Bell Ringer

1. Do you think Jackson is more of a hero or a villain for democracy? Why? Bell Ringer

3. Rise of a Mass Democracy

4. Martin Van Buren was selected to be Jackson’s successor; easily defeated the disorganized Whigs • Van Buren was very smart, crafty, experienced, and effective, but he lacked the "people's touch" and personality of a Jackson. • Was the first “American-born” president Van Buren is No Jackson

5. Growing concerns over over-speculation of former Indian land • People were buying land with state-printed paper money not backed by silver or gold (specie) • Specie Circular • Ordered under Andrew Jackson at the end of his administration • Required that government owned land be purchased using hard specie. • Devalued paper money, which caused wild inflation The $pe¢ie ¢ir¢ular

6. Causes of the Panic Over-speculation, especially in land. Andrew Jackson's bank policies (Bank War) and resultant chaos  Jackson's "specie circular" hurt as well. The failure of crops helped the Panic. Failure of two major banks in England and the reverberations across the ocean. Van Buren is blamed, even though he did not create the problems Panic of 1837

7. The Whigs proposed expanding bank credit, higher tariffs, and money for internal expansion to fix the Panic. • Van Buren's "Divorce Bill“: Set up an "independent treasury" where extra government money would be kept in vaults, not in the banks. This would give the government stability independent of the whims of the banking world. Depression for Van Buren

8. The Lone Star Rebellion Gone to Texas!

9. Mexico sought to entice Southern planters to move to the struggling Tejas Territory. • Stephen Austin is granted land to bring wealthy American families to Tejas. • Rules for the “Old 300” • they must become Mexican citizens • they must become Catholic • no slavery was allowed Bienvenido a Tejas!

10. Animosity between settlers and the Mexican government under President/General Antonio López de Santa Anna came to a head over the issues of slavery and religion. The defeat of the Texians at the Alamo and cruelty by Santa Anna inspired many Americans to join the fight for Texas; Remember the Alamo! Ended at the battle of San Jacinto; created the Republic of Texas. THE TEXAS REVOLUTION

11. Five months after winning their independence from Mexico, the citizens of Texas voted for annexation – absorption – by the United States. • Denied entrance for nine years • Wanted to enter as a slave state • Would tip the Senate balance • President Tyler signed a resolution in 1845 that invited Texas to become the 28th state in America. “Deep in the heaaaart of Texas!”

13. Martin Van Buren was re-nominated by the Democratic party • In trouble due to the Panic of 1837 • The Whigs nominated William Henry Harrison • Would attract votes for his background as a military hero • The election dealt more with personalities and hoopla than with issues. Election of 1840

14. Tippecanoe and Tyler too! • Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!: Harrison’s nickname was Old Tippecanoe for his success over the Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe • Newspapers lampooned Harrison as a poor old farmer who should be content with a pension, log cabin, and a barrel of hard cider. • Whigs took on this insult as a badge of honor – that he was a “man of the people” – and painted VB as a pompous aristocrat.

15. The “New Democracy” (an effect of Jacksonian Democracy) • Respected men who rose up from poverty, not born elite. • Common men voted for men like themselves due to universal white male suffrage • Men from the frontier were elected for their “real-world” know-how; called “coonskin Congressmen” (e.g. Davy Crockett) The People’s Politics

16. Martin Van Buren Dates in Office: 1837-1841 Nickname: “Little Magician” Political Party: Democratic Major Events: • Panic of 1837 • Divorce Bill • Texas Revolution

17. Dates in Office: 1841 Nickname: “Old Tippecanoe” Political Party: Whig Major Events: He was the first President to die in office (forced us to figure out Presidential succession) William Henry Harrison

18. A President Without A Party Changes under the Whigs • The independent treasury system was ended. • Suggested a "Fiscal Bank," which would establish a new Bank of the United States ; Tyler vetoed it.  • Suggested a "Fiscal Corporation“; Tyler vetoed it. • John Tyler: a Democrat at heart and contradicted many of the Whig Party ideas. • President Tyler was rejected by his former Whig Party.

19. Caroline Affair: An American ship, the Caroline, was attacked, set ablaze, and sent over Niagara Falls by a British-Canadian force.  • Creole Case: British officials in the Bahamas offered asylum to 130 Virginia slaves who had rebelled and captured the American ship Creole. • “Aroostook War”: clash between American and British lumberjacks in disputed Maine territory • In all three cases, Washington officials made ineffective protests against the attacks.  • Webster-Ashburton Treaty: Solved conflicts between Britain and the US; settled the boundary between Canada and Maine. A War of Words with Britain

20. Webster-Ashburton Treaty Ceded by Britain (1842)

21. Dates in Office: 1841 - 1845 Nickname: “The Accidental President” Political Party: Whig Major Events: First born under the current Constitution First Presidential Succession Expelled from the Whig party Annexation of the Republic of Texas Aroostook War Webster-Ashburton Treaty John Tyler

22. The annexation of Texas would be the biggest issue in the election of 1844. Whigs - Henry Clay Democrats - James K. Polk • Straddled the issue whether or not to annex Texas. • Said he would protect Texas; he avoided the issue of slavery. Election of 1844

23. A lower tariff  • Walker Tariff of 1846: a tariff-for-revenue bill that reduced the rates of the Tariff of 1842 from 32% to 25%. • Restore the independent treasury • The settlement of the Oregon dispute without violence • Acquisition of California Goals of James K. Polk

24. Dispute between US and Britain over Oregon Territory About 5,000 Americans followed the Oregon Trail to settle the area. American settlers were willing to go to war over the territory – “54°40’, or fight!” Oregon Fever

25. 54°40’ or FIGHT!

26. TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA “Big States” (51:50-56:00)

27. Polk wanted to buy California from Mexico for $25 million . Offer rejected due to anger over Texas. Polk ordered 4,000 men under General Zachary Taylor to the Rio Grande to “protect American interests”, and asked Congress for a declaration of war.  Mexican troops attacked American troops that night and war was declared. Mexican American War

28. American settlers in California, under the leadership of John C. Frémont, were seeking their independence from Mexico. The revolt lasted 26 days, at the end of which the U.S. Army arrived to occupy the area. Once the leaders of the revolt knew the United States was claiming the area, they disbanded their "republic" and supported the U.S. federal effort to annex California Meanwhile….. The Bear Flag Republic

29. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Gave Texas and California to America for a cost of $15 million.  Yes, we’d already annexed TX, but Mexico finally accepted that it was ours. • The Mexican War brought about the conflict of slavery between the states.  • Wilmot Proviso – David Wilmot proposed the amendment that stated that the territory from Mexico should remain slave-free.  • Crushed by Southerners in the Senate. Results of the Mexican American War

30. 1848 – Gold is discovered in California The overall result of the Gold Rush was that California had enough people to bypass the territorial stage and become a state almost overnight. Wanted to join as a free state Would have disrupted the 15-15 balance in the Senate California Joins the Union

31. Stricter Fugitive Slave Law (“Bloodhound Bill”): No testifying or jury trial, whites that aided escapees fined or jailed, $5 for freedom-$10 for return for officials. Popular sovereignty in Mexican Cession lands (negates MO Comp.) Admission of CA as a free state The slave trade was abolished in D.C., symbolically shows that the nation is taking a stance on the subject Compromise of 1850

32. The Gadsden Purchase: A thin strip of land purchased from Mexico to complete southern Arizona and New Mexico It was purchased for the intent of building a trans-continental railroad. Manifest Destiny: Complete

34. Best Treaty in the World!

35. End

36. Jim Bowie Sam Houston • Presumed inventor of the murderous knife that bears his name. • Leader of early Texas rebels. • Later governor of Texas Notable Texians

37. Davy Crockett Born on a mountain top in Tennessee The greenest state in the land of the free Raised in the woods so's he knew ev'ry tree Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier Frontiersman Soldier Congressman Folk-hero Final statement on his Congressional defeat “Since you have chosen to elect a man with a timber toe to succeed me, you may all go to hell and I will go to Texas.”

39. Oregon Trail