U.S. History

Chapter 10: A New National Identity Section 1-2: The Age of Jackson

Choose a Candidate

• War hero

• Born poor

• Determined

• Common man

• Harvard educated

• Born to a prominent wealthy family

• Out of touch with people

Candidate 1 Candidate 2

Jacksonian Democracy

• Early 1800s: lawmakers extending the right to vote to more white men

• Nominating Conventions—meetings in which a political party selects its presidential & vice presidential candidates

• Allowed more voter input

Each state holds conventions to choose delegates to send to the national meeting

Jacksonian Democracy

• “Jacksonian Democracy”

• Expanded voting rights

• Jackson: seen as man who would defend the rights of common people & slave states

Jacksonian Democracy

John Quincy Adams

National Republcians

Andrew Jackson

Democratic Party

vs.

Election of 1828

Jackson’s Victory

• Andrew Jackson:

– War hero

– Born poor

– Rose to success through hard work

Jackson’s Victory

• John Quincy Adams:

– Harvard educated

– Father had been president

– Out of touch

– “Cold as a lump of ice”

Jackson’s Victory

• Victory for the common man

• Spoils system—practice of rewarding supporters with jobs

• Kitchen cabinet—an informal group of advisers President Andrew Jackson relied on

Conflict over Tariffs

• Regional conflicts over tariffs

• North—wanted high tariffs to protect industries

• South—imported most manufactured goods

Conflict over Tariffs

• 1828: Northern manufacturers pressure Congress to pass high tariffs

• “Tariff of Abominations”

• Abuse of federal power over the states

Nullification Crisis

• States’ Rights—belief that state power should be greater than federal power

• VP John C. Calhoun led the opposition

John C. Calhoun

Nullification Crisis

• Nullification—states had the right to not obey any federal law with which they disagreed

• 1832: Congress passes a new tariff

• SC: declares law null and void

Nullification Crisis

• Calhoun resigns

• SC threatens to secede if troops are sent

• Jackson threatens to send troops

• Compromise reached: tariffs lowered

Second Bank of the United States

• Jackson against Bank of the United States

• States opposed the bank

• Maryland passes law taxing branches of the national bank

• James McCulloch refuses to pay taxes

Second Bank of the United States

• McCulloch v. Maryland:

– Elastic clause permitted for the Bank

– Federal law superior to state law

Old Supreme Court Chamber

Second Bank of the United States

• Bank charter due to expire in 1836

• Nicholas Biddle pushes for renewal of charter in 1832

• Jackson vetoes Nicholas Biddle

Second Bank of the United States

• Not enough votes to override veto

• Transferred money to state banks

• Inflation increased

• Debt paid down

Van Buren’s Presidency

• Jackson angered members of Congress

• 1834: Jackson opponents form the Whig Party

• Whig Party—political party that supported the idea of a weak president and a strong legislature

Van Buren’s Presidency

• 1836: Whigs nominate four candidates to run against VP Martin Van Buren

• Democrat Martin Van Buren wins

Martin Van Buren

Van Buren’s Presidency

• Panic of 1837 leads to economic depression

• Result of Jackson’s policies

• Van Buren blamed and defeated in election of 1840

Van Buren’s Presidency

• William Henry Harrison and John Tyler win election of 1840

• “Tippecanoe and Tyler too”

• War record and log cabin roots William Henry Harrison