The Presidents 1817-56

1. The Presidents 1817-56

2. Explanation • We are about to embark on a more ‘thematic’ course of study from now on • This unit will serve to explain the ‘big picture’ items that dominated the US from the Monroe through the Pierce presidencies • It will also establish a context for our future units on economic and social changes that occurred so you’ll be able to know ‘oh this happened during so and so’s presidency and this was also going on.’

3. Objectives • I will be able to assess how the power of the Presidency changed from President to President • I will be able to analyze how the nationalism that emerged following the War of 1812 shaped decisions by the Supreme Court as well as domestic and foreign policy • I will be able to compare each Presidents dealing with domestic issues such as sectionalism, slavery, and expansion • I will be able to effectively explain each Presidents’ tenure and how it related to the growing power of the national government

4. James Monroe: 1817-25 • From Virginia, was Secretary of State to Madison • Some felt that Virginia had taken over the Presidency • Hence, Monroe was considered to be a part of the ‘Virginia Dynasty’ that consisted of 4 of the first 5 Presidents • He was very old fashioned in his mannerisms and clothing- a little out of touch with fashion to say the least • A follower of Jefferson and Madison who felt that expansion was necessary • Was President during the so-called “Era of Good Feelings” where only one political party existed and everyone seemed to get along.

5. Nationalism • Following the War of 1812, the nation’s unity grew to almost unprecedented levels • This led to a feeling of nationalism, or pride in your country’s ability to accomplish anything • It also led to a few Supreme Court cases that strengthened the government • Not everyone was a supporter, as the states’ rights argument continued to exist as a counterbalance to the growth of nationalism

6. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) • As was the case when Hamilton created it, the new National Bank got states’ rights people upset • Some states, like Maryland, tried to tax all the money that the bank made within their borders • They hoped that this would kill the bank • The national government felt that this went beyond the power of individual states • John Marshall not only upheld the bank’s constitutionality, but also said that states could not tax a federally chartered entity

7. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) • Another case that strengthened the national government involved competing steamboat companies on the Hudson River • New York had given Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton exclusive rights over steamboat traffic within New York state • One of their franchisees was Aaron Ogden, a former governor of New Jersey- why would Fulton and Livingston give out franchises?

8. Gibbons, continued... • One of Ogden’s partners, Thomas Gibbons, got his own charter from Congress • Ogden sued because he felt that the state license trumped a federal one • While a New York court (go figure) agreed, Gibbons’ attorneys insisted that only Congress controlled interstate commerce • The Supreme Court agreed, and Gibbon’s license was upheld

9. Dartmouth v. Woodward • Dartmouth, a small college in New Hampshire, wanted to remain private • New Hampshire wanted to void its charter and make it a public university • They felt since the charter was given by King George that it was no longer valid • The college felt that a charter was the same as a contract, and only the members of a contract could void it • The Supreme Court upheld Dartmouth’s charter as a contract and prevented states from doing this in the future

10. Questions to ponder… • In what ways did the previous Supreme Court cases serve to strengthen the national government? • Despite there being only one political party during the Era of Good Feelings, what possible issues could still divide the nation?

11. Foreign Policy concerns • Despite defeating the Native Americans in the Midwest, there were still some tribes that attacked settlements in Mississippi and Alabama • Andrew Jackson was in command of the army in that area, and was told by Secretary of War Calhoun to put an end to it • The problem was the Seminole tribe would attack and then retreat into Spanish held Florida • Jackson took measures into his own hand and invaded Florida

12. Adams-Onis Treaty • Obviously, Jackson’s invasion of Florida was a little embarrassing • John Quincy Adams, the Secretary of State, had been trying to get Spain to give up Florida • He had an idea: let’s actually take responsibility for it- why? • It worked, and Spain not only gave us Florida, but also the Pacific Northwest • All we had to do was give up our claim to Texas

13. The Monroe Doctrine • Early in the 1820’s many Latin American colonies were fighting for their independence • Monroe and Adams felt that these new Latin American nations needed some protection, so they created the Monroe Doctrine • This said no new European colonies could be established in the Western Hemisphere • It was targeted at France, Spain, and Great Britain • Adams secured Great Britain’s help because of the potential business they could get from the new nations and it established the US as a ‘big brother’ in the Western Hemisphere

14. Questions • Was the United States in a position to create such a thing as the Monroe Doctrine? • How does this change the role of the United States in the world? • Do you know of any examples where this has been used in a bad way?

15. Uh oh… • With westward migration in full swing, it soon came time to add the first states (other than LA) west of the Mississippi River • While this sounded great, there was a problem… which was what? • Since Congress was the one to formally admit states, the quietly simmering debate over slavery exploded • Southerners wanted these states to be slave states – why? • Northerners wanted them to be free of slavery- why?

16. Oh, Missouri • The first state that was to be admitted was Missouri in 1820 • The House of Reps argued back and forth about whether or not to admit it as a slave state • The Senate couldn’t decide either • However, Maine was also up for statehood and soon a compromise was drafted to make both sides happy • Maine would be a free state, Missouri a slave state, and there would be a line to mark where slavery could or couldn’t exist

17. The End of the Era of Good Feelings • In 1824, the National Republic Party (the one party that formally existed) tried to choose a new candidate for President • Northerners were hoping to break the Southern grip on the Presidency • Usually these decisions were made behind closed doors in ‘caucuses’ and people would go along with the decision that these people made • Unfortunately, this system failed when the party leaders nominated another Southerner, William Crawford • New Englanders then nominated John Quincy Adams • Westerners nominated Henry Clay • Soon, you had five (Calhoun and Andrew Jackson were also nominated by some) candidates for President… what did this prove about the political unity in the country?

18. Wow… • No one received a majority of electoral votes, although Andrew Jackson had by far the most • Just like in 1800, the House of Representatives would choose the new President • Henry Clay, who was Speaker of the House, came in 4th, so he wasn’t in the running anymore, but he did have a lot of influence over the outcome… why? • It was relatively well known that Clay and Jackson were rivals for the political control of the West, and Crawford was too sick to take office, so… • Adams offered Clay the position of Secretary of State (pretty much every President had been Secretary of State)… and Clay obliged by throwing his influential support behind Adams

19. John Quincy Adams: 1825-1829 • Known more for his intellect than his personality • Was the son of John Adams and had extensive diplomatic experience • Created the Monroe Doctrine and the Adams-Onis Treaty that acquired Florida • Term was marked by improvements in transportation and relative tranquility • However, was also undermined by a renewed political divide

20. Quick Note on Adam’s Presidency • Tried to increase Federal power by supporting the building of canals, roads, and other public projects. • Angered people like Jackson, who along with his followers, blocked most of these programs • Also tried to prevent Georgia from removing Native American tribes • Overall, he was undermined by Jackson and by his lack of popularity

21. 1828 Election: Birth of Popular Politics • Between the 1824 and 1828 election, some states gave voting rights to non property owners • These non property owners for the most part felt that Adams was a bit of a snob and non relatable • Both campaigns resorted to dirty tactics that included accusations of gambling, bigamy, dueling, and murder • As a result, voter turnout doubled, and it secured Jackson a very easy victory

22. Some campaign ‘strategies’

23. Andrew Jackson: 1829-1837 • Redefined the scope of power the President possesses • Established the modern Democratic party, and many of it’s ideals • Was the first President that swept into office with an overwhelming surge of popular support • Prided himself on being a ‘common’ man

24. Andrew Jackson’s Rise to the Presidency • After his bitter defeat in 1824, AJ was ready for business in 1828 • Thanks in part to John Calhoun and William Crawford, fellow Southerners, Jackson had a solid support coalition in the South • By late 1827, Senator Martin Van Buren of NY went around the country also to garner support for Jackson • They also won because of Adams’ support for a high protective tariff

25. Party at the White House!!!!

26. “Old Hickory” • Immediately, he removed almost one fifth of all government workers, mostly because he felt they were not loyal to him or his fellow Democrats • He replaced these people with friends, fellow Democrats, and other people who helped him win the election- The Spoils System • Some of these people were not at all qualified for their positions, except for Secretary of State Martin van Buren • As a result, Jackson mostly ignored his official cabinet, and trusted some informal advisors for advice: The Kitchen Cabinet

27. Distractions • Part of the reason why Jackson didn’t like his cabinet was how they treated the wife of his Secretary of War, a woman named Peggy Eaton • Calhoun’s wife, named Floride, was the ring leader of this gossip, and didn’t accept her socially • Jackson and Van Buren were the only ones to accept her • This was known as the Petticoat War

28. The Tariff of Abominations!! • During the last year of his Presidency, JQA supported raising the protective tariff on imported goods • He hoped that this would secure his re-election, and some members of Congress (including Jackson’s supporters) actually went along with it and raised the rates even higher • They hoped that this would cause Adams to lose (it worked) • However, Southerners were furious about this because they now had to pay higher prices on manufactured goods • Cotton exports also dwindled, and the Southern economy suffered tremendously John C. Calhoun: Happy pose

29. Tariff Cont’d • Once Jackson became President, Southerners hoped he would be sympathetic and try to repeal the tariff • The debate erupted when Senator Robert Hayne of SC brought it up when discussing a possible end to land sales in the West • He claimed that the Northeast was infringing on the growing power of the South and West • Daniel Webster, a Senator from Massachusetts claimed that Hayne was challenging the integrity of the union • Over the course of a week, the two went back and forth and yet no one knew what Jackson would do about it • Jackson, at a banquet, said that “Our union, it must be preserved”… Calhoun apparently trembled when he said that • Calhoun eventually resigned from the Vice Presidency, and returned to the Senate

30. Is this cartoon pro or anti nullification? • What do the steps represent? • If Jackson went along with the nullification, what would happen?

31. A Presidential First • AJ was furious about how South Carolina wanted to defy the Federal government • He got Congress to pass the so-called ‘Force Bill’, which let him send the military in to enforce the tariff in SC • Clay and Webster actually supported Jackson in this instance, although Clay was a little upset at how much power Jackson now had • Calhoun and the South were placed in a tough position, because they never thought that Jackson would come down on them • Congress went back and forth on whether or not to allow Jackson to actually send the military down south- Clay proposed a compromise • The tariff would be gradually reduced over the next ten years, SC felt like it had won… but Jackson had preserved the Union The Gremlin Pose

32. Native American issues • Some influential Southerners (mostly planters) wanted Native Americans removed so they could buy more land • In late 1829, Georgia declared that all the Cherokee and Creek land could be seized and that the Cherokee and other Native American tribes would have to leave • In addition, Jacksonian Democrats passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which essentially allowed the government to negotiate how and where the tribes would move west of the Mississippi

33. Trails of Tears • The Cherokee actually challenged Georgia’s ruling to the Supreme Court and won twice: Worcester vs. Georgia and Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia • Jackson’s response to this was simply: “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!” • During the journey westward, thousands of Native Americans died from disease, exposure to the elements, and starvation… there were little or no breaks and these were known as Trails of Tears b/c of the amount of sadness and death. • A few thousand Natives hid from capture, and continue to live in western NC and Georgia

34. Oh the National Bank… • As Jackson’s presidency wore on, some felt that he should take on the National Bank. • The bank had a lot of support in the Northeast, but not a lot in the South and West… why? • The role of the bank was to ensure that all the state banks had enough specieto pay the national bank when it needed it. • This made sure that the banks would not hand out too many bank notes or paper currencies- sort of like a safety valve on the banking industry • When the economy dipped, the National bank lowered the amount of specie they wanted from the state banks, which avoided panics and depressions

35. Jackson’s Favorite Thing • The director of the bank, Nicholas Biddle, decided to re-charter the bank four years early in 1832, a Presidential election year • Jackson, having bad experiences with people who handled money, was against it • The two main groups that had problems with the banks were ‘soft money’ people who felt that there should be more paper currency, and ‘hard money’ people who felt that only specie should be currency • Clay and Webster were betting on Jackson’s veto of the bank

36. Jackson was sick in bed when Van Buren told him about it… His response was “This bank is killing me, so I am going to kill it!” Jackson knew that if he vetoed the re-chartering, Congress didn’t have enough votes to override his veto The bank was not going to be gone until 1836, but Jackson decided to pull all government funds out early, which sped the decline of the bank Biddle attempted to force the issue by basically causing a recession when he called in loans to slow the decline of the bank Both Jackson and Biddle accused each other of being responsible for the recession… but Jackson won in the end. The Bank War

37. Summary • Jackson is considered to be one of the most important Presidents because he added a great deal of power to the office • He used his veto 14 times, which was more than all the previous Presidents combined • He preached that he was looking out for the new generation of entrepreneurs and the ordinary people- which has been called Jacksonian Democracy • Of course, most of his policies favored the South and West, at the expense of Northern businesses and banks

38. Second Party System • Perhaps the most lasting legacy of Jackson’s presidency was the formation of two new political parties • The Democrats, as Jackson’s supporters were called, advocated that the national government stay out of the business of states and slavery • The Whigs, led by Clay, Webster, and occasionally Calhoun, never had a consistent viewpoint regarding nationalism, states’ rights or slavery, but usually advocated for the construction of improvement projects • However, they also tended to be strong supporters of temperance, and didn’t really aim for the support of immigrants, especially Catholics • Perhaps the only thing that held the Whigs together was their dislike for Andrew Jackson

39. Panic of 1837 • After Jackson vetoed the Bank of the US, the ‘safety valve’ was no longer in place, so banks were free to give out as many loans as they wanted • In the short term, the economy boomed and gov’t revenue was at the point where Congress could pay all the national debt • However, when it came time to distribute the surplus to the states, the banks that now held government funds panicked because they didn’t have the money in house • Jackson made the issue worse when he decided to require all purchases of government land be made with specie, this was called the Specie Circular • This was like putting on the brakes when going 100 mph in a car, it completely devastated the economy • Hundreds of banks went under because of overspeculation where they stopped backing their banknotes with specie and gave out too many loans • As a result, the US suffered its worst ever economic depression because people pulled their money out of banks and businesses could no longer take out loans

40. The ‘Times’ cartoon

41. Martin Van Buren: 1837-1841 • Was Vice President and Secretary of State under Jackson • Inherited a lot of economic problems- mostly because of Jackson’s policies • Was the first President from New York, and he had a Dutch accent • After leaving office, he once again became a Presidential candidate for the ‘Free Soil’ Party in 1844

42. Cost to Van Buren • Although he was very politically savvy, Van Buren was just like Jackson when it came to regulating business, he felt that the states should take care of themselves • He maintained the status quo, instead of pouring in government aid to the state banks, and this made the situation worse • The only thing he did do that is of note was that he did not allow Texas into the union because it allowed slavery • He lost to William Henry Harrison in 1840, the Panic basically cost him the election.

43. The Log Cabin Campaign • After the collapse of the economy, the Whigs saw an opportunity to seize control of the Presidency • They utilized new forms of mass media called the ‘penny press’ • These newspapers led to a higher literacy rate, and also were published on a daily basis • They also had parades, gave out campaign buttons, and held public barbeques to encourage people to vote • Perhaps most importantly, they wanted to portray their candidate William Henry Harrison as a champion for the ordinary man- how did this compare to reality? • They also portrayed Martin Van Buren as a snobby aristocrat who didn’t relate to ordinary people- even though he was the son of a tavern keeper • All of this led to an unheard of voter turnout of over 80% because people got excited about the candidates

44. Tippecanoe and Tyler too!!! A song about the 1840 Campaign

45. 1840 campaign propaganda

46. How they portrayed MVB…

47. William Henry Harrison: 1841 • You know him from his dealings with Tecumseh and the Prophet during the 1810’s • Since he was a war hero, the Whigs felt that he might be the best candidate they had • Was the oldest elected President up to that point (68), and was not in really good health when he took office • His death MAY have been caused by his refusal to wear a coat or hat during his cold and rainy inauguration… either way he died from pneumonia or pleurisy

48. John Tyler: 1841-1845 • Known as “His Accidency” because of his ascension after Harrison’s death • He was from Virginia and was against anti-slavery legislation and was an advocate of states rights • As a result of his overly states rights opinions, he alienated himself from the Whig party • He got expelled from the party and because of that, he lost his bid at re-election • He settled the border with Canada (Webster-Ashburton Treaty) and annexed Texas during his last few months in office • Eventually was elected a member of the Confederate Congress (never served) and had 15 kids, the most for a President

49. James K. Polk: 1845-1849 • Was from North Carolina, and attended UNC-Chapel Hill • Was the last Jacksonian to be President, and the last solid President before the Civil War • Was an expansionist, and promised to settle Texas, Oregon, California, and only serve one term • Was also the first ‘dark horse’ candidate to win, meaning that he was relatively unknown up until his election • Defeated Henry Clay and Van Buren for the office

50. Don’t Mess with Texas! • Texas, which was the land west of Louisiana, was a place where American settlers could get cheap and arable land • While Mexico controlled Texas, they didn’t mind the settlement so long as it remained under their control • When Mexico abolished slavery, and tightened their control, the Texans decided to fight for independence • In 1836, they fought against the Mexican army led by Santa Anna, who was essentially the dictator of Mexico