Jacksonian AmericaWEEK 9: UNIT 3

Questions on the mind of Americans

What will happen to America as it is growing?

What are the priorities of the country?

What is the greatest danger that the US is facing?

The Rise of Mass Politics

March 4, 1829: Jackson

Inaugurated

“Cheese Party”

“The reign of King ‘Mob’

seems triumphant”

Politics opened to all white

male citizens

“The Era of the Common

Man”

Expanding Democracy

1820s: States moving away from

property or tax requirements to

vote

Ohio and West first

All voters can hold office

Older states, dropped reqs too

Worried about losing people

South: Election laws favor planters

The Dorr Rebellion (1840)

Rhode Island

Thomas L. Dorr

“Peoples Party”

New constitution for RI

Overwhelmingly approved by the people

Set up new government

Existing gov. rejects legitimacy

Dorr and followers=rebels

The Dorr Rebellion: Failed

Forced a new constitution that expanded suffrage

Votes for Minorities?

Free Blacks: Not in South, some in

North

Women: Nowhere

No secret ballot

Spoken vote

Bribery/intimidation

Number of voters increased rapidly

Changes to the Pres. Election Process

1800: 10 states=Legislatures

choose electors, 6 States=

people choose

1828: Electors chosen by

people in all but South

Carolina

Voting Increases as a result

1824: 27%

1828: 58%

1840: 80%!

Democracy in America (1835)

1831: Alexis de Tocqueville

Study American Prisons (more humane than Europe)

Instead: Studies American Life

Politics of America

Daily life and culture of Americans

Their vision of democracy

Traditional Aristocracies fading in US

New elites can rise and fall regardless of backgrounds

Notes limits of Democracy

Few women can vote

Slavery, duh.

Spreads the idea of American Democracy in Europe

Political Parties Become Official

Party loyalties develop

Begins at State Level

“Bucktails”

New York, post War of 1812

Martin Van Buren

Whigs: Anti-Jackson Party

(1830s)

Democrats: Pro-Jackson

Party (Nation’s oldest

political party today)

The President of the Common Man

Government should offer “equal protection and equal benefits,” to all its white male citizens

Favor no region or class above another

Attack the “citadels of Eastern aristocracy”

Change Candidate Selection Process

1832: National Convention to Re-nominate Jackson

Power in the party comes from the people, not from the congressional caucus

The Spoils System

Jackson Targets

officeholders

Removes 1/5 existing

federal officeholders

Patronage: The process

of giving out jobs as

political rewards

Our Federal

Union

“MY ONLY REGRETS ARE THAT

I DIDN’T HANG HENRY CLAY AND I DIDN’T SHOOT JOHN

C. CALHOUN

Calhoun and Nullification

Calhoun strongly supports the Tariff of 1816

What was this?

By 1820s: The Tariff caused stagnation in South

Carolina

Real reason: exhaustion of Farmland

Tenth Amendment: Allows states to decide the

constitutionality of federal laws.

Nullification: A state can ignore federal laws it

deems unconstitutional.

Nullifies the Tariff of 1828

Martin Van Buren

Secretary of State (1829)

“Kitchen Cabinet”

The President’s unofficial circle of

political allies

Befriends Jackson, support’s Jackson’s

friend and his wife.

Ultimately chosen to succeed Jackson.

The Webster-Hayne Debate

(January 1830)

All land sales and surveys should be discontinued

Against: Robert Y. Hayne (South Carolina)

A way for the East to retain its political and economic power.

Daniel Webster (Massachusetts)

Attacks Hayne and Calhoun

An attack on integrity of the Union

Why is it so important that the US gov. sells western lands?

Hayne: States rights vs. National power

Webster: Defense of Nullification

At a Banquet…

Jackson: “Our Federal Union, it must be preserved.”

Calhoun: “The Union, next to our liberty most dear.”

The Nullification Crisis (1832)

South Carolina Nullifies the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832

Forbids the collection of the taxes within the state

Jackson: Nullification is TREASON

Strengthen forts

Sends warship to Charleston

1833: Force Bill

Authorized president to use military to see congress’ laws obeyed

S. Carolina on its own

Henry Clay’s Compromise

Tariff gradually lowered

1842=same as 1816

Compromise and Force bill both passed (March 1, 1833)

S. Carolina repeals nullification

Nullifies Force Act!

Lesson: No state can defy the federal government alone.

The Removal of

the Indians

JACKSON WANTS THE NATIVE

TRIBES OF THE EAST TO MOVE

WEST. HE HARBORS HOSTILITY TOWARDS THEM DUE TO THE

CREEK WAR AND HIS

EXPERIENCES IN FLORIDA

White Attitudes

“Nobel Savages” (18th Century)

“Savages” (19th Century)

Should be removed from East

of the Mississippi

Put an end to violence and

conflict in the west

Have valuable land

The Black Hawk War (1831-1832)

Fox Indians

Black Hawk felt tribal

land cession to US gov.

was illegal

Viciousness

White forces attacked

and slaughtered

fleeing and

surrendering natives.

The “Five Civilized Tribes”

Cherokee, Creek, Seminole,

Chickasaw, Choctaw

Appealed to Supreme Court to keep

land

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Worcester v. Georgia

State can not negotiate with tribes,

only Federal gov.

Supreme Court agrees

Jackson does not: “John Marshall has

made his decision. Now let him enforce

it.”

The Trail of Tears (Winter 1838)

General Winfield Scott: Army of

7,000

1,000 Cherokee to North Carolina

(Given reservation)

Approx. 16,000 forced to “Indian

Territory”

Up to ¼ died.

“The Trail Where They Cried”

The meaning of Removal

By 1840: all important tribes

removed to the West

100 Million acres seeded

Paid $68 Million and given 32

Acres of relatively

unhospitable land

(Oklahoma)

Whites believed that natives

could not be partners, they

were obstacles to be

removed and isolated

Jackson and the

Bank War

JACKSON OPPOSED USING THE GOVERNMENT’S POWER IN MANY WAYS. HE DID NOT WANT EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE.

HE WAS AGAINST THE BANK OF THE US

The Bank of the United States

Monopoly on federal

deposits

Provides credit

Issues banknotes

Restrains less well-managed

state banks

Run by Nicholas Biddle

Opposition to the Bank

“Soft Money” Faction

State bankers and their allies

It restrains state banks from issuing

notes freely

Believe in Rapid economic growth

and speculation

“Hard Money” Faction

Coin is the only safe currency

All banks that issue banknotes are bad

Believe in “Public Virtue” are

suspicious of expansion and

speculation

Jackson is on this side

Jackson’s War

Jackson promises not to renew the

charter of the BoUS in 1836

Biddle begins granting favors to Daniel

Webster and Henry Clay

Apply for re-charter in 1832

Congress passes re-charter

Jackson Vetoes

The Bank War becomes the central

issue of the 1832 Election.

Clay runs against Jackson, but he loses.

The public supports Jackson’s views.

The “Monster” Destroyed

Jackson removes the government’s

deposits from the bank

Jackson selects Roger B. Taney as head of

Treasury

Taney puts deposits into state banks

Biddle calls in loans and raises interest

rates

Leads to a short recession

Jackson blames Biddle

Bank ultimately loses its charter

Jackson wins because Biddle’s actions

deepen the recession

The Taney Court

Roger B. Taney (1835: Supreme

Court Chief Justice)

Ally to Jackson

Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge

(1837)

Who can build a bridge over the Charles

River

One had a charter from the state (toll

bridge), the other asked to build a

competing (toll free) bridge.

Issuing a second charter is a breach of

contract?

Court reverses the Dartmouth College

ruling.

States can ignore contracts because the

object of government is to promote the

general happiness. This takes precedence

over the rights of property

Jacksonian Democracy

Popular participation is necessary

for democracy to function

All (white males) must be

permitted to participate

The key to democracy is an

expansion of economic

opportunity. This can not occur if

corporations can maintain

monopolies

The Changing

Face of

American

Politics

KING ANDREW I VS. THE

WHIGS

THE “SECOND PARTY

SYSTEM”

The Democrats

The Federal government should be limited

in power except to the degree that it

worked to eliminate social and economic

arrangements that entrenched privilege

and stifled opportunity.

Rights of states protected except when

state governments interfered with social

and economic mobility

“Honest Workers”, Simple Farmers,

Forthright Businessmen

Territorial expansion=more opportunities for

Americans

Irish and German Catholics

The Locofocos

Associated with the

Democrats

Fringe movement

Northeast

Violent assault on

monopoly in privilege.

The Whigs

Expansion of federal power

Industrial and commercial development

Westward expansion would produce instability

Increasing opportunities for all Americans

Entrepreneurs, Institutions that are pro-domestic growth

Wealthy Merchants in the Northeast

Wealthy planters in the South

Farmers and commercial class of the West

Evangelical protestants

The Anti-Masonry Movement

1820s

New York Whigs

Disappearance of William

Morgan

Against Freemasons

Jackson and VanBuren:

both Masons

Democrats connected

with antidemocratic

conspiracy

The “Great Triumvirate”

Henry Clay

Daniel Webster

John C. Calhoun

None of them were

truly Whigs, but all

were opposed to

Jackson

Politics after

Jackson

MARTIN VAN BUREN LACKS

JACKSON’S MAGNETISM. HE HAS MAJOR ECONOMIC

DIFFICULTIES TO DEAL WITH

The Panic of 1837 Begins

Prices rose from 1835-1837

Land Speculation ran rampant

Large federal budget, large treasury surplus

“Distribution” Act (1836)

Fed gov must pay surplus back to states 4

times a year as “loans” that would not be re-

paid

States spend money quickly on roads,

railroads, canals

Lack of federal funds strain state banks

Banks call in their loans

The “Specie Circular”

Jackson’s Executive

Order

In payment for public

lands, the government will

only accept gold, silver,

or backed currency.

Causes panic in first

months of Van Buren’s

presidency

The Panic Deepens

Banks, businesses fail

Unemployment high

Bread riots

Prices crash (land especially!)

State govs can’t pay off bonds or debts

5 year depression

Van Buren Fails to Respond

Borrowed money to pay government

debts

Accepted only Specie for payment of

taxes

THINGS GET WORSE!

“Pre-emption” Bill

Give settlers the right to by gov. land

near them before opened to public sale

Fails in congress

Establishes a 10 hour workday on all

federal products

“Independent Treasury” System

Gov. funds to

independent treasury in

Washington and other

cities

No private banks could

have the gov’s money

Passes in 1840

The Log Cabin Campaign

Penny Press” carries news to large

audiences

Sensationalists

1840: Whigs=party of the common

people

So are Democrats!

Both parties use the same techniques.

Log Cabins and Hard-Cider

Harrison wins an overwhelming

electoral college victory

53% of popular vote

Whig Frustration

John Tyler becomes president after WH Harrison dies

A former democrat

Against Jackson’s excessively egalitarian program

Abolishes independent-treasury system

Refuses to support a re-charter of the BoUS

Vetoes several Whig supported bills

Voted out of the Whig party

Entire cabinet member resigns (except Webster)

Replaces with Democrats, Webster resigns

The Conservative Revolt

Conservative Southern Whigs rejoin the Democrats

Aristocratic political ideas

Government has an obligation to protect and expand the institution of slavery

States rights

The Whig party will essentially cease to exist in the South

Whig Diplomacy

The Aroostook War

Small rebellion in Canada

US Caroline, sent to ship in supplies

British Authorities seize the ship

One American killed

1838: Americans move into region, brawl with Canadians

Lumberjacks

1839: Congress calls for 50,000 man army to prepare for war

General Winfield Scott arranges a truce, no war.

The Creole Incident (1841)

Slaves mutiny onboard

Land in British Bahamas

English declare slaves free

Southerners furious

The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842

Agreement on Boundary

of Maine

Revises boundary

between US and Canada

all the way to the Rockies

UK promises no future

“officious interference”

with American ships

The Treaty of Wang Hya (1842)

First diplomatic relations with

China

Same trading privileges as the

English

Opens certain “Treaty ports”

Extraterritorial status to

Americans in China

Under control of own government

Don’t have to follow Chinese law

Can be tried and judged by home country

Sources

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