Chapter 10

Triumph of White Man’s Democracy

Democratic Society

The common man was just as good, just as equal as anyone else

This idea surprised foreign visitors who thought of themselves as the elite in their own countries

Equality appeared to be the governing principle of American society

There were no special privileges because of family connections

We had social classes, but the lines were not as rigid as in other societies

There was upward and downward mobility in the U.S.

This democratic principle was most obvious in politics

By 1820s most states had removed the last barriers to voting allowing all white adult males to vote

Many more public officials were elected rather than appointed

With more men gaining the right to vote, they became more involved with politics

They would vote for someone who cared about their needs

Voters could also select who would serve in the Electoral College and vote in a president

It wasn’t up to state legislatures anymore

The Election of 1824 John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew

Jackson Adams had more experience in

many different areas of government than Jackson: State Congress National Congress Minister to Russia Secretary of State under Monroe

Jackson: Was briefly the governor of the

Florida Territory Was the Hero of New Orleans in the

War of 1812 Portrayed himself as a man of the

people

Jackson won the popular vote in 1824

However, he did not have the majority of the electoral votes

As per the Constitution, a contested election is to be settled by the House of Representatives

Henry Clay supported Adams Adams became the next President Henry Clay then became the next

Secretary of State Jackson supporters called this a

“corrupt bargain” Chart, p. 290

The election of 1824 caused the re-emergence of the 2-Party System

Adams then led the National Republicans

Jackson led the Democrats and prepared to beat Adams in the 1828 election

Broken Patterns

Adams’ election broke the Virginia Dynasty: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe

4 of the first 5 presidents were from Virginia

Another pattern broken was the rise of the Secretary of State to the presidency Jefferson had been Washington’s Madison had been Jefferson’s Monroe had been Madison’s Adams had been Monroe’s

The Masons Another scandal in the 1820s

affected politics This one concerned the

Freemasons Fraternal order For middle class values Association was used to advance

careers and power Had secret rituals

1826 – William Morgan, a disillusioned Mason said he would expose their secret rituals

He disappeared shortly after announcing his plans

It was assumed he had been murdered

His friends wanted an investigation

Masons used their political influence to get the investigation stopped

People were outraged and started an Anti-Mason Movement

They wished to destroy the Masons and the aristocrats who were Masons

Anti-Masons became a political party for a time but merged with National Republicans to become the Whig Party

Anti-Masons Contributions to Politics They introduced Party Conventions

and the Party Platform Their conventions had a lot of

popular participation At the end of their convention, they

nominated a candidate This is still how politics works today

The party needs to be responsive to people

Election of 1828 Once again, it was John Quincy

Adams vs. Andrew Jackson Jackson mobilized the voters After a campaign of mudslinging

and not talking about hard issues, Jackson won

Adams lost because he didn’t reach out to new voters -- Chart, p. 292

Jackson as President, 1828 - 1836

Governed for 2 terms 3 major issues during his

presidency: Removal Bill Nullification Destruction of the National Bank

Removal Bill

Map, p.294 U. S. had broken every treaty we

had previously signed with Native Americans

The Cherokee were living on their land in Georgia

Georgians discovered minerals on Indian land that they wanted

Cherokees vs. Georgia went before the Supreme Court and they ruled in favor of the Cherokee because of a treaty they had with U.S.

Georgia still wanted them gone and appealed to Jackson

Jackson told the Supreme Court that the Justices could enforce their ruling

To Jackson, the Cherokee needed to move west of the Mississippi

They were forced to move on what became known as the Trail of Tears

Most Americans approved of this because it opened up new land to them

The Supreme Court was just ignored in the matter

Nullification During the Panic of 1819, there was

economic depression Farmers moved west and bought land

on credit They thought they would do well

because there was a growing demand for food, especially in the cities

The demand dropped, farmers couldn’t pay mortgage, and banks foreclosed

The economy recovered in the 1820s, but Americans continued to worry about the it

U.S. placed protective tariffs on imported goods but southerners felt these protective tariffs may have helped fledgling industries in the North but did nothing to protect their #1 product, cotton

Tariffs increased in 1816, 1824, and in 1828

To southerners, the Tariff of 1828 became known as the Tariff of Abominations

The government continued to help protect industrial goods but again did not help them

Southerners bought imported goods, and the prices kept rising

The South Carolina Legislature issued the “South Carolina Exposition & Protest”

It was written anonymously by Andrew Jackson’s own Vice President, John C. Calhoun

To protect its states’ rights, South Carolina said it had the right to nullify any federal law it felt was unconstitutional.

Congress could then appeal the law or add an amendment to the Constitution

Then the state could accept the law or secede from the Union

If this went through, then Southern States could secede if Congress outlawed slavery

Jackson said this action was treasonous and had Congress pass the Force Bill in March, 1833 This said U.S. could use troops to put

down any insurrection

Then Jackson had Congress lower the tariff South Carolina repealed “Nullification” Jackson was not happy to learn that his

own Vice President was working against him

He dropped him from the ticket in 1832 Martin Van Buren became V.P. under

Jackson and later President in 1836 – p. 300

Destruction of National Bank

The National Bank underwrote many economic ventures

In the Panic of 1819, it called in its loans and foreclosed on many ordinary Americans

Citizens hated the Bank and felt it had helped to ruin them

They felt the Bank helped the rich and hurt them

Jackson personally distrusted the Bank Didn’t like its use of paper money Felt it helped the rich

In 1832, Jackson resolved to crush the Bank

He put federal money in state banks

This was an illegal move The Bank went under in 1839 –

never to rise again

Election of 1840 P. 304 Whigs won with William Henry Harrison His supporters campaigned and

portrayed him as an ordinary guy who drank hard cider and lived in a log cabin

It wasn’t true, but he won over Martin Van Buren who had run into economic hard times during his term as President, 1836 - 1840

Changes in Politics

Virginia Dynasty ended Secretary of State becoming

President ended New 2-Party System Political Convention with more

participation by more white men New ways to campaign