The Age of Jackson

1. The Age of Jackson Andrew Jackson (A.J.)

2. Expansion of Democracy North South Small farms => large plantations Family owned => wealthy white people/enslaved African Americans • Workshops => factories • Craftspeople => business owners/hired labor * LOSING WEALTH AND POWER IN THEIR GOVERNMENT * * Wealth into the hands of a few *

3. Jacksonian Democracy • Government managed by wealthy, property-owning men. • Policies targeted to help build THEIR power • Small farmers, western frontier settlers, and slave-holders hoped for a change => Andrew Jackson (1800’s Obama) • Defend the rights of the common people and slave states (SOUTH) • Democratic reforms (i.e. voting qualification changes – excluded free blacks as they were allowed under their state constitutions) • Nominating Conventions – members nominate candidates not the party’s leaders.

4. Election of 1828: re-do 1824 Andrew Jackson John Quincy Adams National Republicans Harvard graduate Father was the 2nd president • Democratic Party • John C. Calhoun as running mate • War hero (War of 1812) • Born poor, rose to success through hard work

5. Jackson’s Qualifications • Born and raised in the Carolinas (SOUTH) • Taught himself and became a successful lawyer • Tennessee’s first U.S. Congress representative • Served in the U.S. Senate • Served on the TN Supreme Court • War hero: defeated Creek and Seminole Indians; Battle of New Orleans (“Maverick”) • Strong presidency – vetoed many bills (more than the 6 presidents preceding him) • Vetoed re-chartering of the Second Bank of U.S. • Strong Union – threatened S.C. when it tried to nullify a federal tariff

6. 1828 Negative “commercials” A.J. John Q. Out of touch with everyday people – those people A.J. was defending. “cold as a lump of ice” “paid for by the A.J. campaign” • Hot tempered • Crude (raw/unprepared) • Not ready to be president of the U.S. • “paid for by the J.Q. campaign” * A.J. WINS and breaks a popular vote record *

7. “Pays to be the King” • Win for the common people • Spoils System: the practice of giving government jobs to political backers • Jackson rewarded some supporters • Martin Van Buren – Secretary of State • Kitchen Cabinet – informal group of trusted advisers who sometimes met in the White House kitchen… • … Jackson was a hungry fella’

8. Different region = different interests North South Economy based on agriculture Mostly cash crops (cotton/tobacco) Opposed tariffs – increased the cost of imported goods Sold goods to foreign nations – tariffs angered trade partners Relied on enslaved Africans • Economy based on manufacturing • Supported tariffs – American goods sold at lower prices than British goods • Opposed gov’t cheap sale of public land (lose people) • West • Emerging economy – farming and settlement • Support for international improvements and the sale of public land

9. Hot Topic of the day: Tariffs North South Tariff would hurt their economy Tariff of Abominations (hateful thing): Congress placed a high tariff on imports prior to A.J. JQA signed it (rather than vetoed it) knowing he would be defeated in his re-election bid. Added to growing sectional differences. • Wanted tariffs to protect their industries from foreign competition. • So high, that importing wool would be impossible

10. States’ Rights on tariffs? What do you think A.J.? • Individual states’ right to disregard a law that had been passed by the U.S. Congress (federal government) • John C. Calhoun represented the severely damaged economy of South Carolina due to the tariff (previously favored a strong central gov’t) • Some even mentioned leaving the Union. • Congress should not favor one state or region over another… • States’ Rights Doctrine: because the states formed the national government, state power should prevail – could nullify any federal law (unconstitutional) • Opposition (northern states) – American people, not the individual states made up the Union. • Nullification (reject) Crisis: conflict of nullification • Calhoun did resign from the vice-presidency (Martin Van Buren) • Elected to the Senate to continue his push for nullification

11. Hayne vs. Webster (Senate) Hayne Webster Massachusetts What is his side…? United States was one nation, not a pact among independent states Welfare of the nation should override that of individual states. • Robert Y. Hayne, senator from South Carolina • What is his side…? • Nullification gave states a way to lawfully protest federal legislation.

12. Jackson to the rescue (?) • Opposed to nullification, but concerned of economic issues in the south. • 1832 he urged Congress to pass a tariff that lowered the previous rate (not good enough) • South Carolina passed the Nullification Act and threatened to withdraw from the Union and voted to form its own army (Jackson’s not so happy…) • At A.J.’s request, Congress passed the Force Bill – approving the use of the army if necessary. • No other state openly supported S.C. • Henry Clay “Mr. Compromise” – gradual lowering of the tariff over several years and S.C. leaders would enforce the law. • Neither side changed their beliefs about states’ rights… Civil War

13. Jackson creates more waves • Did not always support greater federal power • Opposed the Second Bank of the United States • 20 year charter to act exclusively as the federal government’s financial agent. • 80% of the bank was privately owned but it was supervised by Congress and the president. • Unconstitutional extension of Congressional power – states should have the power here. • Many in the South opposed the bank – only helped wealthy businesspeople

14. McCulloch v. Maryland McCulloch Maryland Pass a tax that would limit the Bank’s operations. Took McCulloch to court… State • Refused to pay the tax • Federal government Ruling: National bank was constitutional and the states can’t have more power than the federal government

15. Dealing with the aftermath • Bank’s director pushed a bill to renew the Bank’s charter • Jackson would defeat the bill – Congress could not get the 2/3 vote to override the veto. • Jackson weakens the Bank’s power by moving funds to state banks… led to inflation  by offering easy credit to people buying land. • More economic issues on the horizon…

16. AHHHH… Panic of 1837 • 1834 the Whig Party formed – favoring the idea of a weak president and strong Congress • Just like an English political party opposed to the monarchy… Jackson was using his power like a king. • Couldn’t choose one candidate • 1836 Election – Whig vs. Van Buren • Panic of 1837: severe economic depression… contributed partially to Jackson’s policies, but Van Buren took the rap for it. • 1840 Whigs chose William Henry Harrison as their single candidate who won a landslide election against Van Buren.

17. A.J. and the Indians • Famous American Indian fighter • No sympathy for Native American’s land claims – where they had always lived – American farmers have priority. • Reversed the government’s pledge to respect Indian land claims. • Brutal removal of the southeastern peoples to empty places in the West. • Indian Removal Act: (1830) authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River to lands in the West.

18. Congress deals with Indians • Established Indian Territory – U.S. land in what is now Oklahoma, where the Indians were moved to. • Protect the Indians from further conflicts with American settlers (Calhoun). • Bureau of Indian Affairs – managed Indian removal to western lands (government agency)

19. Native Experience • Mississippi abolished the Choctaw government and forced them to sign the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek: • Gave more than 7.5 million acres of their land to the state • ¼ of the Choctaw Indians died on the move to Indian Territory. • This spurred some other Indians to resist removal. • Creek Indians were “escorted” by federal troops to the Indian Territory after resisting. • Chickasaw negotiated a treaty for better supplies on their trip – many still died.

20. New Approach by Cherokee • Could they avoid removal by adopting the culture of white people? • Set up schools where children learned English • Developed a government modeled after the U.S. Constitution – election system, bicameral council, court system. • Created a writing system and published a newspaper in both English and Cherokee • This did not protect the Cherokee • Upon finding gold in Georgia, the preparations for their removal were made. • GA militia began attacking Cherokee towns

21. Worcester v. Georgia Case Ruling Chief Justice John Marshall: Cherokee nation was a distinct community in which the laws of Georgia had no force. Only the federal government, not the states, had authority over Native Americans. • Cherokee sued Georgia saying they were an independent nation that Georgia’s government had no legal power over their lands.

22. Follow through on the decision • Georgia ignored the Court’s ruling and Jackson didn’t enforce it either. • Violation of his presidential oath yet most Americans didn’t see much issue with it. • Cherokee were removed by U.S. troops and Georgia quickly took their businesses, farms, and property. • Trail of Tears: Cherokee’s 800-mile forced march, where many died (18,000)

23. Others resistance movements • Leader of Fox and Sauk Indians in Illinois, Chief Black Hawk tried to protect their lands. • Ran out of food and supplies and were eventually forced to leave. • Second Seminole War in Florida • Osceola told his people to resist with force • After Osceola died, his followers continued fighting • Many were removed or killed, but eventually U.S. gave up the fight and a small group resisted removal.