Jacksonian America

1. Chapter 9 Jacksonian America

2. The Spoils System • The principle of filling offices with one’s supporters • Jackson took office with the intention of punishing the “vile wretches” who had attacked him during his campaign • Also enables Jackson to rid the government of many corrupt and incompetent officials

3. The Corrupt Bargain • Document: • A “Corrupt Bargain” or Politics as Usual? • Read and annotate looking for: • Evidence of Adams’ bargain with Clay

4. The Corrupt Bargain How might these accusations affect John Quincy Adams’ presidency?

5. The Corrupt Bargain What dangers are there in using memoirs as sources?

6. President of the People • To the people of the United States, Jackson was someone they could both identify with and revere • Jackson’s humble upbringing helped him to identify with the average citizen • His success helped him identify with the elite • His convictions and his determination to stand by them endeared him to the generation that grew up during the American and French revolutions • Many historians point out that public perceptions of Jackson and the facts about Jackson often don’t coincide: • Fondness for the “common man” • Friend of the weak and underprivileged • Political heir to Jefferson

7. The Commoner • What does Jackson say about the relationship between the federal government and the states? • What does Jackson imply about future relations with Indians? • What does Jackson identify as the catalyst for his “task of reform”? • What about this reading suggests that Jackson relates to the “common man”? • What about this reading suggests that Jackson is anything but a “common man”?

8. The Commoner To whom might Jackson be directing his comments? Why?

9. The Whigs • Opposition to Jackson • Henry Clay’s National Republican Party • Failed to dominate the way Jackson dominated the Democrats • The opposition doesn’t start to solidify until Jackson is out of office • Rise of the Whigs • Their name implied a distaste for too powerful executives • Opposed the tyranny of “King Andrew” • Hamiltonian Ideals • Made up of the “elites” of American society • Strong supporters of the Bank of the United States • The well-educated were pushed to the Whigs by Jackson’s anti-intellectual bias • The Whigs lacked leadership, common appeal, and a coherent stance on any issues other than their hatred of Jackson

10. Alexis de Tocqueville • What does Tocqueville have to say about “associations”?

11. Alexis de Tocqueville • What social condition renders “associations” necessary? • Do you think these conclusions are applicable today? • How do the social reforms of the early 19th century serve to demonstrate Alexis de Tocqueville’s point?

12. The Bank War • Jackson was determined to destroy the second Bank of the United States • The Bank was thriving, and by controlling the lending policies of the state banks, it served as a de facto central bank • Biddle’s policy of redeeming bank noted brought into Bank of the US branches forced state banks to lend within their means • American confidence in banks grew, and fewer people even bothered to convert their paper money to “hard cash” • The policies of the Bank of the United States served to stabilize the economy during hard times • Opponents of the bank took issue with the fact that it had a monopoly of public funds, was managed by a private citizen, and was controlled by a handful of rich men

13. Veto of the Bank Bill • What were Jackson’s reasons for vetoing the Bank Bill? • Did Jackson make the right decision? Why?