The Election of 1824 and 1828: Andrew Jackson's Rise Amidst Sectional Conflict

1. Andrew Jackson

2. The Election of 1824 and 1828 • Traditionally, presidential candidates were selected at caucuses, and that would be the party's candidate • caucus- private meeting of party members • The Republican Caucus selected William Crawford of Georgia as their candidate • However, due to sectionalism, other sections of the countries selected their own candidates

3. Election of 1824 • However, due to sectionalism, other sections of the countries selected their own candidates • John Quincy Adams in the NE, Andrew Jackson in the West

4. Election of 1824 • When the election was over, no one was the clear winner • Jackson had won the most votes, but not a majority • When no candidate wins a majority of the electoral college vote, the decision belongs to the House of Representatives that selected John Q. Adams

5. Election of 1824 • The House based their decision upon advice from Henry Clay • Problem: Clay was later named Adams' Secretary of State • "Corrupt bargain?"

6. Election of 1828 • Jackson and the Democratic-Republicans were outraged about the election of 1824 and immediately began to prepare for 1828 • Thanks to Martin Van Buren, the party reformed itself into the JacksonianDemocrarts • They fairly easily won the 1828 election thanks to support from the Southern and Western states

7. Election of 1828 • Both parties mudslinging • Mudslinging – making wild charges and lies about a candidate • The Jacksonian Democrats: • a. said Adams was out of touch with the common people • b. coined the phrase “Adams can write, but Jackson can fight” • c. gave Jackson the nickname “Old Hickory”

8. National Republicans (old D-Rs): • a. called Jackson crude and uneducated • b. labeled him as a gambler and a brawler • c. called him a murderer (fought in duels)

9. Jackson Takes Charge • Jackson was a “common man” • Thus he wanted to change how the national gov't functions, it favored the rich and he wanted to make it simple • Did not utilize his cabinet, rather he took advice from his friends • this group of friends became known as the “Kitchen Cabinet”

10. Spoils System • spoils system- process of new president rewarding supporters with jobs in the gov't • Pres. Jackson was accused of abusing this system • Jackson's argument was that “to the victor, goes the spoils”

11. Tariff of Abomination • South Carolina grew very angry about the Tariff of 1828 • it raised the prices of manufactured goods • the tariff was created to help North Eastern manufacturing • raised the prices of imported goods, making them more expensive than American Goods

12. Tariff of Abomination • They threatened to secede from the US if this tariff was not reduced • secede-break away • The VP, John C. Calhoun (of S.Carolina) did not want this to happen, so he suggested nullification • nullification- rejection of federal law

13. The Nullification Crisis • Two of the most gifted speakers in Congress squared off in a debate over the ability for a state to nullify • Hayne argued that the states had created a constitution and therefore had the right to nullify • Webster said the national gov't gets it power from the people, and not from the states

14. The Nullification Crisis • Jackson was able to get Congress to lower the tariff, but S. Carolina was still not happy • In fact, South Carolina readied for war to disunion • Jackson responded by calling disunion “treason” • Jackson got Congress to pass the Force Bill, which gave him the power to use the navy and army to collect the tariff

15. The Nullification Crisis • The combination of the Force Bill, and the signing of a new lower tariff ended the nullification crisis, thus holding the Union together, for now