JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY
The Rise of Nationalism and
Sectionalism
What do you notice about the election of 1824 compare to elections of 1816 & 1820?
Election of 1824 – Party System Collapses
1. Re-emergence of the Second Party System
a. Beginning of grass roots politics
b. Politicians go to the people and mobilize them
1) more people involved
2) more people voted
2. End of Virginia Dynasty
3. “Corrupt Bargain”
CORRUPT BARGAIN
No one had majority of electoral votes
House of Representatives had to decide
the election
Clay had power to swing election and
voted for Adams over Jackson
Adams appointed Clay as Secretary of
State
Jacksonians became DemocraticRepublicans and sabotaged Adams’
policies
Adams Legacy: Voter population enlarged
Dirty Campaigning
Bigamist
Had a temper
Executed deserters
Took part in duels
Elitist
Yankee
Pimp
Beginning of Jacksonian Presidency – triumph of democracy over aristocracy
1. Focus – “the man on the make” (person willing to work hard to get ahead)
2. Movement towards equality between the rich and the poor
First to invite public to inauguration
Crowd became wild – poured punch in tubs and put it on the White House lawn to get
people out of the house
Destruction of dishes, decorative pieces, people came in muddied boots and homespun
clothing
Characteristics of Jackson’s Presidency
Father of the modern presidency – populist
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Wealthy plantation owner that appeals to the common man
drew support from every section and every social class
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Western presidency, not eastern based
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Idea that ordinary citizens knew what was right by instinct
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Bring political news to the common man’s attention
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Five-Point Philosophy
Federal government must be obeyed
States rights must be preserved
National debt must be paid
Direct taxes and loans must be avoided
Must preserve the federal union
Issue of Native Americans – Indian Removal Act of 1830
Ignored rulings of the Supreme Court
Power of executive branch grows
Vetoed most bills
Maysville Road Veto – vetoes funds to complete the Cumberland Road System
based on the fact it was unconstitutional and it interfered with paying off
the national debt
Used Pocket veto – do not sign bill 10 days before Congress recessed
Revoked charter of Second National Bank
Fights against nullification and states rights issues
Instituted Spoils System
New president replaced former presidential appointees with their own
supporters
Issue of Native Americans – Indian Removal Act of 1830
Ignored rulings of the Supreme Court
Issues: Nullification
Bank Issue
Nullification – South Carolina
Issue: The economy of South Carolina was on the decline – blame the federal government –
promote states rights to solve their problems
Calhoun’s Argument (VP from SC) – Only states know what goes on in their states, thus the
states should be able to take action
If the federal government did not allow them to act, then
the state could secede from the Union (nullification)
Nullification: 1. Constitution was a compact between the states, thus states’ power was
supreme
2. Theory of Indestructible Powers – states’ power could not be taken away by
something the states had created
Nullification passes the SC state legislature, but it could not be used until they needed it.
Nullification Crisis
Spark: Tariff of 1828 – “Tariff of Abominations”
a. Tariffs increase yet again to protect manufacturing (1816, 1824)
b. Tariff is reduced to 1824 levels, but SC declared tariff Null and Void and
threatened to secede from the Union
Jackson’s Response: Tariff Act of 1833 – gradual reduction to 1816 levels
Force Bill of 1833 – Army will collect SC’s taxes
Result: Calhoun resigned
SC repealed nullification, but not before they declared Force Bill null and void
Webster Hayne Debate
Hayne’s stand: Argues for state
rights
Calhoun’s argument
Webster’s stand: Argues US is one
nation
Jackson’s stand: Nation needs to be
preserved
Decision: Tariff Passed
SC threatens to secede
Force Bill of 1833-use
military to force SC to pay
Compromise by Clay:
Tariff will be gradually lowered
over 10 years
Calhoun resigns as Vice President
Jackson does not like the National Bank
Clay is pro National Bank
Before 1832, Nicholas Biddle(president of National Bank) started the Bank War
National Bank = Monster Bank
Clay needs an issue to run on
1. Biddle agreed to apply for a new charter 4 years early
2. Jackson vetoed the recharter
3. Clay has an issue, however, Jackson won the election with a small popular vote
Banking Issue
Biddle became president of National bank in 1823
Spark: Restricted the lending of state banks - stabilized the economy
Result: opposition grows because they did not understand what he was
trying to do
Reaction: Government removed deposits and put them into small local banks
Roger Taney, Secretary of Treasury withdrew fund and placed them into 7 state banks (pet)
By 1836, 90 state banks had government funds
State banks loan money without specie (gold and silver)
Response: Biddle started to call in loans, but does not work
Result: Jackson killed the monster bank, but created a depression
Jackson’s greatest failing
Legacy: Boom and Bust
Bank notes in circulation jump from $28 mil to 120 mil
Prices soar to 15% in 6 months
Federal income from land sales rose $24 mil – national debt paid with $20 mil surplus
Rush to buy land halted, prices sagged; speculators had to dispose of land to banks
Commodities (wheat, corn) dropped
Panic of 1837 – every bank forced to suspend specie payments
Jackson’s Indian Policy
Get rid of them
94 treaties signed in 8 years
Vast migration to Oklahoma Territories
Black Hawk War-1832 (leader of Sac and Fox)
 Treaty signed to move west across Mississippi to Iowa, land not good, move back
 Whites view this as a war-like move
 US Army attacks
Cherokee – northwestern Georgia
 One of 5 civilized tribes
 Signed treaty to keep land, but gold was discovered
 Georgia declared treaty no good, but Cherokees take case to Supreme and court
ruled in favor of the Cherokee (Worcester v. Georgia-1832)
• Trail of Tears
Jackson’s Foreign Policy
Trade agreements negotiated
• Great Britain opened British West Indies port to American ships
• American pressed claims be paid dating from Napoleonic War
1831-French agreed to pay $5 mil in compensation
Trouble-US unable to collect on a bill for 1st installment; 2nd installment ignored
Jackson demands law from Congress to get reprisals on French property if not paid,
Congress does not act
•Jackson ordered navy to attack - Chamber(France) agreed to pay appropriated funds.
Evaluation of Jackson
Pros
Very aggressive in handling issues
Expanded the powers of the president
First president to veto for reasons other than unconstitutional
Vetoed 12 bills, predecessors combined 9
Enhanced political prestige of office of president
Cons
Approach to problems too instinctive
Bank issue- get revenge
Had little perception what was going on around him
Trusted friends too much (kitchen cabinet); suspicious of enemies
Treatment of Native Americans