The document discusses key events and developments during Andrew Jackson's presidency from 1829-1837. It summarizes that Jackson's presidency expanded democracy by allowing more white men to vote. It led to the growth of new political parties like the Democrats and Whigs. Though Jackson aimed for equal rights, events like the Nullification Crisis and Indian Removal highlighted regional divisions between the North and South. The document also summarizes Jackson's battles with the Bank of the United States and the economic Panic of 1837 that occurred at the end of his presidency.
3. New Voters
• Many lived in the frontier states—life there
had encouraged a democratic spirit—many
prospered through hard work—more equality
there and voting requirements dropped—any
white man over the age of 21 could vote.
4. New Political Parties
• Growing number of voters helped spark the
growth of new political parties—by 1832 two
new parties had formed
5. • --The Whigs—supporters of J. Q. Adams—a
name they took from a political party in
England that opposed King George III –they
called Jackson “King Andrew I”.
Wealthier, more aristocratic
families, commercially ambitious –expanding
federal government power-Southern
planters, ambitious farmers and rising
commercial class of the west
6. • --The Democrats—supporters came from
frontier states in the West, and craft workers
and factory workers in the East. Opposed
legislation establishing the bank, corporations
and other modern institutions—support from
smaller merchants, and workingmen of the
Northeast, some southern planters suspicious
of industrial growth, and westerners who
favored agrarian economy
7. The Dorr Rebellion
• With change comes resistance—mainly peaceful
but there are exceptions: Dorr’s rebellion.
• In Rhode Island a conservative group held off
change until Thomas Dorr organized a political
party known as the “Peoples Party”, held a
convention, drafted a new constitution and
submitted it to a popular vote which passed.
• The existing legislature refused to accept it.
• In 1842 Rhode Island had 2 governments and the
old started to imprison members of the Peoples
Party.
8. • Even though Dorr’s rebellion had failed, it did
spur the legislature on to the broaden the
number of people who were eligible to vote.
• It illustrated just how far people would go to
extend voting rights
9. Caucuses and nominating conventions
• The democratic spirit of the time changed the
way of choosing candidates for presidents.
• Caucus—a private meeting
• Nominating conventions—delegates from
each state went to their party’s conventions
and selected the party’s candidate for
President
10. Jackson’s theory of Democracy
• “equal protection and equal benefits” to all its
white male citizens and favored no region or
class over another
• An assault against who?
11. The Spoils System
• “To the Victor belong the Spoils”
• Established the right of elected officials to
appoint their own followers to public office—
an established feature of American politics
today
• Jackson seldom met with his official cabinet—
instead relied on advice from his Kitchen
Cabinet—democratic leader and newspaper
editors—a motley crew
12. 3 Major events
• The Nullification Crisis
• The Removal of the Indians
• The National Bank
13. The Nullification Crisis
• John C. Calhoun’s theory of Nullification
• Since the federal government was a creation
of the states, the states themselves, not
congress or the courts, were the final arbiters
of the constitutionality of federal laws.
• (Kentucky-Virginia Resolution)
14. • This stemmed from the Tariff of 1828—highest
in history,--Tariff of Abominations
• Calhoun raised a serious question: Could the
states limit the power of the federal
government?
• States Rights—the right of the states to limit
the power of the Federal government.
15. Webster-Hayne Debate
• The South and the West were both “victims of
the tyranny of the Northwest” –Robert Hayne
• “Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and
inseparable”—Daniel Webster
16. • Many southerners hoped that Jackson would
support states right.
• “Our Federal Union—it must be preserved”-
Jackson
• “The Union –next to our Liberty, most dear” –
Calhoun
• Calhoun resigns
17. • Congress passed a new tariff in 1832—slightly
lowered than the Tariff of Abomination but
South Carolina was not satisfied and passed
the Nullification Act—declared the tariffs of
1828 and 1632 illegal.
• South Carolina prepared to defend itself and
threatened to secede
18. The Force Bill
• Jackson not happy
• Supported a compromise tariff proposed by
Henry Clay
• Passed the Force Bill—a bill that allowed the
President to use the army to enforce the law
• Because of Jackson’s strong leadership, the
Nullification Crisis passed, but the differences
between the North and South would only
increase
19. Removal of the Indians
• A changing of attitude toward the Indians—
Jefferson’s attitudes?
• Noble savages with an inherent dignity to
savages who not only were uncivilized but
were uncivilizable.
• Whites should not be expected to live in close
proximity to them.
• Endless conflict
• Whites insatiable desire for territory
20. • By the 1820’s only about 125,000 Indians still lived east
of the Mississippi—five nations lived on the fertile land
of the Southeast—basically the white man wanted the
land for cotton.
• The United States Supreme Court ruled that the
Cherokee Nation was a dependent nation with the
United States—Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
• Worcester v. Georgia--Marshall ruled in favor of the
Indians
• “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him
enforce it”
22. • Alternatives to the removal of the Indians
• No realistic ones
• In theory some alternatives—examples of the
2 groups living peacefully together—Pueblos
of the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest,
during the Lewis and Clark expeditions,
sometimes these close contacts between the
two were beneficial to both
23. Bank of the United States
• The bank was a mighty institution by the
1830’s.
• It provided credit
• It issued bank notes
• It served as a dependable medium of
exchange
• It restrained the less well managed states
banks
24. Jackson Battles the Bank
• Objections:
• The Bank of the United States controlled loans
made by State banks. When the BOUS directors
felt that state banks were making too many risky
loans, they cut back on the money these banks
could loan. The cutbacks hurt farmers, merchants
and others who wanted to borrow money.
Westerners especially suffered because they
wanted loans to help finance new farms and
businesses.
25. • Jackson also objected to the way the Bank was
run. And he hated Nicolas Biddle, the
president of the bank. He stood for everything
Jackson and the Democrats mistrusted—
educated, rich and from a prominent family.
• Bank was made an issue in the 1832
election—Bank charter was issued—Jackson
vetoed the bill and won reelection easily.
26. Pet Banks
• Jackson ordered his sec. of treasury to
withdraw all the federal money out of the
bank and deposit into states banks.
• The loss of federal money crippled the Bank of
the US and it also helped to cause an
economic crisis in 1837
27. Panic of 1837
• Several factors caused the Panic
• --besides the tariff, land sales were the main
source of government income—millions of
acres of land in the west—farmers bought
some land but speculators bought more.
• --speculators borrowed from state banks—
state banks printed money not backed by gold
or silver to meet demand. Paper money
became less valuable
28. • President Jackson became alarmed at the wild
land speculation so he ordered the Specie
Circular– meaning anyone buying public land
had to pay with gold or silver.
• Everyone rushed to banks to exchange their
paper money for gold and silver and ….
• The price of cotton fell …
29. • As a result more banks failed, business
slowed, and the nation plunged into a deep
economic depression.
• 90% of the nation’s factories were
closed, thousands out of work, hungry crowds
broke into warehouse and stole food.
• Martin Van Buren was the President now—
Martin Van Ruin
30. The Election of 1840
• The Whigs had learned a lesson from their
defeats by Jackson. To win a presidential
election they needed the vote of the common
people.
• William Henry Harrison and John Tyler
• “Tippecanoe and Tyler too”
• The Log Cabin Campaign
• John Tyler—disgruntled Democrat—but not
trusted by Whigs
31. Jackson’s Legacy
• His Presidency marked a time of loosening
political restrictions
• Democracy expanded
• Political parties viewed differently—a
contribution to democracy
• He was a party man—the Democrats, a
regional man—the West, he restrained the
role of the Federal government in economic
affairs, and a nationalist