AIM:Why was Jackson’s
presidency so tumultuous?
Jackson as President

Round 1: Jackson v. Five Civilized
Tribes

Round 2: Jackson v. VP John C.
Calhoun & South Carolina
Tariffs!
 Post
War 1812 – Tariffs (why)?
 Tariff of 1816, 1828, 1832:
Increased tariffs each year
 1828:
50%!
brought tariff close to
Tariffs!

V.
John C. Calhoun: VP to Jackson, from
S.C.


Tariff of Abominations (1828): negative
impact on S.C.
Nullification Theory – South Carolina
Exposition

Declared the right of states to nullify fed law –
if not….secede
Tariffs!

Hayne (SC) v. Webster (MA) Debates (1830)


Senators debated: states v. federal
power
Jackson’s position: SUPPORTS
THE UNION

Calhoun resigns!
South Carolina Rebels




1832 Tariff: Increases tariff even more!
Reaction to the tariff: SC declares 1828, 1832
tariffs null; threatens to secede
Force Bill (1833): can use army, navy against
SC – AJ sends the troops to enforce tariff
Henry Clay: Compromise Bill (1833)


10 year plan to lower tariff
Congress agrees but is VERY shaky
Jackson as President

Round 1: Jackson v. Five Civilized
Tribes

Who are they?

Round 2: Jackson v. VP John C.
Calhoun & South Carolina

Round 3: Jackson v. Nicholas
Biddle and the B.U.S.
National Bank





Jackson does not like banks – Why?
1832: vetoed Second Bank of the US
Pet Banks: to break up BUS – gov deposited
money into smaller banks (supported
Democratic Party)
Biddle responds – calls in/won’t make loans
BUS ends in 1836
Van Buren Takes Control

Martin Van Buren wins 1836 election w/
Jackson’s support
“Wildcat” banks
 Pet banks print bank notes in excess of
gold/silver they have
 Government demands specie (gold, silver) to
pay for public lands (Specie circular)
 Rush to exchange paper money for specie, banks
stop taking paper… Economic Depression!
Panic of 1837

Bank closings, collapse of credit system:



people lose savings, businesses bankrupted
more than 1/3 of population out of work
Van Buren can’t solve economic
problems
NO MORE KINGS!
Creation of the Whig
Party
 Clay and Webster
(1834): started
Whig Party - limit
the power of the
federal government
 Reaction to Jackson
- abused his power
Election of 1840

William Henry Harrison (Whig) beats
Van Buren – Common Man


Starts Whig program to revive economy
Dies one month later; VP John Tyler takes
over – As a Southerner, he opposes the
Whig plan.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-62008/vice-presidential-common-man-off
Section 4
States’ Rights and the
National Bank
Andrew Jackson confronts two important issues
during his presidency—states’ rights and a
national bank.
NEXT
SECTION
4
States’ Rights and the
National Bank
A Tariff Raises the States’ Rights Issue
The Nullification Theory
• British try to flood U.S. with cheap goods; tariff
raised 1824, 1828
• Vice-president John C. Calhoun calls 1828 Tariff
of Abominations
• Thinks South pays for North’s prosperity; cotton
prices low
• Calhoun devises nullification theory:
- questions legality of applying federal laws to states
- Constitution based on compact among states
- state can reject law it considers unconstitutional
- states have right to leave Union if nullification
denied
Image
Continued . . .
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SECTION
4
continued
A Tariff Raises the States’ Rights Issue
Hayne and Webster Debate States’ Rights
• Senator Robert Hayne argues Southern view of
tariff, states’ rights
• Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts defends
Union
• Jackson believes Union “must be preserved”;
Calhoun resigns
Image
South Carolina Rebels
• South Carolina declares 1828, 1832 tariffs null;
threatens to secede
• Congress passes Force Bill: can use army, navy
against S. Carolina
• Henry Clay proposes tariff that lowers duties over 10
years
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SECTION
4
Jackson Attacks the National Bank
Jackson Opposes the Bank
Image
• Jackson vetoes bill to recharter Second Bank of
the United States
• Presents bank as privileged institution that favors
the wealthy
Pet Banks
• Jackson puts federal money in state banks loyal to
Democratic Party
• BUS president Nicholas Biddle unsuccessfully
maneuvers to save bank
Whig Party Forms
• People unhappy with Jackson form Whig Party,
back American System
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SECTION
4
Van Buren Deals with Jackson’s Legacy
Jackson’s Legacy
• Martin Van Buren wins 1836 election with
Jackson’s support
• Pet banks print bank notes in excess of gold,
silver they have
• Government demands specie (gold, silver) to pay
for public lands
• Rush to exchange paper money for specie, banks
stop taking paper
• Panic of 1837—bank closings, collapse of credit
system:
- people lose savings, businesses bankrupted
- more than a third of population out of work
• Van Buren tries unsuccessfully to solve economic
problems
Continued . . .
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SECTION
4
continued
Van Buren Deals with Jackson’s Legacy
Harrison and Tyler
• Whig William Henry Harrison beats Van Buren in
1840 election
• Harrison enacts Whig program to revitalize
economy
• Dies one month later; succeeded by vicepresident John Tyler
• Tyler opposes many parts of Whig economic plan
NEXT