Jacksonian Democracy

Transcription

1 Jacksonian Democracy

2 Jackson vs. Adams The Election of 1824 With the breakdown of the Caucus system for choosing candidates, four Republican candidates campaigned for the presidency John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson Jackson won more popular and electoral votes than anybody but did not have the majority of electoral votes needed to win the election so it went to the house of representatives Main contenders were Adams and Jackson so Henry Clay used his influence in Congress to give Adams the election and was later appointed Sec of State This is the corrupt bargain

3 President John Quincy Adams Angered Congress by asking for money for internal improvements, to aid manufacturing, and other projects (a national university and astronomical observatory) Seen as a waste of money in Congress and a violation of the Constitution (not listed under powers of the federal government) Tariff of 1828 satisfied northern manufacturers but alienated southern planters called Tariff of Abominations by its critics Raised tariff to over 45% on average Southerners were more likely to purchase imported goods than northerners because of transportation issues

4 Revolution of 1828 Campaigning tactics changed to mudslinging including attacking the wives of the candidates Adams wife supposedly born out of wedlock and Jackson s wife having an affair (with Jackson himself she was married previously but did not have a finalized divorce) Voter turnout increased 300% for the election Jackson won easily carried every state west of the Appalachians reputation as a war hero and a man of the frontier rather than his positions on the issues earned him the election

5 Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy Rise of a democratic society Informal manners and democratic attitudes existed across all classes Class system difficult to distinguish Equality becoming the governing principle of American society Mostly equality of opportunity among white males Hero of the age was the self made man

6 Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy Politics of the Common Man Universal Male Suffrage Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818) and Missouri (1821) allowed all white males to vote and hold office no religious or property qualifications Most Eastern states soon changes their constitutions to allow universal white male suffrage and office eligibility In 1824, 350,000 votes cast for president. In 1840, 2.4 million Party Nominating Conventions King Caucus a closed door meeting of a party s leader s in Congress is who used to nominate candidates for office 1830s caucuses replaced by nominating conventions party leaders and voters would gather in a meeting hall to nominated a candidate Anti-Masons held the first

7 Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy Politics of the Common Man (continued) Popular election of the president By 1832 voters chose presidential electors (only South Carolina used old system of having state legislature choose the electors) Two-party system National campaigns needed to be conducted with the popular election of electors so large political parties were needed Rise of third-parties Anti-Masons Attacked the secret society of the Mason s accusing them of belonging to a privileged, anti-democratic elite

8 Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy Politics of the Common Man (continued) More elected offices Fewer appointments and more elected offices which led to increased voter interest and participation Popular campaigning Appealed to the common man Parades, bands, large rallies voters were treated to food and drink But, in trying to appeal to the masses, candidates would often downplay the issues and resort to personal attacks such as an opponent s aristocratic airs to make him seem unfriendly to the common man

9 Key parts of the Jacksonian Democracy Politics of the Common Man (continued) Spoils system and rotation of office holders Under Jackson, federal jobs went to those who had actively campaigned for the Democratic party only non-democrats were replaced To have the maximum number of Democrats in office, Jackson limited a person s tenure of office to one term and when it was up, would appoint another deserving Democrat in his place Both served to further the Democratic ideal that one man is as good as another and helped to further the two-party system

10 Andrew Jackson s Presidency Personal characteristics Born on the frontier so seen as a symbol of the working class also no college education War hero from the Battle of New Orleans Plantation and slave owner in Tennessee Widower his wife, Rachel, died after the election but before he took office he blamed Adams for her death Role of the President Interpreted the powers of the president very narrowly and vetoed more bills (12) than all of the previous presidents Used a group of advisors that were not a part of his official cabinet the kitchen cabinet so that the appointed cabinet had less power and influence than under other presidents

11 Andrew Jackson s Presidency Peggy Eaton More mudslinging wife of Jackson s sec of war target of gossip about her having an affair Jackson demanded that she be accepted socially In response most of the cabinet resigned and were replaced A year later, vice-president John C. Calhoun also resigned (partly due to this issue, partly to others) and was replaced by Martin Van Buren Indian Removal Act (1830) Sympathized with whites who felt it was their destiny and right to expand westward Jackson thought Indians should give up their traditional homelands and resettle west of the Mississippi Act forced the removal of most eastern tribes (by 1835 most were gone) 1836 Bureau of Indian Affairs created to assist those who resettled

12 Andrew Jackson s Presidency Indian Removal Act (1830) (continued) States also passed similar laws some of which were challenged Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) Supreme court ruled that the Cherokee were not a foreign nation and therefore not allowed to sue in federal court Worcester v. Georgia (1832) Supreme Court ruled that Georgia laws did not apply in Cherokee territory Jackson angered by Supreme Court rulings and sided with the states said John Marshall has made his ruling, now let him enforce it Trail of tears Most Cherokees ignore the resettlement order and were left alone until 1838 (after Jackson left office) Then US Army forcibly removed 15,000 Cherokees from Georgia and forced them to march from Georgia to Oklahoma/Kansas area Hardships were so great that 4,000 died on the march

13 Andrew Jackson s Presidency Nullification Crisis Jackson favored states rights but also favored the union 1828, SC declared the Tariff of 1828 (the tariff of abominations) unconstitutional John C. Calhoun had said that if a federal law was unconstitutional, then states did not have to abide by it nullification theory they could declare it null and void Webster-Hayne Debates Daniel Webster (Mass.) states could not defy or leave the union Robert Hayne (S.C.) states could because the US was essentially a confederation of states the states consented to be a part of the Union and could reverse their consent 1832 Convention in S.C. that nullified the Tariff of 1828 as well as the Tariff of 1832 Jackson angered and Sec of War prepared for military action

14 Andrew Jackson s Presidency Nullification Crisis (continued) Congress passed a Force Bill which allowed the president to take military action in South Carolina Jackson issued the Proclamation to the People of South Carolina stated that nullification and disunion were treason A compromise was possible Jackson kept troops out of the issue: Congress should lower the tariff South Carolina postponed then rescinded the nullification when congress enacted a new tariff similar to what Jackson had proposed South also gained support when president took a stand against the anti-slavery movement in the north by prohibiting antislavery literature from being delivered through the mail The south could trust the president to NOT extend benefits of democracy to African Americans