The Age of Jackson

ELECTION OF 1824

“The Corrupt Bargain” Reference to the

election of 1824 This election was

particularly nasty--a smear campaign

Despite losing the popular and the electoral vote J. Q. Adams is president

Breakdown-Electoral College

Election BreakdownVote in House

Of Representatives

KEY PLAYERS:

JACKSONADAMS

CRAWFORD

The Election of 1824:The Election of 1824:The The ““Corrupt BargainCorrupt Bargain””

Candidate Popular VoteElectoral

Vote

Andrew Jackson

43% 99

J.Q. Adams 31% 32

William Crawford

13% 41

Henry Clay 13% 37

JQA as President Highly qualified

worked for father Secretary of state under

Monroe Intelligent, spoke s

number of languages Plenty of foreign policy

experience

But… Referred to as “a chip

off the old iceberg” Advocates strong

central government Unpopular Indian

Policies Unsuccessful in

obtaining Texas “America Plan” seen as

bias by south

ELECTION 1828

Key Issue-1828

Rachel Jackson

Final Divorce Decree

Presidential Election of 1828 (with electoral vote by state)

Jackson swept the South and West, whereas Adams retained the old Federalist stronghold of the Northeast. Yet Jackson’s inroads in the Northeast were decisive. He won twenty of New York’s electoral votes and all twenty-eight of Pennsylvania’s. If those votes had gone the other way, Adams would have been victorious—by a margin of one vote.

Reshaping the Presidency

Andrew Jackson

The Spoils System

“To the Victor belongs the Spoils”Positions for Jackson supportersMany men from positions of wealth

NULLIFICATION CRISIS.

The America System Created for trade between the North and South

and expanding buildling infrastructure in the West As well as:

a high protective tariff to promote industry the sale of public lands at low prices to encourage western

settlement federally financed transportation improvements expanded markets for western grain and southern cotton a strong national bank to regulate the economy

So where is the problem? “Tariff of Abomination”-1828 Tariff supposed to promote growth in all parts of the country. infuriated Southerners who believed that it

favored Northeastern industrial interests at their region’s expense

Why? it raised the cost of manufactured goods, which

they did not produce

ConsequencesNullification Crisis John C. Calhoun-V.P. Maintains that a state might overrule or “nullify” a federal law within its own territory, until three-quarters

of the states had upheld the law as constitutional.

Nullification Crisis Tariff of 1832, Jackson passes in an

attempt to ease tension Still viewed as oppressive to the South and

South Carolina declares the Tariff of 1828 and the Tariff of 1832 null and void To defend nullification the state legislature

agrees to raise an army

Nullification Crisis-Response Jackson declares nullification illegal

Asked congress to use force to execute the federal law=the Force Act

Jackson promises to “hang every leader….of that infatuated people, sir, by martial law, irrespective of his name or political or social position.”

Sends 8 ships and 5,000 muskets to Fort Pickney in Charleston Harbor

Nullification Crisis-Response Clay “great compromiser” persuades

Congress to pass a tariff with lower protectionist levels

South Carolina backs down, but passes a state law that permits nullification

Nullification Crisis I consider the Tariff, but as the occasion, rather than the real cause

of the present unhappy state of things. The truth can no longer be disguised, that the peculiar domestick institution of the Southern States, and the consequent direction, which that and her soil and climate have given to her industry, have placed them in regard to taxation and appropriations in opposite relation to the majority of the Union; against the danger of which, if there be no protective power in the reserved rights of the States, they must in the end be forced to rebel, or submit to have their permanent interests sacraficed, their domestick institutions subverted by Colonization and other schemes, and themselves & children reduced to wretchedness. Thus situated, the denial of the right of the State to interfere constitutionally in the last resort, more alarms the thinking, than all other causes. –John C. Calhoun

Rationale against Nullification Daniel Webster (MA): declared that states

who disagreed with action of the federal government had the right to sue or amend the Constitution, but no right to nullify the federal Law

“Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable.”

WAR ON THE BANK OF THE UNITED STATES

War on the Bank Had been rechartered in 1816 had been blamed for the Panic of 1819 People resented its political influence Private banks resented its privileged

position in the banking industry

War on the BUS During 1832-Henry Clay, Daniel Webster

and other Jackson opponents made the BUS a political issue for the campaign

Congress rechartered the Bank –but WHY? Wanted to force Jackson to either sign the bill for

the recharter or ostracize voters who favored the bank

Result Jackson VETOES the recharter of the BUS.

Clay and Webster had underestimated the peoples opinion of the Bank and Jackson easily sweeps the election of 1832-defeating Clay 219 votes to 49.

Symptoms of a Locked Jaw

An outraged and outmaneuvered Henry Clay vainly tries to “muzzle” Andrew Jackson after Jackson’s stinging message vetoing the bill to recharter the Bank of the United States.

Jackson’s view on the BUS attacked the bank as an agency through

which speculators, monopolists, and other seekers after economic privilege cheated honest farmers and mechanics.

Opposition to the 2Opposition to the 2ndnd B.U.S. B.U.S.

Soft (paper) $ V. state bankers feltstate bankers feltit restrained theirit restrained theirbanks from issuingbanks from issuingbank notes freely.bank notes freely.

supported rapid supported rapid economic growth economic growth & speculation.& speculation.

• felt that coin was felt that coin was the only safethe only safecurrency.currency.

• didndidn’’t like any bankt like any bankthat issued bankthat issued banknotes.notes.

• suspicious of suspicious of expansion &expansion &speculation.speculation.

Hard $

Jackson’s Response September 1833, Jackson ordered his

Treasury secretary to divert federal revenues from the Bank of the United States to selected state banks, which came to be known as Pet Banks

Jackson and Native Americans

Jackson and Native Americans 1830 1830 Indian Removal ActIndian Removal Act

Cherokee Nation v. GACherokee Nation v. GA (1831)(1831)

““domestic dependent nationdomestic dependent nation””

Worcester v. GAWorcester v. GA (1832)(1832)

Jackson:Jackson: John Marshall has made his John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce decision, now let him enforce it! it!

The Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation Constitution WE, THE REPRESENTATIVES of the people of the

CHEROKEE NATION, in Convention assembled, in order to establish justice, ensure tranquility, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty; acknowledging with humility and gratitude the goodness of the sovereign Ruler of the Universe, in offering us an opportunity so favorable to the design, and imploring his aid and direction in its accomplishment, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Government of the Cherokee Nation.

The Cherokee Nation Constitution THE POWER of this Government shall be divided into three

distinct departments;—the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial.

Sec. 14. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right of being heard, of demanding the nature and cause of the accusation against him…a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the vicinage; nor shall he be compelled to give evidence against himself.

Sec. 3. The free exercise of religious worship, and serving God without distinction, shall forever be allowed within this Nation…

Sec. 9. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu/constitutionofcherokeenation.pdf

Indian Removal

Trail of Tears

Jackson the “Great Father”

An anonymous cartoonist satirizes Jackson’s alleged compassion for the Indians, but in fact his feelings toward Native Americans were complicated. He made ruthless war on the Creeks as a soldier, but he also adopted a Creek Indian son (who died of tuberculosis at the age of sixteen). At least in part, his motives for pursuing Indian removal stemmed from his concern that if the Indians were not removed from contact with the whites, they would face certain annihilation.

Andrew Jackson-1844

The 1836 Election The 1836 Election ResultsResults

Martin Van Buren

“Old Kinderhook”[O. K.]

The Panic of 1837 Spreads The Panic of 1837 Spreads Quickly!Quickly!