Ch 12: The Age of Jackson

Ch 12: The Age of Jackson 1824-1840

Andrew Jackson • former military hero from Tennessee • Election of 1824: won the popular vote, but didn’t win the majority vote in the Electoral College • House of Reps. decide on winner • John Quincy Adams became winner, but Congress supported Jackson—so Adams wasn’t very successful at accomplishing what he wanted to do!

Election of 1828 • Jacksonian Democracy: idea of spreading political power to all people, allowing a TRUE majority rule • 2 parties– Democrats (supporters of Jackson & the “common man”) and National Republicans (supporters of Adams & wealthy) • Expansion of voting rights helped Jackson to be elected • Spoils system: giving political jobs to supporters

Living Together… • Americans were divided in their feelings about Native Amer. • Some wanted them to adapt to white culture/life • Some wanted them to move to avoid conflict over land issues • Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw, & Seminole) lived east of Mississippi because many of them had adapted to aspects of white culture

Cherokee Nation • Held land in GA, Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, & Tennessee • Learned to dress & farm like the whites somewhat (some even had slaves) • Adopted a written language, published a newspaper, sent children to schools, wrote a Cherokee Constitution • Gold was discovered on their land in GA, & suddenly the Amer. were forcing them to move west.

Indian Removal Act • Jackson believed that Amer. should regulate where the Nat. Amer. lived • 2 choices: adapt to white lifestyle & be citizens OR move west (past Mississippi River) • They COULD NOT have own govt. within US borders though (like Euro. settlers) • 1830: govt. would negotiate treaties that would require Native Amer. to move west

Trail of Tears • Nat. Amer. saw no choice but to exchange their lands for land in the west (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska) • Cherokees appealed to Supreme Ct to protect land in GA—Justice John Marshall said that fed. govt could make laws, but not the states • Jackson & GA ignored Marshall’s ruling, and refused to negotiate with Cherokees

Trail of Tears, cont. • 1838, fed troops rounded up Nat. Amer. from their homes & forced them into camps—often with nothing but the clothing they had on • fall/winter 1838-1839…Nat. Amer. walked westward to their new lands in horrible conditions (rain, snow, lack of food/clothing/shelter) • ¼ died along the way

Not all left… • Cherokee in NC/Smoky Mtns. were allowed to remain • Seminoles (led by Osceola) fought back, moved south into Everglades

Conflict Over State’s Rights • 3 regions (northeast, south, west) were arguing over economic issues. • Sale of public lands (NE people didn’t want western lands to be sold cheaply b/c it took people away from cities/factory work—west people wanted it to encourage settlement & gain power) • Internal improvements (transportation improvements on canals & roads to increase settlement & trade) • Tariffs (taxes put on goods, that was then used to pay for internal improvements—North was for them, made imports more expensive than Amer. made goods—South opposed them b/c econ. depended on foreign trade)

Tariff of Abominations • Adams increased tariff on raw materials & manufactured goods • This was bad for south (espec. SC) b/c they had to sell their cotton cheaply to stay competitive, but had to pay more for manuf. goods. • Jackson was elected with the help of this tariff being in place

Results of High Tariff • Jackson’s VP (John Calhoun) was from SC & wanted to keep them from leaving US—proposed doctrine of nullification • States have the right to nullify (reject) a federal law it feels is unconstitutional • SC felt that this tariff favored the northeast economy, but not theirs in any way

Webster-Hayne Debate • Daniel Webster (Mass) vs. Robert Hayne (SC) debated states’ rights to reject fed. laws/taxes • Jackson hadn’t stated his position on the issue yet • @ dinner in honor of Jefferson’s b-day, Jackson learned of Calhoun’s intentions to gain support for nullification • Jackson toasted that the union must be preserved • Calhoun toasted that the states rights should be respected & have = benefits from the union

Threats of Secession • Calhoun & Jackson became political enemies, BUT Jackson didn’t want the south to leave the union—asked for tariff to be reduced, but south still felt they were too high • SC nullified tariffs, threatened to secceed (leave the union) if the US tried to collect the tariffs, & voted to start building army • Jackson ran for office again, w/out Calhoun as running mate--& made sure it was clear that he wanted to see the union laws obeyed & county kept in together

Ch 12: The Age of Jackson