Brinkley Chapter 9: Jacksonian Era

Jackson’s Inauguration

Amos Kendall said “General Jackson is their own President.”

Joseph Story (Supreme Court Justice & friend of John Marshall) said “The reign of King ‘Mob’ seems triumphant”

Jackson up to 1800

Jackson received childhood trauma from British soldiers, that matured into hatred for the British.

Held several legislative positions in Tennessee, and even was a Tennessee Supreme Court judge.

Jackson the War Hero

Fought in the War of 1812.

Led a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans.

Jackson’s War Nickname

“Old Hickory”

Broadening the Franchise

Before Jackson’s presidency, the right to vote was exclusive, and most of the less affluent were barred from voting.

How did it Change? : A few states guaranteed all white males the ability to vote, all votes had the right to hold public office; Others dropped or reduced the property ownership/taxpaying requirement for voting.

Massachusetts constitutional convention of 1820

Debate over voting rights and representation in government.

Public offices were more often than not filled with the rich.

Conservatives argued that power followed property, so property should keep its weight/influence in political arrangements.

New York constitutional convention of 1821

Property qualification was abolished in New York.

The Dorr Rebellion

Dorr and the People’s Party drafted and submitted a new constitution for Rhode Island. It passed a popular vote, but the government refused to accept it.

The People’s Party made a new government, and the legitimacy of the 2 governments were challenged.

Dorr and his party would be labeled rebels, and imprisoned.

Failed, but was the push needed to expand suffrage in Rhode Island.

Thomas W. Dorr

Founded the “People’s Party" in 1840.

Led the Dorr Rebellion in Rhode Island.

An Expanding yet Limited Suffrage

Slaves can not vote.

Free Africans can not vote.

No States allowed women to vote.

Democratic Reforms

The presidential electors were beginning to be chosen by popular vote.

The overall trend in the Early 1800’s was that suffrage was expanding.

Alexis de Tocqueville

French aristocrat, who wrote on the dramatic political change in the age of Andrew Jackson.

His work was called Democracy in America.

Democracy in America

Written by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Highlights the power of Democracy, as well as its limits. (powerful unifying force for white men, excluded other races & women)

Helped spread the idea of American democracy to France.

Martin Van Buren

Led a group known as the Bucktails/Albany Regency.

His group challenged the traditional view of political parties. He argued that institutionalized parties based in the populace was the only way democracy could work.

Martin Van Buren Nickname

Little Magician

De Witt Clinton

A governor, whose political leadership was challenged by Buren.

His system was that of the closed elites.

The Second Party System

1830’s, Buren’s idea was spreading past New York.

The popular movement was standing up against the elists system, and began to legitimize the party system.

Anti-Jacksons were known as…

Whigs

Jackson’s followers were known as…

The Democrats (not the Democratic Republicans anymore)

William L. Marcy

“The spoils belong to the victors”

The Spoils System

“The spoils belong to the victors”

The practice of placing one’s followers in public office.

The Limited Nature of Democratic Reform

Appointments normally went to prominent political allies of the President. The power was never really transferred to the people.

Calhoun’s Theory of Nullification

The federal government got its power from the states, so the stated had the right to declare a federal law null and void.

Martin Van Buren’s Growing Influence

Calhoun and Jackson grew further apart.

This provided an opportunity for Van Buren to become close and influential to the President.

“Kitchen Cabinet”

President Jackson’s unofficial circle of political allies.

Had strong influence, maybe even more than Jackson’s actual cabinet.

Webster-Hayne Debate

states’ rights vs national power

Robert y. Hayne (coached by Calhoun) vs Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster’s “Second Reply to Hayne”

Famous speech that took two afternoons to deliver.

Ended with “Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!”

Force bill

Permitted usage of military force to make sure acts of Congress were obeyed

Compromise

None of the states came to SC’s support.

Henry Clay intervened and made a compromise.

This compromise would lower the tariff gradually.

Changing Attitudes towards the Indians

The Native Americans used to be considered “Noble Savages,” but the nineteenth century gave way to a more hostile attitude.

Sauk and Fox Indians defeated

Sauks and Foxes retreat, in defeat, across Mississippi into Iowa.

Where brutally hunted and slaughtered by white troops, even when they surrendered.

Black Hawk was captured.

Black Hawk

Warrior leader for the Sauk and Fox Indians in the Black Hawk War.

The Five Civilized Tribes / Agrarian Tribes of the South

Tribes in western Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.

The Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw.

(Indian) Removal Act

Passed in 1830.

Appropriated money to assist in the efforts of negotiations with southern tribes, with the aim of relocating them to the West.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia - 1831

The Cherokee Nation was sovereign, and therefore the states had no power to enforce laws on them

Cherokee Resistance

The federal government forced a Cherokee minority(that did not represent the Cherokee Nation) into a treaty.

This treaty entailed that the Cherokees gave up their land in Georgia for $5 million and land west of Mississippi.

When the rest of the Cherokees refused to leave their homes, Jackson sent an army.

Cherokee Removal

Some Cherokees began feld in to the Smoky Mountains of NC.

Most went to “Indian Territory” which was Okc.

Indian Removal

Indians trekked across the Trail of Tears.

The Trail of Tears

The route Native Americans took after they were being removed.

The Indian Intercourse Act - 1834

Expelled the “Five Civilized Tribes” from the southern states.

The Seminoles were able to resist, but they still ended up giving up their land and agreed to move.

The Seminole War

Most of the Seminole moved after the Indian Intercourse Act, but some stayed to defend their land.

War would last for years, Indians (with the help of Africans Americans) used guerilla tactics.

Osceola

Chieftain that led the Seminole minority that stayed behind after the Indian Intercourse Act.

Alternatives to Removal

Cohesive Society like those in the West, where the natives and settlers lived side by side.

Intimate Contact, where the Indians and settlers would have intimate relationships….

Jackson’s Opposition to Concentrated Power

Jackson was willing to use federal power against rebellious states and Indian tribes, but did not like the concentrated power for economic issues.

War against the Bank of the United States.

Nicholas Biddle

Was a previous president of the bank of the United States that worked to build a prosperous and stable base.

Hard Money

Gold and Silver backed all currency.

Jackson supported Hard Money.

Soft Money

More bank notes not backed by gold or silver.

Jackson’s Veto

Nicholas Biddle, with the help of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, submitted a bill to Congress that expedited the renewal of the Bank of United States’ charter.

Jackson vetoed it.

Removal of Government Despots

Jackson was determined to destroy the Bank.

When his secretary of the treasury advised against it, Jackson fired him.

Jackson’s Nickname (from the Bank War)

“Czar Nicholas”

Jackson Victorious

After Biddle terribly handled the Bank of the United State’s fund going to pet banks, the United States went into a recession.

Jacksonians blamed Biddle, and eventually Biddle’s allies turned to enemies. This ended any chance for the recharter of the Bank of the United States.

Charles River Bridge v . Warren Bridge - 1837

Dispute over two MA bridge companies over who could build the bridge across the Charles River.

Helped the Jacksonian ideal that monopolies were bad for the expansion of economic opportunity.

Roger B. Taney

Replaced John Marshall as Chief Justice.

Helped to change Marshall’s extreme nationalism.

Birth of The Whig Party

They denounced Jackson, referring to him as King Andrew I.

Democrats Emphasis on Opportunity

The Democrats believed that the government should have a limited role.

They were to refrain from making obstacles of opportunity, and remove the existing obstacles.

Locofocos

Faction of the Democrats consisting of working men, small businessmen, and professionals

Whiggery(political philosophy of the Whigs)

Emphasized the expansion of the federal government’s powers, encouraging industrial and commercial development, and consolidating the economic system.

Whig supporters

Merchants and manufacturers of the Northeast, wealthier planters of the south, and the ambitious farmers and commercial class of the West.

Anti-Masons Party

Movement against the Society of FreeMasons

Cultural Issues

Democrats: Irish and German Catholics

Whigs: Evangelical Protestants

The Great Triumvirate

Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Calhoun

Whigs were mainly loyal to these three dudes

Election of 1836

The Democrats were behind Martin Van Buren, chosen by Andrew Jackson.

The Whigs could not agree on one single candidate.

The Divide Whigs in 1836

Webster represented the party in New England; Hugh Lawson White of Tennessee ran in the South; and the former Indian fighter and hero of the War of 1812, William Henry Harrison, from Ohio, was the candidate in the middle states and the West.

Distribution Act

Surplus funds are to be given to the states each year in 4 quarterly installments as loans. These loans were never expected to be paid back.

Specie Circular

Payment for Public Lands the government would only accept gold or silver coins or currency securely backed by gold or silver. 

Panic of 1837

Banks and businesses fail, unemployment frew, riots broke out.

Price of land fell, and all of the land speculation from the years prior led to a depression.

The Democrats paid for it because Van Buren was President.

Independent Treasury

The Independent treasury/ subtreasury system replaced the Bank of the United States

The Log Cabin Campaign

The Whigs needed to rally behind one candidate for the presidential election.

It happened to be William Henry Harrison for President, and John Tyler for Vice president

New Techniques of Political Campaigning

The Penny Press spread news of the candidates to the populace.

The Whigs & Democrats presented themselves a that party of the common people.

William Henry Harrison Nickname

Old Tippecanoe

Whigs Break with Tyler

The Whigs had no real connection with John Tyler, and would read Tyler out of the party.

The Caroline Affair

The Canadians rebel against the British.

They charter a US ship.

The British destroy said ship, and kill an American in the process.

There are going tensions between US and Britain

War is somehow avoided

Aroostook War

Dispute over Canada and Maine border.

A bunch of lumberjacks got together and had a big brawl.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty - 1842

Established a firm northern boundary between the United States and Canada along the Main-New Brunswick Border.

Lord Ashburton

Along with Webster was vital in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.

Was from Great Britain, and admired America.

Treaty of Wang Hya - 1842

The US’s first diplomatic relation with China

The US enters trade relations with China