Chapter 11

Andrew Jackson

Hero from the frontier states – Old Hickory

Self made man

Father died before he was born

Mother – housekeeper who died of cholera

Farmer, lawyer, slaveholder

Very vague on issues – made it hard to attack him

Jackson’s Presidency

• Vetoed more bills (12) than the previous presidents combined.

• Peggy Eaton affair – cabinets members resigned over it (Martin van Buren drew closer to Jackson)

• Indian Removal Act – 1830forced resettlement of Native Americans west of MississippiTrail of Tears – 1838 (Jackson out of office)

• Used executive powers to help stop antislavery literature from being sent through U.S. mail.

• Thought BUS was unconstitutional

Nullification – VP John Calhoun supported theory of declaring law unconstitutional

South Carolina voted to nullify the tariff act of 1832.

Jackson ordered federal troops to prepare for action.

Compromise saved face for both Calhoun and Jackson.

President Martin van Buren

• Little Magician – Master of Politics• Panic of 1837

– Boom and Bust cycle– Jackson's financial measures

contributed to the crash - destruction of the Second BUS had removed restrictions upon the inflationary practices of some state banks

– Wild speculation in lands, based on easy bank credit, had swept the West.

– Hundreds of banks and businesses failed. Thousands lost their lands.