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Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian Democracy. July 4 th , 1826. 50 year anniversary of the approval of the Declaration of Independence Two former presidents and champions of this document, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both die Longtime political rivals, Adams was known to have said “I will outlive Jefferson.”

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Jacksonian Democracy

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  1. Jacksonian Democracy

  2. July 4th, 1826 • 50 year anniversary of the approval of the Declaration of Independence • Two former presidents and champions of this document, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both die • Longtime political rivals, Adams was known to have said “I will outlive Jefferson.” • Adams’ last words: “Thomas Jefferson survives.” But he was wrong. Jefferson had died a few hours earlier!

  3. Jackson vs. J.Q.A. • John Quincy Adams defeated Andrew Jackson in Election of 1824 • Jackson won the popular vote, no majority in electoral college • Henry Clay and House of Representatives choose Adams • Clay disliked Jackson and distrusted his lack of political experience • Adams supported Clay’s “American System”

  4. Jackson vs. J.Q.A. • “Jacksonians” believed Adams and Clay had colluded (made some shady deals) to win the presidency • Jackson and his Democratic-Republicans continually sought to sabotage Adams and his agenda

  5. Expansion of Voting Rights • Most states ease voting requirements • Fewer states had property qualifications • Election of 1824: 350,000 white male voters • Election of 1828: 1,050,000+ white male voters • These votes helped Jackson overtake Adams

  6. “Old Hickory” • Father died before he was born • Began his military career at age 13 • Taken as a POW during Revolutionary War • Mother died in 1781, making him an orphan at 14 • Served as a frontier lawyer in Tennessee • Known for his tough, aggressive demeanor • Fought in many duels

  7. A Man of the People • Jackson’s campaign painted Adams as a wealthy aristocrat and Jackson as a man with humble roots • Jackson won by a landslide • Crowds flock to D.C. to see “Old Hickory” take office

  8. Spoils System • “To the victor belong the spoils.” • Jackson replaced federal employees (nearly 10% of them) with his own friends and supporters • Friends also made up his closest advisors, which became known as the “Kitchen Cabinet”

  9. Dealings w/Native Americans • Jackson did not believe assimilation could work • Thought allowing tribes to stay would take too many troops • Saw removal as the only viable option • 1830 Indian Removal Act provided money to negotiate treaties moving tribes westward

  10. Cherokee Fight Back • Cherokee tribe used the U.S. legal system to fight against removal • Worcester v. Georgia (1832) recognized the Cherokee as a political community • Supreme Court ruled Georgia could not interfere • Jackson: “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”

  11. Federal Government Schemes • 1835: Federal agents declare the minority who wanted to relocate as representative of Cherokee feelings, signed a treaty removing the tribe • Cherokee get $5 million and land west of the Mississippi • Many left, but some 20,000 remained

  12. Trail of Tears • Van Buren, Jackson’s successor, orders the rest removed in 1838 • U.S. Army rounds up Cherokee in camps, sends them westward on foot • Many die on the 800 mile journey to their new, inferior home • Native American struggles continue today

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