Chapter 10: The Age of Jackson 1824-1844 Flashcards
1
Q
Rise of Democratic Society
A
- When Europeans visited they noticed American society was very informal
- Men and women ate together
- There was only one class of passenger on steamboats and railroad cars
- hard to distinguish between classes of people;all wore similar clothing
- equality became a governing principle of American society among the white men
2
Q
Equality of Opportunity
A
Wide-held belief of the people in America (just for white males)
- Black slaves coexisted with blacks
- allowed a young man of humble origins to rise as far as his native talent would bring him, “self-made man”
- No equivalent belief for women
3
Q
Politics of the Common Man
A
- politics moved out of fine homes of rich planters and merchants
- white males of lower and middle classes began to vote in large numbers
factors for the spreading of democracy:
- white males of lower and middle classes began to vote in large numbers
- new state suffrage laws enabled more citizens to vote
- changes in political parties and campaign methods
- improved education
- increases in newspaper circulation helped
4
Q
Universal Male Suffrage
A
- western states recently admitted: Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), Missouri (1821) wrote their constitutions so all white males could vote and hold office
- didn’t include any religious or property qualifications, trend continued east
- voting numbers rose
5
Q
Party Nominating Conventions
A
- Caucuses were replaced by nominating conventions in the 1830s
- Party politicians and voters would gather in a large meeting hall to nominate the party’s candidate
- More open to popular participation, hence more democratic
6
Q
Popular Election of President
A
Every state except South Carolina adopted a new method (more democratic) of allowing voters to choose a state’s slate of presidential electors
7
Q
Two-Party System
A
popular election of presidential electors had important consequences for two-party system, campaigns had to be conducted on a national scale, large political parties needed
8
Q
Rise of Third Parties
A
While only two major parties could win (Democrats and Whigs) other parties emerged, Anti-Masonic and Workingmen’s party
9
Q
More Elected Offices
A
much larger number of state and local officials were elected to office, instead of being appointed as in the past, gave the voters more voice
10
Q
Popular Campaigning
A
- candidates directed their campaigns to the interests of the common people
- politics became popular entertainment activity:
- parades, people given free food and drink
- there was a negative side to new techniques: - -
- candidates would result to personal attacks and downplay the issues
11
Q
Spoils System
A
Candidates (specifically Jackson) would give away government jobs in return for party loyalty (Democratic)
- Promoted government corruption
- Andrew Jackson believed in appointing people to federal jobs strictly according to whether they had actively campaigned for the Democratic Party
- Any previous holder of the office who was not a Democrat was fired and replaced by a loyal Democrat
12
Q
Election of 1824
A
- Era of Good Feelings had ended with this election
- There were four candidates John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, Andrew Jackson
- Jackson ended up winning the popular vote and electoral vote but didn’t win majority and could not win the electoral
- House had to chose the winner
- Henry Clay used influence to push Adams to win and
when Adams won he appointed Clay Secretary of State - Jackson believed that the voters were being political convinced on changing their votes for Adams and called it a “corrupt bargain”
13
Q
President John Quincy Adams
A
- in his presidency, alienated followers of Jackson when he asked Congress for money for internal improvements, aid to manufacturing, and even a national university and observatory
- Jacksonian’s viewed it as a waste of money and a violation of the Constitution
- in 1828 Congress created a new tariff law which made northern manufactures very happy but alienated southerners
- this tariff caused a lot of problems for Adams
14
Q
Revolution of 1828
A
- Jacksonians used discontent of southerners and westerners to sweep “Old Hickory” (Jackson) into office
- resorted to smearing president and his wife Adams’ and claiming Adams wife was born out of wedlock
- Adams supporters retaliated and accused Jackson’s wife of adultery
- three times number of votes as result of mudslinging
- Jackson won carrying every state west of the Appalachians
- his reputation as a war hero and a man of the western frontier helped him win the election
15
Q
Presidency of Andrew Jackson
A
Jackson was a different kind of president:
- Jackson was strong leader
- Became symbol of working and middle class
- Gained fame in Battle of New Orleans
- Became a wealthy planter and slave owner
- But never lost rough manners of frontier and had a violent temper
- He was the first since Washington without college education
- Basically can be described as a “extraordinary ordinary man”
16
Q
Presidential Power
A
- Jackson was representative of all people, protector of the common man, frugal Jeffersonian, opposed increasing federal spending and national debt, interpreted Congressional powers narrowly, vetoed more bills than all vetoes of previous presidents
- He vetoed Maysville Road because it was wholly within one state, Kentucky
- Jackson’s Kitchen Cabinet was a group of politicians who did not officially belong to his official cabinet
- members had little influence on policy
17
Q
Peggy Eaton Affair
A
- The wife of Jackson’s secretary of war was target of gossip of other cabinet members’ wives, like Jackson’s wife had experienced
- They considered her an adulteress
when Jackson forced cabinet to be social with her, they resigned - John C. Calhoun (VP) resigned also due to controversy replaced with Martin Van Buren in his 2nd term
18
Q
Indian Removal Act (1830)
A
- Jackson’s concept of democracy did not extend to American Indians
- Jackson sympathized with land hungry white settlers, Jackson believed most humane situation with Native Americans was to move them west
- This act forced resettlement of many thousands of Native Americans
- By 1835 most eastern tribes had reluctantly complied and moved west
- The Bureau of Indian Affairs was created in 1836 to assist the tribes moved under the Indian Removal Act
- Many politicians agreed with policies
- Georgia and other states passes laws requiring Cherokees to migrate West
- the Cherokees challenged Georgia in the courts
- Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831): Supreme Court
ruled that Cherokees were not a foreign nation with
the right to sue in a federal court
- But in a second case; Worcester v. Georgia (1832) Supreme Court ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within the boundaries of the Cherokee territory, Jackson sided with the states
19
Q
Trail of Tears
A
The tragic journey of the Cherokee people from their home land to Indian territory between 1838 and 1839, thousands of Cherokees died.
20
Q
Nullification Crisis
A
- 1828 South Carolina legislature declared Tariff of Abominations to be unconstitutional
- affirmed theory of Calhoun
- 1830 Jackson declared the Union needed to be saved
- In 1832 when South Carolina had secession convention Jackson prepared military action
- He declared nullification and disunion were treason
- In 1833 he solved it;Jackson offered to lower the tariff and crisis was over
21
Q
Bank Veto
A
- Bank was privately owned, received federal deposits and attempted to serve a public purpose by cushioning the ups and downs of the national economy, managed effectively by Nicholas Biddle (Bank President)
- his arrogance made it seem the bank abused its powers
- Jackson believed the Bank of the United States was unconstitutional
- Clay favored the bank, challenged Jackson on bank issue
- Clay persuaded Congress to pass a bank-recharter bill, – Jackson vetoed it, condemned it as a private monopoly that enriched the wealth and foreigners
- Jackson won convincingly in election, condemning “hydra of corruption
22
Q
The Two Party System
A
- Supporters of Jackson were known as Democrats
- Supporters of Henry Clay were Whigs
- Democrats resembled Jefferson’s party
- Whigs resembled Federalists
- parties reflected changing conditions of Jacksonian era
- both parties challenged with relentless movement west
23
Q
Democrats
A
- The party of tradition (agriculture)
- Looked backward to the past.
- Spoke to the fears of Americans
- Opposed banks and corporations as. state-legislated economic privilege.
- Opposed state-legislated reforms and preferred individual freedom of choice
- Were Jeffersonian agrarians who favored farms and rural independence and the right to own slaves.
- Favored rapid territorial expansion over space by purchase or war.
- Believed in progress through external growth.
- Democratic ideology of agrarianism, slavery, states rights, territorial expansion was favored in the South
24
Q
Whigs
A
- The party of modernization
- Looked forward to the future
- Spoke to the hopes of Americans
- Wanted to use federal and state government to promote economic growth, especially transportation and banks
- Advocated reforms such as temperance and public schools and prison reform
- Were entrepreneurs who favored industry and urban growth and free labor
- Favored gradual territorial expansion over time and opposed the Mexican War
- Believed in progress through internal growth
- Whig ideology of urbanization, industrialization, federal rights, commercial expansion was favored in the North.
25
Democrat Favored Issues
- local rule
- limited government
- free trade
- equality economic opportunity for white males
26
Democrat Opposed Issues
- monopolies
- a national bank
- high tariffs
- high land prices
27
Whig Favored Issues
- Clay's American system
- national bank
- federal funding of internal improvements
- protective tariff
28
Whig Opposed Issues
- immorality
- vice and crime
- some blamed on immigrants
29
Democrat Voter Base
- southerners
- westerners
- small farmers
- urban workers
30
Whig Voter Base
- New Englanders
- residents of mid-Atlantic
- upper mid-West states
- Protestants of old English stock
- middle class urban professionals
31
Mid- 19th Century Political Crisis
Disputes over slavery in the territories first erode, then destroyed what had become America's second two-party system. The erosion began in the 1840s as various factions opposed to the post-Jackson Democratic political coalition begin to form. Third parties reveal conflicts. The third two-party system will solidify in the 1850s.
32
Anti-Masonic Party
- Fear of cults, fear of freemasons, fear of secret societies and fraternities
- The first third party in America
- Introduced nominating parties and conventions which were embraced by the main parties
- More regional, starting in NY, in New England, most blended into American Party
33
Liberty Party
- Run abolitionist candidate James Birney, for president in
1844
- Won only 2% of the vote but drew votes from the Whigs,
especially in New York
34
Free Soil Party
- Not abolitionist but opposed to expansion of slavery in the territories.
- Won 10% of the popular vote with Martin Van Buren as their candidate in 1848.
- Lost 50% of their support in 1852 when their candidate
repudiated the Compromise of 1850
35
Whigs
Split over slavery into:
- Southern, "Cotton" Whigs who eventually drifted into the Democratic Party.
- Northern, "Conscience" Whigs who moved to new parties, i.e. Free Soil and, later, into the Republican Party.
36
American Party
- Popularly known as the "Know Nothing" Party.
- Nativist party based on opposition to immigration and on temperance
- Run Millard Fillmore in 1856 and win 21% of the popular vote
- Absorbed into the Republican Party after 1856
37
Third Parties
Created because of the separation on issues like slavery, immigration, and sectionalism
38
Pet Banks
- Jackson killed bank by withdrawing all its federal funds
- aided by Roger Taney
- they placed money into various state banks
39
Specie Circular
- prices for land and goods had been badly inflated
- Jackson hoped to check the inflationary trend by issuing a presidential order
- required all future purchases of federal lands be made in gold and silver rather than banknotes
- caused financial crisis (the Panic of 1837)
40
Election of 1836
- Jackson did not seek a third term
- Persuaded Democratic party to nominate Martin Van Buren
- Jackson wanted to make sure his policies were being
carried out
- Whig Party was scared of losing and nominate three candidates
- Van Buren received 58% of the electoral vote, thus winning the election
41
President Van Buren and the Panic of 1837
- The minute Van Buren took office the country went into a financial crisis
- Caused by Jackson's opposition to re-charting the National Bank
- Whigs blamed the Democrats for their laissez-faire economics
- the government had little involvement in the economy
42
Log Cabin and Hard Cider Campaign of 1840
- In the election 1840 voters were unhappy with bad state of the economy
- Whigs were better organized, had popular war hero (William Henry "Tippecanoe" Harrison) as their candidate
- To symbolize William Henry Harrison's humble beginnings they put up log cabins on wheels and parading them through the streets, passed out cider for voters to drink
- Name-calling and attacking very popular in this election
- attacked "Martin Van Ruin" by calling him a aristocrat
- Harrison took 53% of popular vote and most electoral votes
- Election established Whigs as a National Party
- Harrison died of pneumonia less than a month after taking office
- "His Accidency" John Tyler succeeded to the presidency
- proved to be not much of a Whig:
- vetoed Whigs' national bank bills
- favored southern and expansionist Democrats
during balance of term
- Jacksonian era was in its last stage
