Andrew Jackson: Andrew Jackson: Populist DemocratPopulist Democrat

Libertyville HSLibertyville HS

Election of 1828Election of 1828• Rematch between Jackson, Adams

• Jackson crushed Adams

• Victory for the common man!

• Small farmers, city workers vs. wealthy factory owners, large land owners

ResultsJackson: 178 ECV / 642,553Adams: 83 ECV / 500,897

Andrew Jackson (1767 – Andrew Jackson (1767 – 1845)1845) Born in Carolinas (3

boys) - Last president to fight in Revolution• Revolution story

Adult life spent in TN• Attorney, then judge• Slave owner – cotton

plantation Duels & other scrapes War of 1812

• Led militia in FL against Indians

• Battle of New Orleans• “Old Hickory” (tough

guy)

Jackson’s Political CareerJackson’s Political Career Founded on being a war

hero (1812, fighting in Seminole War)

Elected to US Senate for TN

Election of 1824 First “frontier” president

elected, 1828 Wife died on eve of

election – devastated Jackson

““Jacksonian Democrats”Jacksonian Democrats” New political values

• Respect for the common man

• Expansion of voting rights to all white males

• Executive as “servant of the people”

• “Manifest Destiny” to justify expansion

• Spoils system

Spoils SystemSpoils System “To the victor goes the spoils” Winner of election gets to

appoint his supporters into roles of government

In favor• avoid aristocracy• loyal bureaucracy• encourage political

participation by commoners• Rotate political appointees

good for country Against: corruption,

incompetence Still in existence?

Jackson’s Presidency: The Jackson’s Presidency: The Tariff IssueTariff Issue

1816 Tariff: 20-25% 1824 Tariff: 37% Opposed by South &

Calhoun• South relied on open

markets for cotton• Also bought more

foreign mfgr’d goods 1828 Tariff: 45%

(signed by Adams)

““Tariff of Abominations”Tariff of Abominations”

Purpose of tariff: protect northern industry

Opposition in South• Unconstitutional (favored N over S)• Hurt cotton trade (b/c of retaliatory

tariffs) Southern expectations: Jackson

would reduce / eliminate tariff

South Carolina Exposition and South Carolina Exposition and ProtestProtest

1828 protest against tariff, written by VP Calhoun• Unconstitutional (nothing in

Constitution about protecting industry)

• Improper tariff (protection, not revenue)

• States had right to nullify Federal legislation under compact theory

• Secession also an option, per VA & KY Resolutions

Stated that unless tariff repealed, SC would secede South Carolina

Tariff Issue: Compromise Tariff Issue: Compromise MissedMissed

NE reps, senators wanted to restrict sale of W lands (losing workers)

W: no restrictions! Southern offer

• We’ll vote for no restrictions if W votes to end Tariff

• W: No Deal!!!

Webster –Hayne Debate, 1830Webster –Hayne Debate, 1830 Robert Hayne: SC Robert Hayne: SC

senatorsenator Made Calhoun’s Made Calhoun’s

argument in argument in support of support of nullificationnullification

Daniel Webster: MA Daniel Webster: MA senatorsenator

Argued against Argued against nullification ideanullification idea• Constitution created Constitution created

by the People, not by the People, not statesstates

• USSC determines USSC determines constitutionality, not constitutionality, not statesstates

• No state may nullify or No state may nullify or secede; otherwise secede; otherwise union “is a rope of union “is a rope of sand”sand”Webster replying to Hayne

Jackson’s PositionJackson’s Position

Jackson sympathetic to Southern Jackson sympathetic to Southern viewview

BUT Jackson believed in . . . BUT Jackson believed in . . . • strong unionstrong union• effective central governmenteffective central government

Jefferson Dinner, 1830Jefferson Dinner, 1830 Political dinner to

celebrate founding of party by TJ

After dinner toasts• Robert Hayne: “"The

Union of the States, and the Sovereignty of the States.”

• Jackson’s toast: "Our federal Union: It must be preserved!“

• Calhoun’s toast: "The Union: Next to our Liberty, the most dear!"

Hayne

Calhoun

Jackson’s Position on IssueJackson’s Position on Issue Jackson, Calhoun had

falling out over the 1831“Petticoat Affair”• Sec. of War John Eaton

married Peggy, a tavern waitress

• Other cabinet wives refused to socially recognize her

• Infuriated Jackson• Resulted in Jackson

shifting favor from Calhoun to SoS Van Buren

Nullification CrisisNullification Crisis 1832: Calhoun

resigned as VP, became SC Senator

Jackson signed Tariff of 1832, which reduced some tariffs to 35%

November 1832: SC convention declared Nullification Ordinance • Tariffs of 1828 & 1832

unconstitutional • Unenforceable in SC

after Feb 1, 1833

Jackson’s Response to Jackson’s Response to Nullification OrdinanceNullification Ordinance

Jackson vowed to Jackson vowed to send US troops to send US troops to SC to enforce lawsSC to enforce laws

Asked Congress for Asked Congress for Force Bill to allow Force Bill to allow for invasion of SCfor invasion of SC

Compromise!Compromise! Henry Clay – “The Great

Compromiser”• SC agreed to Compromise

Tariff (tariff reduced to 1816 level over 10 years)

• Force Bill and Compromise Tariff both passed 3/1/1833

• SC convention met to repealed 1832 Nullification Ordinance

• Crisis averted . . . For now

Re-Chartering the 2Re-Chartering the 2ndnd BUS BUS 2nd BUS had become very

powerful, perhaps corrupt Jackson opposed BUS

• Too much concentration of wealth

• Fraud, corruption in lending practices

• Served to make rich richer• Favored NE over W, S states• Believed gold, silver was only

true money (not paper) Called BUS a bloodsucker,

the “monster bank”

Bank Issue and 1832 ElectionBank Issue and 1832 Election

Bank President Biddle & Henry Clay ask for re-charter in 1832 (4 yrs early)

Clay steered re-charter bill through congress, but Jackson vetoed bill

Pro Bank cartoon, just after veto

Election of 1832Election of 1832

Jackson, Martin Van Buren – D

Henry Clay, John Sergeant - R

Two other parties Bank was an issue in

election Jackson’s populist

positions gave him easy road to re-election

ResultsJackson: 219 ECV / 707,000Clay: 49 ECV / 329,000

Second BUS ControversySecond BUS Controversy During election, Biddle

had worked against Jackson’s re-election

2 Treasury secs resigned

1833: Jackson ordered Treasury Sec. Roger Taney to withdraw all US funds from BUS• Deposited in state

banks (“Pet banks”)• BUS depended on this

money for its survival

BUS Decline and “Death”BUS Decline and “Death” BUS declined, became

state bank of PA Went bankrupt in

1836 This, plus “Specie

Circular” of 1836 led to Panic of 1837 (dominated Van Buren’s Presidency) Cartoon dramatizing effects

Of Panic of 1837 / Species Circular

Jackson’s LegacyJackson’s Legacy

Democracy increased Greater suffrage Greater western migration Greater industrialization Secession avoided “Spoil’s System” Indian Removal Panic of 1837

Election of 1836Election of 1836 Martin Van Buren (D) Whig “Favorite sons”

• William Harrison (OH)• Hugh White (TN)• Daniel Webster (MA)• Willie Mangum (NC)

Whig Strategy: throw election into House

Whigs, total = 124 ECV / 739,000 Results

Van Buren: 170 ECV / 762,678Harrison: 73 ECV / 549,000White: 26 ECV / 146,000Webster: 14 ECV / 41,000Mangum: 11 ECV / ---

Martin Van BurenMartin Van Buren First President born an

American citizen Grew up speaking Dutch New Yorker – active in

State Senate (Erie Canal, machine politics)

Nicknamed “The Little Magician” for his skillful political maneuvering

Very courteous to friends, foes

Elected to US Senate Appointed Jackson’s SOS

Van Buren’s PresidencyVan Buren’s Presidency Dominated by Panic of

1837• Specie circular (all W land

must be paid for w/ gold, silver)

• Run on state banks, for specie

• State banks collapsed = panic

1839-1843: full economic depression

Whigs: “Martin Van Ruin”

Cartoon blaming Ds for Panic

Election of 1840Election of 1840 Van Buren / Johnson

(D)

Harrison / Tyler (W)• Slogan: “Tippecanoe

and Tyler too!”

Narrow popular vote win, but landslide ECV

ResultsHarrison: 234 ECV / 1,275,016Van Buren: 60 ECV / 1,129,102

Harrison & Tyler Harrison died April 1841

• At 68, oldest president ever elected (until Reagan)

• Wanted to show he was still youthful

• Gave long inaugural address (2 hours) in bitter cold weather

• Died of pneumonia three weeks later

• President served shortest term in history (32 days)

• Tyler succeeded: called “His Accidency” by critics