law, that state has the right to secede” (or
leave the union)
Imagination exercise: what impact would
this have had this idea been enacted?
Webster/Hayne Debates
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Webster far and away America’s
greatest orator.
He and Robert Hayne, next page, will
in 1830 for 1 week straight debate the
issue of the tariff with each talking
relentlessly on the matter!
The Debate
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The perspective of
Robert Hayne?
States are
sovereign and have
the right to nullify
congressional acts
otherwise
secession is the
solution.
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The Perspective of
Daniel Webster?
National
Government is
Supreme and any
usurption of power
by the states
threatens the
union.
In brief…
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It is 1830 and these
are most certainly
explosive times
but…
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Didn’t we solve this
in the federalist age
when we
synthesized our
arguments for and
against the
constitution!
The Split: Jackson and
Calhoun their differences too
great.
Transformation of John
Calhoun
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With his role in the events of the
1830’s the image of John Calhoun is
dramatically altered he goes from
statesman, twice a vice president to
rebellious irrational agitator! That is
quite a quantum leap!
1832: South Carolina Takes
Action!
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A convention is called to delve into the
issue of secession, should we secede from
the union or use this bluff as a method to
lower the tariff?
Undoubtedly there will be ramifications
either way.
Jackson’s recent re-election by a wide
margin made any action by the south
against him futile as his power was at a
The Force Bill of 1833
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Formal declaration by Federal
Government that the actions in South
Carolina are unacceptable and they
will be met with the full force of the US
military if need be…
Clay saves day with compromise
lowering tariff gradually over a 10 year
period.
Jacksonian Era Images
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Inauguration of 1832
Assassination attempt! 1835
Fourth of July event 1837: Van Buren follows
Jacksons lead!
Jacksonian Capital
The Liberator…problems begin!
Perception of a banker!
Post Jacksonian Leadership
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Martin Van Buren
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Harrison/Tyler
Martin Van Buren
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Former NYC
political machine
boss.
Jackson’s “lil man”
The Lil magician
Ranking?
Won the election of
1836
Martin’s first years
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The impact of Jacksonian politics will
be felt by his “lil buddy” who will
immediately find himself knee deep in
the nations worst economic crisis.
Specie Circular, speculation and bank
closing
Problems of decentralization…was the
National bank that bad?
The election of 1840
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Van Buren never had a chance,
perhaps our most snake bit president.
Follows Jackson
Depression
Banking crisis
Global drought…
Whigs nominate three in 1840
William Henry Harrison
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A war hero, nominated
for his “likeness”
socially and historically
to Andrew Jackson.
Our nations first “war”
president, our nations
first “copy cat”
president.
We may have another
very soon! By
Saturday to be exact.
Tragedy strikes Harrison
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1 month in to his presidency the ailing
Harrison dies of Pnuemonia and we
see the nations first non elected
president.
The age of Tyler
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Amongst the
nations worst
leaders. The only
one to be kicked
out of his own party
during the
presidency.
Angered, Whigs,
Democrats and
Republicans alike!
Ahh, the Veto.
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He must have paid
attention to
Jackson because
he vetoed
everything that
crossed his
desk…from all
parties.
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The administration
saw an amazingly
little amount of
anything
accomplished…Th
e end of a great
Whig opportunity.
Even their
extraditing him
from their party
wouldn’t save
The impact of Jackson
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Negative
Indian treatment
Spoils system
Banking crisis
Sectionalism
Persona
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Positive
Seems to outweigh
negative because
he re-established
the people as the
most important
aspect of our
democracy and
brought
government to
them.