Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
Chapter 12, Section 2: Jackson in the White
House
pp. 365-368
1
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
In this section,
we will:
• List the qualities that
helped Andrew Jackson
succeed.
• explain the "spoils
system."
• summarize why President
Jackson fought the bank of
the United States.
Key vocabulary terms this
section:
• spoils system
• "kitchen cabinet"
President Andrew Jackson was a tough man! He had a hard life
before becoming president. Let's open our books to p. 365 and read
about him.
• parents died when he was
a teenager.
• fought in the Revolution
as a boy and was captured
by the British and had his
hand and face slashed by
a sword after refusing to
shine a British soldier's
boots.
2
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
• Jackson was a hero of the
Battle of New Orleans during
which war?? The War of 1812.
• defeated the Creek Indians
• fought against the Seminoles
in Florida.
• his supporters admired his
ability to inspire and lead
others.
• he wanted to expand the
power of the presidency.
• largely seen as a champion of
the common people.
Let's talk next about
Jackson's "spoils
system" and the
"Kitchen Cabinet."
No...not that kind of kitchen cabinet.
3
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
• Upon taking office, Jackson fired
more than 200 presidential appointees.
• he brought his own supporters in to
take these jobs.
• his supporters said, "To the victor
belong the spoils." Spoils are benefits
or profits.
• rewarding supporters with
government jobs became known as the
"spoils system"
• Jackson rewarded his supporters
with Cabinet jobs. Very few were
qualified.
• he seldom met with his official
cabinet, but instead he relied on a
group of unofficial advisers,
including Democratic leaders and
newspaper editors.
• He met with them in the White
House kitchen.
• the group became known as the
Kitchen Cabinet.
Who knows what this is used for???
What is it called???!!!
4
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
The Bank War
• Jackson thought the Bank of the United States was too powerful.
• he saw the bank as "undemocratic" (see page 367 of our text)
• Bank of the United States had been run by Nicholas Biddle since 1823.
Jackson felt Biddle used the Bank to benefit only the rich.
5
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
• Biddle thought that Jackson
might attempt to destroy the
Bank.
• Two Whig senators, Henry
Clay & Daniel Webster came up
with a way to save the Bank &
defeat Jackson at the same
time.
• They urged Biddle to apply
for the renewal of the Bank's
charter in 1832, while its
current charter did not expire
until 1836. They were trying to
make this a political issue to
hurt President Jackson's
chances of winning reelection in
1832.
• Clay & Webster were hoping
Jackson would veto congress's
renewal of the charter.
6
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
• That is exactly what President
Jackson did!
• Jackson won the support of the
common people with his rejection of
the Bank of the United States.
• The Whigs chose Henry Clay as
their candidate for president in
1832 and Jackson won a stunning
victory!!
• The American people surprised
the Whigs by rejecting the Bank.
Remember
him?
7
Chapter 12 Section 2 Smart Lecture: Jackson in the White House
• Without a new charter the Bank would
have to close in 1836. President Jackson
decided not to wait!
• He ordered Treasury Secretary Roger
Taney to stop putting government money
in the Bank.
• Instead, Taney deposited the money in
state banks, which came to be known as
pet banks because now Taney and his
friends controlled them.
• The Bank of the United States was
crippled by the loss of federal money and
closed in 1836.
• This led to an economic crisis in the U.S.
Taney
• leads the
United
States to
economic crisis!!! an
Bank of the United States closes in 1836
8