The Jacksonian EraThe Jacksonian EraComp Book Notes Comp Book Notes

DEMOCRACY AT WORKDEMOCRACY AT WORK

More voters (More voters (suffragesuffrage)) Before 1820s: only white land ownersBefore 1820s: only white land owners 1830s: all white men over 21 1830s: all white men over 21 increased voter turnout to 80% by 1840increased voter turnout to 80% by 1840 More people involved in governmentMore people involved in government

Limits on SuffrageLimits on Suffrage

No Suffrage:No Suffrage: WomenWomen Native AmericansNative Americans Most African AmericansMost African Americans slavesslaves

Election of 1824Election of 1824 John Quincy Adams- John Quincy Adams- had support of New had support of New

EnglandEngland Andrew Jackson- Andrew Jackson- support from the support from the

WestWest Henry Clay- Henry Clay- support of the Westsupport of the West William Crawford- William Crawford- support of the Southsupport of the South

Election of 1824Election of 1824 Jackson “Old Jackson “Old

Hickory”: wins Hickory”: wins popular votepopular vote

No candidate No candidate wins wins majoritymajority of of electoral voteselectoral votes House of Reps. House of Reps.

chooses chooses presidentpresident

““Corrupt Bargain”Corrupt Bargain”

• Speaker of House (Clay) can influence Speaker of House (Clay) can influence resultsresults

• Adams winsAdams wins• Henry Clay: Secretary of StateHenry Clay: Secretary of State

How do you think How do you think John Q. Adams John Q. Adams

does as President does as President because of the because of the

corrupt bargain?corrupt bargain?

Unpopular PresidentUnpopular President

No one likes Adams because Jackson No one likes Adams because Jackson is “is “the people’s representativethe people’s representative,” ,” and he should have been president. and he should have been president.

Attempted to Attempted to bring the country bring the country togethertogether through a program of through a program of growth and growth and internal improvementsinternal improvements

Most Americans rejected Most Americans rejected spending so much moneyspending so much money..

A Bitter CampaignA Bitter Campaign Jackson v. Adams (1828)Jackson v. Adams (1828)

Jackson easily wins this timeJackson easily wins this time Propaganda on BOTH sides:Propaganda on BOTH sides:

Adams:Adams: Jackson is a dangerous military Jackson is a dangerous military chieftain; could become a new Napoleon chieftain; could become a new Napoleon BonaparteBonaparte

Jackson:Jackson: Adams made a corrupt bargain; Adams made a corrupt bargain; is an aristocrat (out of touch, upper is an aristocrat (out of touch, upper class)class)

Turning point in American History Marked the beginning of political involvement for ordinary Americans.

Beginning of mudslinging campaigns which are still used today.

Mudslinging Reached New HeightsHis opponents accused him of murder, gambling, slave trading and treason.

Why had ordinary Americans not really

participated in politics up until now?

 Why is mudslinging used in

political campaigns?

Jackson Fact or FictionJackson Fact or Fiction

Andrew Jackson exercised his veto power twelve times Andrew Jackson exercised his veto power twelve times as President, more than all of his predecessors as President, more than all of his predecessors combinedcombined

There was never an assassination attempt on JacksonThere was never an assassination attempt on Jackson Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter, Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter,

approached Jackson as he left a congressional approached Jackson as he left a congressional funeral held in the House chamber of the Capitol funeral held in the House chamber of the Capitol and shot at him. His gun misfired. and shot at him. His gun misfired.

Andrew Jackson was the only President in American Andrew Jackson was the only President in American History to pay off the national debt and leave office History to pay off the national debt and leave office with the country in the black.with the country in the black.

#Vice Presidents: John C. Calhoun Martin Van Buren

Jacksonian DemocracyJacksonian Democracy

Andrew Jackson: Andrew Jackson: Military man from war of Military man from war of

18121812 Born in a log cabinBorn in a log cabin Parents were poor farmersParents were poor farmers

small farmers and otherssmall farmers and others left out of growing U.S. left out of growing U.S. economy economy admired himadmired him

Jackson argued that the president, as the only representative of all the people, should rule supreme.

Congress did not agree.

Struggle between executive branch and legislature over which branch should dominate the government.

JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY:

The idea of spreading democracy to all the people, not just the elite, thus ensuring

majority rule.

How is this different from Jefferson's vision of democracy?

A new style of DemocracyA new style of Democracy

What principle of the Constitution does not allow one branch to

dominate over the other branch?

JACKSON STARTED CURRENT

DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

“Let the people rule!”

-A. Jackson

You’ve been elected president of this classroom. You now must choose your cabinet. Fill the following positions; -         Orange Chair Designator: -         White Board Decorator: -         Environmental Protection Chairperson: -         Librarian: -         Climate Control: -         Classroom Maintenance:   Did you choose your friends or people you knew would be good for the job? Or was it a mix of both? Is there any danger in just choosing your friends? Danger in only choosing those good for the job? 

What problems can occur when jobs are given to people just because they are

friends with someone?

Notes: Rewarded supporters with government jobs and threw opponents out!• “Civil Servants”- ordinary citizens who can fill government jobsRationale for system:

*Government remains responsive to the people.*Assured loyalty to the president.*Increases Party support.

•The “Kitchen Cabinet” formed to

advise Jackson unofficially – result of spoils system.

Jackson is seated in a collapsing chair, with the "Altar of Reform" toppling next to him, and rats scurrying at his feet. The rats are (left to right): Secretary of War John H. Eaton,

Secretary of the Navy John Branch, Secretary of State Martin Van Buren, and Treasury Secretary Samuel D. Ingham.

Jackson's spectacles are pushed up over his forehead, and his foot is planted firmly on the tail of the Van Buren rat.

"Resignations" fill the air behind him, and a pillar marked "Public confidence in the stability of this administration" falls to

the left.

Today presidents routinely appoint their supporters to head government departments and offices, but in Jackson's day many government positions were held by men who had been there since George Washington.

Even before his inauguration, Jackson planned to replace men he saw as corrupt federal employees (civil servants) with new appointees who could restore virtue and morality to government.

Jackson's POV Jackson's Critics

"In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no one man has any more intrinsic right to official station than another." Jackson called this process "rotation in office".

Viewed Jackson's appointmentsas dangerous to the country.Felt Jackson was only rewardingsupporters and not filling positions with qualified people.Called it a "spoils system"

Notes: Jackson vetoed the bank charter and withdrew federal money to “pet banks” – state banks who supported Jackson

Disliked the bank because he felt bank was organization by wealthy Easterners in which ordinary citizens had no control

This 1834 lithograph by David Claypool

Johnson shows Kentucky senator Henry Clay sewing President Andrew

Jackson's mouth shut. Jackson's fight to

destroy the Bank of the United States and

his removal of the Treasury secretary led

to the Senate's censure of Jackson for abuse of presidential

power.

Who benefits from tariffs?Who benefits from tariffs? Northern Northern

EconomyEconomy• Southern

Economy

Turn to you neighbor and discuss which region would benefit from a high tariff.

In 1828, Congress passed the highest tariff in U.S. history. It was so bad that the Southerners called it the Tariff of Abominations (something that is hated).The fight against this tariff was led by Vice President John C. Calhoun. He said that states had a right to nullify a federal law that they considered unconstitutional.What does nullify mean?His reasoning was that since the states made up the national government, they had final authority.Because he disagreed with President Jackson, Calhoun resigned and became governor of South Carolina.

Why did Southerners dislike the tariff, even after it was lowered? South Carolina passed the Nullification Act,

which declared the tariff illegal.

They also threatened to secede if the government challenged them. What does secede mean?

Finally, the president offered a lower tariff, which Calhoun supported, ending the Nullification Crisis. But even though

the crisis was over, tensions between North and South increased for years.

Congress had passed Tariff of Abominations and Tariff of 1832.

Calhoun resigned as Vice President when Jackson supported federal law over state law.

South Carolina passed Nullification Act declaring tariffs of 1828 and 1832 unconstitutional and threatened to secede from the Union. Known as

the “Nullification Crisis”

Why would South Carolina feel like the tariffs were unconstitutional?

Does a state have the “right” to declare a law unconstitutional?

What do you think the Supreme Court would say?

“Union must be preserved” against states’ rights

Jackson got Congress to pass the Force Act which allowed him to use the army to enforce federal law.

Henry Clay, “The Great Compromiser,” proposed a compromise bill which lowered the tariffs over a 10 year period so crisis eased.

What are the geographic, economic, and social reasons why the United States would

be divided into the West, the North, and the

South?

The Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act

“ “It is impossible to civilize Indians It is impossible to civilize Indians because they were essentially because they were essentially inferior to the Anglo-Saxon race”inferior to the Anglo-Saxon race”

Cherokee IndiansCherokee Indians• Lived peacefully in the

Appalachian Mountains of Georgia and Tennessee

• Adopted culture of whites - wrote and spoke English

• Had own written language and newspaper

• Based their government on the U.S. Constitution

Battle over landBattle over land The State of Georgia wanted Indian lands The State of Georgia wanted Indian lands

to build things on. They also wanted the to build things on. They also wanted the lands so that they could build larger lands so that they could build larger plantations. The Indians refused to move.plantations. The Indians refused to move.

Cherokee Sue For LandCherokee Sue For Land

Cherokee sued the Cherokee sued the government of Georgia government of Georgia for taking their landfor taking their land

Worcester vs. Worcester vs. GeorgiaGeorgia John Marshall John Marshall of the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court ruled Georgia’s actions ruled Georgia’s actions are illegal and that the are illegal and that the Cherokee can stayCherokee can stay

President Jackson said, “Chief Justice John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”

1) What is the job of the Supreme Court?

2) What is the job of the President?

3) What should happen if a government official refuses to do his job?

Indian Removal ActIndian Removal Act

In 1830 Jackson signed the In 1830 Jackson signed the Indian Indian Removal ActRemoval Act which forced Native which forced Native Americans to leave their homes in Americans to leave their homes in the USA and move the USA and move West of the West of the Mississippi. Mississippi.

Jackson saw Indian Removal as an opportunity to provide for the needs of the white farmers and businessmen. He also claimed that removal was also in the best interest of the Indians. Why?

Jackson forced 15,000 Indians to Jackson forced 15,000 Indians to walk to their new land. The walk took walk to their new land. The walk took several months. It was in the winter several months. It was in the winter and ¼ of them died on the trail. Most and ¼ of them died on the trail. Most of the people that died were the of the people that died were the elderly and kids. This was called the elderly and kids. This was called the

Trail of Tears.Trail of Tears.

Was the removal of the Cherokee Nation constitutional?

Why did the government feel it was necessary to

remove the Indians?

You have taken me prisoner with all my warriors - You have taken me prisoner with all my warriors - I fought hard. But your guns were well-aimed. The I fought hard. But your guns were well-aimed. The bullets flew like birds in the air, and whizzed by bullets flew like birds in the air, and whizzed by our ears like the wind through the trees in the our ears like the wind through the trees in the winter. My warriors fell around me, it began to winter. My warriors fell around me, it began to look dismal. I saw my evil day at hand. look dismal. I saw my evil day at hand.