Unit 4: Jackson and the Age of Reform Flashcards
“Corrupt bargain”
1824 election saw no candidates get a majority. came down to Jackson vs. Adams
Henry Clay secured the presidency for Quincy Adams in exchange for getting support for its nationalist policies. denounced as a “corrupt bargain”, clay + quincy rep «<
Spoils System
Jackson’s purging of the cabinet gave rise to SS: filling USFG jobs with people loyal to the president’s party. this happened especially in Jackson’s pet banks - led to «_space;public opinion on gov workers
Maysville Road Veto
1830 veto of Clay + Calhoun bill authorizing USFG budget going to the construction of a Maysville-Lexington road
Jackson vetoed because it was local, not interstate, so not Congress’s problem
Indian Removal Act
1830 Jackson proposal to ignore previous treaties and move natives to reservations west of the Mississippi River (with promise of USFG support)
sacrificed native societies for new land acquisition - north opposed, south supported
Trail of Tears
1830-50 800 mile journey where Cherokees were evicted and moved west under cruel military guard (settlers later sold their land)
started with van Buren BUT sparked by the Indian Removal Act
Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia
1831 case = cherokees fought to remain in their land and retain their rights to use it
lost on a technicality, as Marshall said they were a “domestic-dependent” nation not a “foreign” nation
Worcester vs. Georgia
1832 case that involved Christian white missionaries living with the Cherokee on their land - Georgia state law forbade interactions between them
Cherokee people argued law had no weight because their nation = distinct political community with legal protection under treaties
SCOTUS agreed but Jackson refused to enforce, leading to the sale of Cherokee land
Jackson’s Bank Veto
the 2nd BUS was a private corporation with public responsibilities whose primary benefit was regulating state banks
Jackson hated this regulation, so when called upon to renew the charter before 1836, he refused even though it could’ve cost him the election
this put the future of the BUS in jeopardy (eventually leading to its shutdown in 1841)
Pet Banks
23 mostly western state banks run by Jackson’s allies
Jackson moved BUS funds to them shortly after his reelection, which angered Calhoun and Clay, leading them to establish the Whig Platform
Distribution Act
the 1836 act of distributing federal land sale revenue to state banks who would use the funds for internal improvements
Specie Circular
1836 Jackson action of only letting specie (coins) pay the USFG for land speculation
most transactions occurred in western states, so they got mad
the policy, along with the Distribution Act, led to a reduced supply of gold and silver, which triggered the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
a 7 year long economic depression under president van buren (though jackson triggered w/ bank veto, van got the blame)
a lower supply of currency (specie) led to banks (in states and in England) withdrawing loans, which reduced USFG spending
the absence of the BUS made things so much worse, as unregulated paper money distribution made it all worthless
Independent Treasury Act
1840 van Buren act whereby USFG moved funds from pet banks to US treasury
also said the USFG would only do business in specie (gold+silver coins)
state banks opposed, so repealed a year later - the economic distress it caused ensured Whig victory in the Election of 1840
Nullification Crisis
when SC nullified the Tariff of Abominations and Tariff of 1832 and threatened secession, Jackson saw it as begging for civil war - led to the Force Bill
Tariff of Abominations
1828 import tax on British cloth among other things
benefitted new england textiles but south got mad (led to reduced GB demand for southern cotton and increased GB product prices)
led to Calhoun’s SC Exposition
Calhoun’s South Carolina Exposition
1828 pamphlet that argued under circumstances with sectional bias, states could nullify (veto) unconstitutional USFG laws
led to appeasing Tariff of 1832 which did nothing b/c still had a tax on GB cloth
WEBSTER vs. Hayne Debate
US Constitution = people, NOT states, so state nullification undermines the Constitution
states’ independent actions act as secession from the Union
WON - gave the better speech - represented national authority
Webster vs. HAYNE Debate
Union = the states, so states should be able to nullify
independent states are more important than the preservation of the Union
LOST - his speech was worse - represented states’ rights
Force Bill
1833 authorization of presidential use of the army to compel states to comply with federal law
angered calhoun (“states’ rights”) but necessary as symbol of the Union’s priority
was signed alongside a long-term plan (compromise) to reduce tariffs which nixed tariff nullification efforts
Whig Platform (1840)
diverse BUT united around their hatred of Jackson (“king”)
called themselves Whigs b/c referenced the anti-monarchy Patriots in the American Revolution (Jackson referred to them as Federalists)
economic nationalists - pro manufacturing, BUS, and national road network
2nd party system = Whigs working class vs. Democrats upper class
“Log Cabin and Hard Cider”
a slogan used by the Whigs to boost their candidate and denounce Democrats
referred to Harrison (candidate) as a simple non-aristocrat unlike the rich van Buren
with their platform and slogans, the Whigs won the Election of 1840 easily in the biggest voter turnout ever seen so far
“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”
a slogan used by the Whigs in lieu of actual political stances
Tippecanoe referred to a battle Harrison (candidate) won, and Tyler referred to his vice president
Jacksonian Democracy and the “common man”
“universal suffrage” = voting rights for the white man
Jackson vowed to rule by the people but had little concern for those not given rights (minorities)
critics viewed his ideals as rowdy, uncivilized, and vulgar
Market Revolution
post war of 1812 quick expansion of econ + territory led to Market Revolution + development of a market economy
characterized by increased commercial agriculture, emergence of a factory system, and increased tariffs (which promoted industrialization to the detriment of the consumer)
Market Economy
performing activities / producing things for sale rather than consumption
fueled by slave and immigrant labor
internal improvements key for trade flow and western expansion BUT big debate over who should fund it (USFG? states? private companies?)
Roads during the Market Revolution
squo travel by stagecoach was slow and expensive…
market rev led to bigger wagons, better roads (paving them, adding “turnpikes”/tollgates), and new interstate roads (National Road, from atlantic coast west to IL, was funded by USFG)
made travel faster, less expensive, and more accessible
Steamboats during the Market Revolution
the market rev brought wood-fired steamboats to town, which were cheap and enabled 2-way river transport (ohio river, MS river, etc.)
they were cramped, dirty, and dangerous to ride on/operate
Canals during the Market Revolution
artificially connected regional trade at the cost of other regional economies
ex: erie canal connected Midwestern and neng trade while excluding the Deep South
led to higher land value, faster + cheaper transportation, and greater urban development
eventually usurped by railroads in the 1830s
