Chapter 13

• The Rise of a Mass Democracy, 1824–1840

I. The “Corrupt Bargain” of 1824

• Jackson held popular vote but couldn’t grab the electoral majority.

• House then picks winner between the top two candidates.

• Henry Clay (who also ran) was the speaker of the House and would preside over the chamber that picked the winner. Clay would basically decide who became President.

• Shortly before the final ballot, Clay and Adams meet.

• Soon after, Adams is elected President… a couple days after that, Henry Clay is named Secretary of State (which at that time was pretty much a pathway to the Presidency… Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe)

• Jackson screams that there must have been a “corrupt bargain!”

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II. A Yankee Misfit in the White House

• One of the most successful secretaries of state, Adams wasn’t able to make a good President.

• Adams had high morals (once in office) and refused to kick out any efficient officeholders to create spots for his supporters.

• His supporters soon became frustrated with a party leader that wouldn’t reward party workers with political positions.

• Adams first task was to build roads and canals. To do so would require funds, forcing the continuation of the hated tariff duties.

• Some feared that if the federal gov’t was strong enough to force tariffs to fund huge projects, they could also interfere with southern slavery.

• Adams attempted to deal fairly with the natives, however, Georgia’s Governor successfully resisted Adams by threatening to resort to arms. Adams allowing Georgia to nullify the national will was a big slap in the face.

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III. Going “Whole Hog” for Jackson in 1828

• Jackson ran as one who would bring reform and sweep away dishonestly and corruption. He denounced Adams as a corrupt aristocrat.

• Adams didn’t participate in mudslinging, however, his supporters did. They spoke of Jackson’s wife as an adulterous, they brought up his numerous duels and fights, and pointed out that he hanged six militia men for mutiny.

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IV. “Old Hickory” as President• A rough and tumble fellow, Jackson lost his

family and was on his own at an early age. Fighting and dueling were a way of life for Jackson.

• Through his personality, common sense, and leadership he became a Judge and a member of Congress.

• Jackson’s inauguration led many to believe it would be mob rule. Jackson opened the white house to all and nearly died because of it. The only thing that got everyone out was the free booze placed outside.

V. The Spoils System

• Rewarding political supporters with public office was introduced during Jackson’s administration.

• Men on the make lusted for the spoils, but not the toils of office - ushering in corruption.

• This would force people to pick a party and remain loyal to it.

VI. The Tricky “Tariff of Abominations”

• Southerners were heavy consumers with little manufacturing industry hated tariffs!

• Jacksonites playing politics supported a high tariff increase, but fully expected it to fail. To their surprise it passed in 1828, it became known as the tariff of abominations.

• Southern slaveholders were growing more anxious about possible federal interference with the institution of slavery.

• South Carolina Legislature published The South Carolina Exposition (written by Vice President John C. Calhoun;) pamphlet that denounced the tariff as unjust and unconstitutional.

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VII. “Nullies” in South Carolina

• Weeks later, South Carolina delegates declared the tariff null and void within SC. As further defiance, SC threatened to pull out of the United States if the Federal gov’t tried to collect the customs and duties by force.

• Jackson wouldn’t permit defiance, instead he stated that he was going to go to SC and hang Calhoun from the first tree!

• Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the compromise tariff of 1833 made it through congress.

• Calhoun supported the compromise which kept Jackson from showing up in SC with an army and a rope.

• Congress also passed the Force Bill, which authorized the President to use military force it necessary in order to collect federal tariff money.

VIII. The Trail of Tears

• As Jackson Democrats were committed to western expansion, they needed a solution for the 125,000 natives that lived east of the Mississippi during the 1820s.– In the 1790s, the gov’t recognized the natives as

separate nations and agreed to acquire land only through formal treaties.

– This agreement did little to stop the Americans from routinely erasing and redrawing the treaty lines.

• Many Americans felt respect and admiration for the natives and believed they could assimilate into white society.– Many were devoted to “civilizing” and Christianizing

them.

• While some violently resisted white encroachment, others worked hard to assimilate.– The Cherokees of Georgia for instance, abandoned

their old life and adopted an agrarian way of life with a notion of private property.• Missionaries opened schools among the Cherokees and

developed a Cherokee alphabet

• In 1808 the Cherokee National Council legislated a written legal code and adopted a constitution that provided for executive, legislative, and judicial branches.• Some Cherokees became prosperous cotton planters and

even owned slaves.

– For these efforts the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles were considered the “Five Civilized Tribes” among whites.

• Despite all of their work in 1828 the Georgia legislature declared the Cherokee tribal council illegal and asserted its own jurisdiction over Indian affairs.– The Cherokees appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court,

which upheld the rights of the natives.

– President Andrew Jackson, who looked to open native lands for white settlement, refused to recognize the Court’s decision.• “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him

enforce it.” - Andrew Jackson

– In an attempt to help the natives, Jackson proposed to emigrate the remaining tribes (east of the Mississippi) to the west.• It is interesting to note that Jackson adopted a Creek

Indian son who eventually died of tuberculosis at 16.

• In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act.– It provided for the transplant of over 100,000

natives to the wide-open west where they could preserve their native cultures.

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• Ironically, the tribes that were hurt the worst from the this decision were the Five Civilized Tribes.• Over the next decade thousands of natives died along

the notorious Trail of Tears on the way to their “permanent” settlement, free of white encrouments.– Unfortunately their “permanent” settlement only lasted 15

years, because white settlement moved faster than expected.

• Suspicious of white intentions from the start, Sauk and Fox braves from Illinois and Wisconsin fought back in what became known as the Black Hawk War.– Natives led by Black Hawk were crushed in 1832 by

regular troops, including Lieutenant Jefferson Davis and volunteers, including Captain Abraham Lincoln.

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IX. The Bank War

• Nicholas Biddle was president of the Bank of the United States, a private industry. He held an enormous amount of power over the nation’s financial affairs. Profit, not public service was its first priority.

• Webster and Clay present Congress with a bill to renew the Bank of the United States’ charter. (which didn’t expire until 1836… they wanted it to be an election issue for 1832.)