Age of Jackson and reform Flashcards
Andrew Jackson
1829-1837
- Associated with expansions of democracy, such as: Universal male suffrage, “open” party nominating concentions, and allowing citizens to vote for president rather than state legislatures.
- known for his violent tempermant and nicknamed old Hickory
Maysville Road Veto
1830
- Vetoed by President Andrew Jackson on the grounds that the central government did not have the power to fund such intrastate projects
- Proponents of the road argued for it as part of the cumberland national road system that would help build up the country
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Indian removal
1800s
- The US governments policy to relocate Indian tribes east of the Missisipi and move them out West
- Official legislation: THe “Indian Removal Act” was signed into law by President Jackson in 1830
- This represented a change in America’s previous policy (spearheaded by Jefferson) in which Indians could remain East as long as they assimilated with white American culture.
Peggy Eaton affair
o John Eaton was secretary of war- rumored to have affair with married daughter of tavern keeper
• Marries peggy after her 1st husband dies
• Other cabinet wives (led by Calhoun’s wife) refuse to entertain Peggy
• Jackson angry (same thing the cabinet wives did to this wife) and demands wives accept Peggy. They don’t listen so he fires cabinet
o Result: Calhoun fired and Van Buren becomes VP
• Hires “Kitchen Cabinet” – friends who talk about affairs
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
1831
- Cherokee resist Georgia’s attempt to remove them and take their case to the supreme court.
- John Marshall decides in their favor: cheokee are a dependant on the federal governemnt and therefore Georgia has no jurisdiction over them,
- President Jackson disrespects marshalls decision. Ultimately, the Cherokee are sent on the Trail of Tears
Antimasonic Party
1828
- Started in opposition to the Masons (a fraternity which started in the middle ages as a stone masons union and became an elite association)
- Rumors are spread that the masons are “evil” so people get scared
- The anti-masonic party was the first single issue party that aimed to become a major political faction.
South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification
1832
- SC legislature (led by John C. Calhoun) refuses to pay the tarrif of abominations and threatens to secede
- President Jackson threatens to invade SC adn hang Calhoun (even though he privately opposed tariffs)
- Both Sides back down:
- Congress lowers tarrif (term= Compromise Tarrif)
- SC agrees to pay
- Southerners tend to hate tariffs since they boost Northern Industry but make buying basic commodities more difficult.
Compromise Tariff
1833
- Also known as Tariff of 1833
- Reaction to SC Ordinance of Nullification in which SC refused to pay the Tariff of abominations. It pacified SC.
- This act gradually lowered Tariff rates until they fell to the levels in 1816
- This compromise was orchestrated by Henry Clay (“The Great Compromiser”) with help from John C. Calhoun.
Force Bill
1833
- Expands presidential power/ the executive branch.
- Intended to help President Andrew Jackson enforce Federal Tariffs.
- Response to the Nullification Crisis in which SC refused to pay the Tariff of Abominations
Whig Party
1833-1860
- Formed in opposition to Democratic President Andrew Jackson
- Supported supremacy of legislative branch over executive (which was becoming more powerful with the Force Bill).
- Practically: they weren’t much different from the democrats. they did support higher tariffs, internal improvements, industry, and a stronger central gov.
Martin Van Buren
1836
- Unpopular because of major financial crisis: Panic of 1837. Nicknamed “Martin Van Ruin”
- Won in the Election of 1836 as a Democrat against 3 Whigs (since their vote was split)
- Not particularly talented
Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
1837
- Supreme Court decision which settled a debate over the constitutional obligation of a contract.
- The Charles River Bridge Company had a charter from 1785 for a bridge over the Charles river.
- Massachusets gives charterto a different company to build Warren Bridge (connecting the same two towns and in very close proximity to the Charles River Bridge)
- Charles River Bridge sues, saying that the charter gave exclusive rights to their company. Supreme court disagrees and side with the Warren Bridge.
Trail of Tears
1830
Jackson determined to move all indians west of the missisipi
They attempt to resist but the US Army comes and forces them to move in a holocaust-like scenario, throwing people out of their homes
a ton of indians die on the joureny since they abused
Independent Treasury Act
1846 (-1921)
- Act: Store the federal governemennt money (=public revenue) in the US treasury instead of in the National Banking system.
- proposed by Democrats
- Goal: make sure treasury operations did not influence the money market. restrict reckless expansion of credit by the Bank.
- Possibly a reaction to the Panic of 1837
William Henry Harrison
1840
- War hero who wins in Election of 1840 vs. Van Buren
- Has a lot of campaign hoopla. Hands out goodies for voters who attend rallies.
- Is a real “tough guy,” on installation day, outisde in cold without coat- catches pnemonia and dies.
Nat Turner
1831
- Balck Slave leader who coordinated a rebellion
- killed 50 whites
- Hung by the state of virginia
- his rebellion ignites fear among southern white population and they take away even more rights from Blacks.
Lowell System
1826
- Industrial production model employed in the US textile industry
- The system utilized domestic labor “mill grils” who came from rural towns to board by the factory
- the girls boardinghouses were closely supervised
- System declined in mid-19th century as a cheaper immigrant labor force became available
Commonwealth v. Hunt
1842
- made clear that labor unions were legal
- important in context of the growing industrialization of the US where an unskilled immigrant labor force was often abused and underpayed
German and Irish immigration
1800s
- German Immigration: 1.3 million Germans in US by 1860 due to failed revolution in Germany. Settled in NY city and out West.
- Irish Immigration: due to the Great Irish Famine, over 1/2 million immigrate by 1850. many to NY city
Effects/reaction in US:
- Prejudice towards immigrants.
- Larger unskilled work force.
- The Order and Control Movement in the 1830s-40s to improve american education and absorb new immigrants- teach them how to act.
Clipper ships
1843
- Fast saling ships, armed with 3 or more masts.
- narrow and able to navigate
- the demand for the ship escalated with a growing market for tea imported from china and also with the goldrush in california
Transatlantic cable/telegraph
1858
- undersea cable along the floor of the atlantic ocean
- facilitated telegraph communication.
- dramatically reduced the time to send information (it used to take 10 days by ship)
Perry/Japan
- General Perry opens up trade with Japan
- example of nationalism and expanding economy/sphere of influence.
Reform movements
1800s
- In the age of Jackson, many reform movemnts sprung up including
- Temperance- against alchol
- abolitionism- against slavery
- education/order and control- making sure everyone had access to education and was taught how to behave.
- Women’s rights- giving women equal legal rights and educational oppurtunities
- Assylums and prisons- making them more humane
Utopian communities
mid-1800s
- Often founded by transcendtalists who hope to escape old fashioned rules.
- 3 famous ones including Brooke Farm, New Harmony, and Oneida
- The main principle is that everyone lives and works rogethor and shares profits (socialist)
- all of these communities end up failing
Oneida
early 1800s
- indians tribe that was one of five founding nations of Iroquois confedaracy
- orrigianlly live in NY but forced by US gov to resettle to Wisconsin
AND ALSO:
A widely condemned utopian community where townspeople engaged in open marriages and free love.
Brook Farm
1840s
- Utpoian experiment in communal living
- inspired by transcendentalism
- founded by a joint stock company which said that everyone would split profits and share the workload on the farm
- it burned down and was never revitalized from that point.
Women’s Rights/Seneca Falls
1848
- Women couldn’t vote, go to college and didn’t have many legal rights in divorce/marriage.
- Feminists hold the Seneca Falls convention where they compoese the “Declaration of Sentiments” to protest their lack of rights
Shakers
1780
- relgious sect which practiced celibacy
- engaged in enthusiastic worship with song and dance
- equality between the sexes
- advanced education system
Temperance Union
- Prohibition: Movement to make alcohol illegal since people used to drink a ton which lead to wife and child abuse and wastes money.
o American Society for the Promotion of Temperance 1826- urged people to sign pledge not to drink
protestants and rural people favor it (=wets) while Catholics, Jews and urbanites oppose it (=dries)
American Antislavery Society
1832
- Key Abolitionist group started by William Loyde Garrison
- 250, 0000 members by 1838
- Freerick Douglas, renown escaped slave and orator, often attends meetings.
- part of the growing trend of abolitionist movements. southerners have growing fears that radicals won’t heed the constitution and will do anything to stop slavery.
Horace Mann/Public Education
1837
o Horace Mann is secretary of Massachusetts board of education.
-Pushes for long school year with high teacher salaries.
oBut, by 1860 only 1/3 of white kids were enrolled in school
- Reforms to public education are partly a reaction to the The Age of Reform (1830’s-40’s) ————————awakened people to the need for order, control and structure as immigrants and industry flooded US
Liberty Party
1840s
- political party which was abolitionist
- advocated that constitution did NOT promote slavery
- merged into the Free Soil Party and then later with the repulican party in 1854 (Lincoln’s pary)
Mormon Church
1830
o Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
o Started by Joseph Smith
• Said Jesus spoke to him and said he could have multiple wives
• Said he was visited by an angel who shared The Book of Mormon with him- which held all these secrets
• Claimed all other Christianity was invalid- everyone hates them.
Lynch mob killed him
• Brigham Young takes over and brings people to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Emerson and Thoreau
1800s
- Prominent leaders of the transcendentalist movement.
- Transcendentalism was on 19th century philosophy of escaping rationalism, focusing on the individual and embracing nature. very supportive of reform movements.
- Emerson: Essay, “Nature” about quest for self fulfillment and communion/interaction with the natural world. great speaker
- Thoreau: Wrote “Walden” about living alone in nature. Wrote “Civil Disobedience” on nonviolent resistance (he refused to pay taxes since he dissaproved of Mexican War).
Seventh Day Adventist Church
1863
- Protestant church which observes saturday (not sunday) as their sabath
- emphasizes the imminent reappearance of Jesus
- influenced by the millerite movement (started by miller who believed the bible revealed when Jeses would reappear).
Elizabeth Blackwell
1849
- First female doctor
- Applies to Geneva Medical College. They admit her in as a joke but she comes anyway and then they have to let her stay
- part of the women’s rights movement
Texas secedes from Mexico
1836
- Texas is unhappy with laws by a new administration in mexico
- warfare betweeen texas and mexico begins in 1835 with the battle of gonzales
- texas in annexed by the US about 10 years later (1845)
John Tyler (death of Harrison)
1840
- Harrison dies 30 days after election from pneumonia
- Though Harrison was a Whig, Tyler acted like Democrat- opposing Clay’s American System and National Bank
- He is consequently thrown out of WHig party
