Chapter 11 - Jacksonian America - 1824-1840 Flashcards
When did the Era of Good Feelings Come to an End?
The 1824 Presidential Election
How many candidates ran in the 1824 Election?
Four.
List the Four Candidates who ran in the 1824 Election.
1) Andrew Jackson
2) John Quincy Adams
3) Henry Clay
4) William Crawford.
Who initially had the most electoral college votes in the 1824 election?
Andrew Jackson
Who won the 1824 Election?
John Quincy Adams.
Who crucially threw their support to John Quincy Adams?
The Speaker of the House Henry Clay.
Who did John Q. Adams name as Secretary of State?
Henry Clay.
What happened immediately following the 1824 election?
A cloud of corruption emerged alleging that political wheeling and dealing deprived Jackson of a popular presidency.
What did Adams do that angered and dismayed the populace?
1) A Huge Programs of Government Funded Spending on Internal Improvements.
2) Saying Inflammatory Things - (Be Like Europe, Don’t Listen to the People, To Oppose This is Treachery.)
3) The Tariff of 1828
What did the Tariff of 1828 do?
It increased the tariff rate from 20% to around 45% for some goods.
What did Southerns call the Tariff of 1828?
The Tariff of Abominations.
Who led the Southern Charge Against the Tariff of 1828?
John C. Calhoun.
What were Adam’s Chances of Re-Election in 1828?
Poor. Congress Ignored Most of His Policy and The Tariff of 1828 and allegations of corruption sank his shot.
What typified the American Political Philosophy after 1820?
A faith in the common man and a greater support for democracy.
Did the structure of government change or did the focus and terminology change?
The focus and terminology changed. People were thinking about democracy.
Describe the average post-1820 leader.
1) Self-Made Men and Rugged.
2) Embodied the Nationalist-Sectionalist Tension of the Era.
Name a few key members of the Democratic Political Movement.
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Andrew Jackson.
What helped fuel this democratic political culture?
1) A massive increase in voters.
2) Mass Political Campaigns With Free Food and Liquor
3) More Newspapers and Greater Circulation
4) Political Parties Cultivated Voter Turnout
5) A flourishing Economy Helped More People Assert Themselves in Politics Through Upward Mobility.
How much did voter turnout increase and why did it matter?
78% of White Males Voted in the 1840 election compared to 27% in the 1824 election. An expansion of suffrage rights that did away with the property requirement.
What is the fundamental democratic assumption?
Every man is as capable and wise as the next man.
Why did Andrew Jackson gain fame as a war hero?
For his success at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812.
What platform was Andrew Jackson the first to use?
A Washington Outsider platform where he promised to clean up the corruption in Washington and Throw the Rascals Out.
What was the key backdrop of the election of 1828?
The “rigged” election of 1824.
What political belief did Jackson embrace that the Founding Fathers rejected?
A faith in absolute democracy and majoritarian rule.
What insults were hurled at Adams and Jackson?
Adams - a Pimp for the Russian Czar While a Diplomat
Jackson - His wife was accused of bigamy.
Who won the 1828 Presidential Election and How Large Was the Margin of Victory?
Andrew Jackson; A Landslide.
How much did voter turnout change between 1824 and 1828?
It doubled.
What group of people did Jackson capitalize on?
The common people and men.
How did men like Jackson cast me like Adams?
As beholden to the commercial interests, the banking industry, and Eastern Manufacturers.
Who won the election of 1832?
Andrew Jackson.
Who was Andrew Jackson’s handpicked successor?
His vice-president Martin Van Buren.
Who won the presidency in 1836?
Martin Van Buren.
What is the Twelve Year Period Ushered in by this election?
Jacksonian Democracy/The Age of the Common Man.
Who is the only President to serve in the House of Representatives afterward?
John Quincy Adams.
Where does Jackson rank in the assessment of his presidency by historians?
Consistently in the top eight.
How was Jackson portrayed for her aggressive policies?
As King Andrew or American Napoleon
What are the two views among historians in regards to the benefits of Jackson’s presidency?
1) Jackson did a great thing and helped create a better environment for democracy.
2) Jackson was a charismatic guy who was totally unqualified to President and whose gut led him to make a ton of wrong decisions.
What are the Key Issues in the Jackson Administration Ranked in Order of Importance?
1) Jackosnian Democracy
2) Redefining the Office of the President
3) The Bank Fight
4) Indian Removal
5) The Nullification Crisis
6) The Spoils System/Kitchen Cabinet
What two new items are introduced into national politics by Jacksonian Democracy?
1) The Spoils System
2) The Kitchen Cabinet
What was the Spoils System?
Jackson replaced government employees with his supporters.
How many government employees had Jackson replaced by the time his first term was over?
20% of them.
What was new about Jackson’s motif for rotating officers?
He thought that rotation was necessary as long terms, in his view led to corruption. He implemented the first bureaucratic “term limits”.
What was the Kitchen Cabinet?
Jackson ignored his actual cabinet and instead trusted old friends and cronies who had little national political experience.
How did Jackson revolutionize the office of the President?
He believed that the President should dominate the federal government since he was the only holder of a national constituency.
What actions did Jackson take to utilize his power as the only official with a national constituency?
1) Vetoed Legislation Based on Dislike (12 Vetoes in First Term)
2) Used federal soldiers to forcefully break up a labor union strike.
How did Andrew Jackson continue with Federal Projects?
He was for smaller government but continued projects that had a truly national benefit. He vetoed projects that only benefited a single part of the country.
What is the most important legacy of the Jackson Administration?
His redefinition of the Presidency as a spokesman of the majority’s will.
Was Andrew Jackson an instigator of the New Democratic spirit or was Jackson simply a symbol of it?
Spinney Thinks: A Symbol
Other (A Minority of) Historians: The Instigator
What greater impact did the Bank Fight have?
It redefined the powers of the President of the United States.