The Age of Andrew Jackson

“Oh the IRONY! My image is affixed on national currency!”

The Republican Party Changes• Some members clung to old Republican ideals of limited

government and strict interpretation of the Constitution• Most of the Rep. adopted what had once been a Federalist program. • A Republican congress maintained a large army and navy, chartered

a Second Bank of the US in 1816 (originally championed by Hamilton, the Federalist)

• Some reversed their views from one decade to the next.– Daniel Webster of Mass. Strongly opposed the tariffs of 1816 and 1824 but

in 1828 supported even higher tariff rates, – John C. Calhoun of S.C. an outspoken war hawk and nationalist in 1812,

became a leading champion of states’ rights after 1828

Political factions and sectional differences became more intense during Monroe’s second term. Monroe honored the two-term tradition.

How would a party choose a candidate?

• Candidates for office would be nominated either by state legislatures or by “King Caucus”-a closed door meeting of a political party’s leaders in Congress.

• The common people had no opportunity to participate

• 1830’s caucuses would be replaced by nominating conventions in which political parties and voters would gather in a large meeting hall to nominate the party’s candidates.

• This is MORE democratic

“Era of good feelings” turns into political bad feelings

• Old conventional caucus system for choosing presidential candidates had broken down

• As a result, FOUR candidates of the same party (Republican party founded by Jefferson) campaigned for the presidency– Andrew Jackson– John Quincy Adams– Henry Clay– William Crawford

The Election of 1824• All were Republicans, so they split the electoral votes. • Jackson won the popular vote• NO Electoral College majority so the House of Rep. would choose of

the top 3. • Henry Clay used his influence in the House to provide J. Q. Adams

enough votes • Adams appoints Clay as the Sec. of State once he throws his support

behind Adams, viewed by some as a “secret political maneuvers” that Jackson will call a Corrupt Bargain!

• Adams WINS!• Jacksonians feel ripped off already and Adams further alienates them

by pushing his financial limits with Congress– Too much money allocated for internal improvements, that Jackson felt was

a waste of money.

The Election of 1824

Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote

Andrew Jackson 153,544 99

John Quincy Adams 108,740 84

Henry Clay 47,136 37

William Crawford 46,618 41

The Image of Andrew Jackson

• He represents the symbol of emerging working and middle class…“common man”– Chewed tobacco, fought duels, had rough

manners, no college education– An extraordinary, ordinary self-made man, living a

legend. – He drew support from all social groups and

sections of the country

The Role he takes on…• Protector of the people against abuses of power

by rich and privileged• Frugal-opposed spending or increasing national

debt.• Narrow interpretation of the role of Congress

(for this reason, he had a lot of vetoes)• Maysville Rd. Construction-vetoed it because it

was in Kentucky (Clay’s home state)• He had unofficial advisors known as the “kitchen

cabinet” that were not actual members of the presidential cabinet

New Campaign Tactics

• Since voters are more involved in the nominating process, campaigning becomes a necessity

• The Dirty tricks of “Old Hickory” go beyond the BBQs and parades that were now a part of a national campaign.

Ex. “Adam’s wife was born out of wedlock” was retaliated with “Jackson’s wife is adulterous.”

The Election of 1828

Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote

John Quincy Adams 508,064 83

Andrew Jackson 647,286 178

Election of 1828

• Jackson wins, not because of the issues but because he has come to be a well known war here, a man of the western frontier…he won because of his image.

EXPANDING DEMOCRACY

• De Tocqueville notices democratic ways, few class differences yet oppression of blacks

• Middle /lower class males voted more

• Most states eliminated property qualifications for voting

• Nominating conventions used vs. caucuses

• National campaigns• More officials elected

vs. appointed• Spoils system/.rotation

in office = all could hold office

Tariff of 1828

• North is satisfied with the tariff of 1828

• South denounced it as a tariff of abominations (felt that it was too high and unconstitutional)

• Keeping in mind that even the Republicans didn’t know how they felt as a party about tariffs, sectional differences are certainly dividing them.

TARIFF

• Jackson favored states’ rights but not disunion

• 1828 tariff = Tariff of Abominations So. Carolina said was too high and unconstitutional

• Revolution of 1828 (Adams possible reelection?)

• Jacksonians use the discontent of the South and the West and some new campaign tactics to get Jackson elected

The Tariff of Abominations

John C. Calhoun

•1828, Congress passed a heavy tariff•Calhoun secretly (at first) supports nullification in South Carolina•Force Bill… authorizes Jackson to use force if necessary•Compromise Tariff of 1833 (brokered by Henry Clay)•SC repeals nullification

NULLIFICATION CRISISRegarding the Tariff of Abominations Calhoun issued Doctrine of Nullification = each state could decide if federal laws were constitutional (if not, could nullify them)• Jackson threatened federal troops

(Force Bill) if South Carolina didn’t enforce tariff/nullified

• Congress passed lower tariff crisis avoided although South Carolina nullified Force Bill threatening troops

• Congress passed lower tariff crisis avoided tho So. Carolina nullified Force Bill threatening troops

• Secession a possibility according to Calhoun

NATIVE AMERICAN POLICY

• Jackson not democratic toward Indians-were in the way of white settlement removed to W of Miss R

• 1830: Indian Removal Act-by 1835 most complied and moved

• Cherokees in Georgia challenged Worcester v. Georgia=state laws had not effect on Indian nations

• Jackson sided w. states – defied Supreme Court

• Trail of Tear in 1838

NATIVE AMERICAN POLICY

• Created the Bureau of Indian Affairs

• Marshall sided with the Cherokees but it didn’t matter because Jackson ignored the ruling of the Supreme Court and forced removal of the Indians anyway.

• The U.S. Army forced 15,000 Cherokees to leave Georgia on the “trail of tears”

• 4000 Cherokees died enroute

NATIONAL BANK

• Bank of U.S. and it’s branches were privately owned by received federal deposits and attempted to serve public purposes (cushion ups and downs of the economy by adjusting interest rates and loans)

• Bank president was effective by arrogant so people suspected that he abused his power (Jackson did anyway)

• Clay favored the bank, so he wanted to recharter, Bank Recharter Bill 1832

• Jackson vetoed the bill and denounced it as a private monopoly that enriched the wealthy at the expense of the common man.

The National Bank

NATIONAL BANK• Henry Clay brought recharter of bank up early to

challenge Jackson in election year• Jackson believed bank was unconstitutional and that it

favored Northern interests he subsequently vetoed• Took federal money out and put in “pet” state banks

The Election of 1832

King Andrew

Pet Banks

• Jackson vetoed the recharter and withdrew federal funds

• He transferred the money into various state banks=Pet banks

• This lead to bad inflation

• In order to check inflationary trends, Jackson ordered the Specie Circular

The Election of 1836

Martin Van Buren

Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote

Van Buren 764,176 170

William H. Harrison 550,816 73

Hugh L. White 146,107 26

The Panic of 1837

Specie Circular and Panic of 1837

• Specie Circular-requires all future purchases of fed. Lands to be made in gold and silver, not paper bank notes

• Too little too late• Bank notes lost value,

land sales plummeted, economic CRASH!

• Eventually created Panic of 1837 lasting until 1843

• Panics are economic depressions

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!http://

www.binghamtonschools.org/education/components/docmgr/download.php?sectiondetailid=894&fileitem=5267&catfilter=198

Websites for Andrew Jacksonhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/andrewjackson White House Presidential Biographies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGfxyeuy8u8&feature=related

Andrew Jackson The Good, evil and presidency PBS Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsukWXCaXuY&feature=related

The Conquerers: Andrew Jackson against the Seminoles