Jackson’s PresidencyHow do the problems of Jackson’s presidency

create new rules* for the president?

Jackson: The Man•Born on the South Carolina frontier

• Family was poor because of father’s early death

•Had scars from capture during American Revolution

•Became a lawyer after the Revolution began practicing in Tennessee

• Joined politics & served in both house & Senate

•1824 – ran for president

Election of 1824•4 candidates:

• Henry Clay• John Q. Adams• Andrew Jackson• William Crawford

• Jackson won popular vote but didn’t have electoral majority, although he had the most electoral votes

•Clay told follows to vote Adams – Adams won

•Clay chosen for Adams’ Cabinet

Growth of Democratic Party

• Jackson & supporters built during time between 1824 and 1828

•Represent ordinary farmers, workers, the poor

•NOT for the rich and upper class

•Voter participation expands – new states pushed for all men to have the right to vote*

Growth of Opposition

• Whig Party – led by Henry Clay

• Named after the English antimonarchist party

• According to Democrats – only interested in wealth

Presidential Campaign of 1828•Both side fought dirty

• John Q. Adams called “Sabbath-breaker” – because he traveled on Sunday; accused of using public money to purchase “gambling furniture” (a pool table) for the White House

• Jackson – called crude & dumb – brought up stuff about his wife

•More than 3 times as many people voted as had in 1828

•BUT the campaign for Jackson was stronger – he won

Kitchen Cabinet•Most decisions made with trusted friends

•Met in White House kitchen

•Men previously in power distrusted this group

The Spoils System• Rewarding political supporters with government jobs

• Civil servants – saw jobs as for a lifetime – Jackson didn’t agree

• Jackson began to replace many Republican officeholders with Democratic ones

• Replaced about 10 % of civil servants

Nullification Crisis • 1828 – Congress raised tariffs (to encourage US manufacturing growth)

• Higher price for imported factory goods – allowed American goods to be cheaper

• Northern states liked the law

• Southern planters worried it would hurt cotton sales to other countries

• Calhoun (VP) – called on Southern states to declare the tariff “null & void” (illegal)

• 1832 – lowered the tariff -South Carolina rejected this

• Jackson wanted permission to allowed him to use the federal army to collect the tax

• Congress passed a compromise to lower the tariff again• South Carolina backed down

Maysville Road Veto•1830 – Congress passed a bill sponsored by Clay (Jackson’s

“enemy”) for the federal government to purchase stock in the Maysville, Washington, Paris, & Lexington Turnpike Road Company

•May 27, 1830 – Jackson vetoed the bill• Because the road was inside a single state it was unconstitutional to

use federal dollars to fund

•Not popular with the Democratic Party

•Created a precedent to limit the use of federal funds to interstate projects, harbors, & river improvements serving foreign trade

Battling the Bank of the United States•PARTLY owned by federal government – held monopoly on

federal deposits

•Bank’s contract up for renewal in 1836

•1832 – Clay pushed a bill through Congress to renew the contract early – Jackson vetoed it

• Jackson claimed bank was unconstitutional – disagreeing with the Supreme Court

•1833 – ordered Secretary of the Treasury to remove all federal deposits from bank & put into state banks (“pet banks”) run by his supporters – killed the bank

Previous Indian policies•Many areas claimed for settlers were also areas the government promised to let Indians have forever • Indians who would move promised food, supplies, &

money

•Many who remained gave up native ways & became farmers to stay on homeland

Indian Removal Act •1830 – law allowed president to make treaties where

American Indians in the East traded lands for territory on the Great Plains• Didn’t say if Indians should be removed by force

•1831 – Supreme Court ruled Indians had a right to keep lands• Jackson disagreed & groups who wouldn’t move met with military

force

Trail of Tears•1836 – thousands of Creek Indians who wouldn’t lease

Alabama rounded up & marched West in handcuffs• Jackson claimed he had “solved” the Indian problem for good

when he left office

•Work to remove Indians would continue under Van Buren

• Seminoles in Florida resisted removal - resulted in a very expensive war but eventually lost – those that didn’t leave moved to swamps