Jacksonian Democracy

1. Jacksonian Democracy White man’s opportunity White man’s democracy

2. Bingham “County Election”

3. Essential Questions: • Why is this called the era of the common man? Evaluate – to what degree is this accurate? • What factors cause the 2APPS to emerge? • What are the key/defining issues of the period?

4. Characteristics • Representative democracy emerges • Equality of opportunity • Opportunity created by the market economy • Anti-elitist (Anti-Masonic Party) • Political equality masked social and economic inequalities (Workingman’s Party) • Paradoxical Freedom

5. Second American Political Party System • Van Buren – political parties protect from abuse of power; permanent, balanced, competing • Whigs – Hamiltonian; active government – promotes economic development (Clay, Webster) • Democrats – limited government – protect white man’s opportunity (Van Buren, Calhoun, Jackson)

6. Key Issues • Economic • BUS • Tariffs • Land policies • Role of federal government • Power • activism

7. Key Personalities • Van Buren • Jackson

8. Key Personalities • Clay • Webster

9. Key Personalities • Calhoun • John Quincy Adams

10. Underlying Sectional Issues • Tariff - protective • Land policies – price and access • FFII • Extension of slavery • BUS – less sectional, issues of credit regulation, hard/soft money

11. Indicators of Democracy • Universal white manhood suffrage ***** • Majoritarianism – belief in majority rule • More officials elected • Nominating conventions • Party organization – all levels – source of identity • Active campaigning • Increased voting • Voting to influence policy decisions • form > substance • Balance representation – frontier gains • THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

12. Jackson • “prototype” of modern activist president • President embodies will of the people • Use of veto power • President as policy maker • Encourages laissez faire economics • Paradox – strengthens both strong union and states rights • Use of kitchen cabinet, spoils system, rotation

13. Quelling a Riot in the Kitchen Cabinet

14. Political Process • Election of 1824 • Corrupt Bargain • JQA – nationalist – problems • Election of 1828 • White male opportunity/democracy • Peggy O’Neale Eaton Affair • Battle for shaping of Jackson • Van Buren v Calhoun

15. Election of 1824

18. Election of 1828

19. Issues of the Jacksonian Era • FFII • Maysville Road – Clay & Webster • Political “trap” for AJ (Miep! Miep!)

20. Issues: Western Expansion Indian Removal Act • Ross • Johnson v McIntosh (1823) • Worcester v GA (1832) & Cherokee Nation v GA • Trail of Tears 1835-1836 • 1830-38 Five Civilized Tribes expelled

21. Lindneux The Trail of Tears

23. Issues: Nullification • SC Exposition and Protest (1828) • Fears – slave revolts (Turner & Vesey) • Economic depression • States Rights Philosophy – interposition & nullification • States have the right of judicial review • Concurrent Majority • Special conventions – power of one state

24. Issues: Western Expansion • Land policy – graduation & pre-emption • Foot Proposal • Webster-Hayne Debate 1830 • Real issue – nature of the union • Webster – permanent union of people • Hayne – divisible union of states – implications of secession

25. Webster - Hayne Debate

26. The Positions • Hayne “The very life of our system is the independence of the states…I am opposed to the unnecessary extension of the power of the union over the states.” • Webster “The union is essential to the prosperity and safety of the states.” Does Hayne think the union is only a temporary thing to be sundered when it thwarts local concerns?

27. HayneWebster “Is the South always to be a minority upon whom Congress forces its will? If so the seeds of dissolution are already sown and our children will reap bitter fruit.” Ex. Tariff • “The great question is the right to decide constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the laws. If each state can accept or reject as it pleased, the result is chaos and the Union will fall apart like a rope of sand.”

28. Webster • “It is sir, the people’s constitution, the people’s government; made by the people and answerable to the people. If each state demands sovereignty, the nation would be rent with civil feuds or drenched with blood. Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable.”

29. Issues: Tariff Crisis 1833 • SC nullified Tariffs of 1828 & 1832 • AJ Response • Force Act • Nullification = treason • Compromise tariff averts crisis • Webster – nullification not constitutional, secession = revolutionary right • Calhoun – build southern solidarity

30. Issues: Bank War • Early Recharter – constitutional, political & economic issues • Clay/Webster – political issue (Miep!) • AJ Veto Message • Rejects McCulloch V MD • 1832 election = referendum on BUS • Mandate to destroy BUS

31. Biddle and the Bank • Provided economic stability • Second BUS well run - balanced

32. Jackson’s Veto Message “It is be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to this selfish purposes. ….There are no necessary evils in government. It’s evils exist only in its abuses. If it would confine itself to equal protection –shower its favor alike on the high and the low, the rich and the poor, it would be an unqualified blessing. In the act before me there seems to be a wide and unnecessary departure from these just principles. “

33. Bank War 1833 • AJ – “pet banks” - Taney • Censure by Senate – US v Jackson • Biddle fights back – folds • Wide open credit and speculation • Specie Circular 1836----Depression 1837 • Hard specie crisis • Van Buren 1836; Independent Treasury

36. Van Buren and economic crisis

37. Jackson Court • Taney – reflects Jacksonian Democracy • Contrast w/ Marshall Court • Charles River Bridge v Warren Bridge 1837

38. King Andrew • Whig depiction

40. 2APPS – Election 1840 • Whigs – MC, Native born, creditors, Planters, Protestant – commercial economy • Democrats – more isolated small farmer, immigrants & ethnic groups, agrarian • Third Parties – raise issues/split votes • Election of 1840 “Hard cider & Log Cabin”

41. Election Poster -1840

42. Election of 1840

43. The Excluded • Free African Americans - discrimination, segregation, job competition, limited opportunity – communities and self help • Slaves, Native People, Women, Asians, often Irish (minstrel show) • Anxiety reinforced racism

44. William Sidney Mount –The Power of Music