1. Andrew Jackson: The Common
Man’s President

2. Andrew Jackson: Man of the Common Man
•
Andrew Jackson was a SELF-MADE man
– He grew up poor with his two brothers and
single mother (His father died)
– Loved sports, hot-tempered, liked to have fun
•
He went to work for a law firm to learn how to be a
lawyer, he didn’t go to college
•
Bought land and slaves, became plantation
owner
•
He was a military general and became a national
hero at the Battle of New Orleans
•
He entered politics when he was about 30 yrs old
as a Representative and a Senator

3. Where Jackson grew
up
Battle of New
Orleans

6. Jackson’s Style of President:
The Spoil’s System
• Jackson believed that changing the people in
government jobs would be more democratic and fair
• Jackson replaced many of the Republicans in the
government with his loyal Democratic supporters
– People who had given money to his campaign
– Loyal friends
– Democratic Party members that worked hard during
his campaign.
• His opponents said Jackson was abusing his power and
playing favorites by picking his friends and supporters.
– Jackson was not picking the best person for the job

7. Jackson’s Style of President:
The Kitchen Cabinet
• Jackson would go to his trusted friends and
political supporters for advise on how to run
the government, instead of his official
cabinet
– They met in the White House kitchen so
they were known as the “kitchen cabinet”
• The Republicans felt that Jackson was
getting poor advise and would made bad
decisions for the country because of it.

10. The Nullification Crisis
• In 1828 Congress passed a law
increasing TARIFFS to help the growth
of American manufacturing
• Southern states felt the tariff was unfair
– It played favorites with Northern states
and hurt the South which was
unconstitutional
• John C. Calhoun wanted to NULLIFY
the law
• Andrew Jackson tried to work with the
South and signed a law that lowered
the tariff in 1832

11. The Nullification Crisis
• It was not enough for John C.
Calhoun, so he and South
Carolina threatened to SECEDE
if the national government tried
to enforce the tariff laws
• Jackson was furious at the
threat and asked Congress to
pass the Force Bill which would
give him the right to use the
Army to enforce the tariff
• John C. Calhoun and South
Carolina backed down and
accepted the lower tariffs

12. One step more and it will be
within my grasp!
A glorious prize, how
bright it looks. Keep
steady my friend you shall
be exalted!
A little farther Cal!! And
we are safe.
Stop! You have gone
too far. Or by the
Eternal, I’ll hang you
all!
I tell you what neighbor, I
won’t stand it, they are putting
too much on us.
We must bear the
burden, brother.

14. Jackson and the United States
Bank
• The bank was needing to be renewed in 1836
• As the President of the Common man, Andrew
Jackson distrusted the Bank of the United States and
set out to “slay the monster”
– He vetoed a bill from Congress to renew the bank
in 1832
– He took out all the money the government had
deposited in the bank and put it into state banks
• The banks charter expired in 1836 and it closed down

18. Indian Removal Act
• Land-Hungry Whites go west
(southern cotton plantation
owners).
• Gold is found in Georgia. Georgia
tries to force the Cherokee out of
land.
• In 1830 Jackson signed the Indian
Removal Act which forced the
tribes to move from the South to
Indian territory in Oklahoma

19. Supreme Court Worcester v. Georgia
Samuel Worcester
John
Ross
• Cherokee take their
case to Supreme
Court in 1831
• Worcester v.
Georgia  Chief
Justice John
Marshal rules in
favor of Cherokee.
Georgia can’t
force them to move
out.

20. Trail of Tears
•
Jackson ignores the Supreme
Court ruling and sends the army
to Georgia.
•
The Creek and the Cherokee
resisted until they were removed
by force
•
In 1838, the U.S. Army was used
to remove 17,000 Cherokee
from their lands in Georgia
– They were not given time to
get their things together
– They were forced by the
troops into holding pens to
be held like animals

21. Trail of Tears
• They were then
forced to walk
about 1,000 miles
to Indian Territory.
• 4,000 of them
died from
starvation, disease
, injuries, and
exhaustion.