Chapter 10
Triumph of White Man’s Democracy
Democratic Society
The common man was just as good, just as equal as anyone else
This idea surprised foreign visitors who thought of themselves as the elite in their own countries
Equality appeared to be the governing principle of American society
There were no special privileges because of family connections
We had social classes, but the lines were not as rigid as in other societies
There was upward and downward mobility in the U.S.
This democratic principle was most obvious in politics
By 1820s most states had removed the last barriers to voting allowing all white adult males to vote
Many more public officials were elected rather than appointed
With more men gaining the right to vote, they became more involved with politics
They would vote for someone who cared about their needs
Voters could also select who would serve in the Electoral College and vote in a president
It wasn’t up to state legislatures anymore
The Election of 1824 John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew
Jackson Adams had more experience in
many different areas of government than Jackson: State Congress National Congress Minister to Russia Secretary of State under Monroe
Jackson: Was briefly the governor of the
Florida Territory Was the Hero of New Orleans in the
War of 1812 Portrayed himself as a man of the
people
Jackson won the popular vote in 1824
However, he did not have the majority of the electoral votes
As per the Constitution, a contested election is to be settled by the House of Representatives
Henry Clay supported Adams Adams became the next President Henry Clay then became the next
Secretary of State Jackson supporters called this a
“corrupt bargain” Chart, p. 290
The election of 1824 caused the re-emergence of the 2-Party System
Adams then led the National Republicans
Jackson led the Democrats and prepared to beat Adams in the 1828 election
Broken Patterns
Adams’ election broke the Virginia Dynasty: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe
4 of the first 5 presidents were from Virginia
Another pattern broken was the rise of the Secretary of State to the presidency Jefferson had been Washington’s Madison had been Jefferson’s Monroe had been Madison’s Adams had been Monroe’s
The Masons Another scandal in the 1820s
affected politics This one concerned the
Freemasons Fraternal order For middle class values Association was used to advance
careers and power Had secret rituals
1826 – William Morgan, a disillusioned Mason said he would expose their secret rituals
He disappeared shortly after announcing his plans
It was assumed he had been murdered
His friends wanted an investigation
Masons used their political influence to get the investigation stopped
People were outraged and started an Anti-Mason Movement
They wished to destroy the Masons and the aristocrats who were Masons
Anti-Masons became a political party for a time but merged with National Republicans to become the Whig Party
Anti-Masons Contributions to Politics They introduced Party Conventions
and the Party Platform Their conventions had a lot of
popular participation At the end of their convention, they
nominated a candidate This is still how politics works today
The party needs to be responsive to people
Election of 1828 Once again, it was John Quincy
Adams vs. Andrew Jackson Jackson mobilized the voters After a campaign of mudslinging
and not talking about hard issues, Jackson won
Adams lost because he didn’t reach out to new voters -- Chart, p. 292
Jackson as President, 1828 - 1836
Governed for 2 terms 3 major issues during his
presidency: Removal Bill Nullification Destruction of the National Bank
Removal Bill
Map, p.294 U. S. had broken every treaty we
had previously signed with Native Americans
The Cherokee were living on their land in Georgia
Georgians discovered minerals on Indian land that they wanted
Cherokees vs. Georgia went before the Supreme Court and they ruled in favor of the Cherokee because of a treaty they had with U.S.
Georgia still wanted them gone and appealed to Jackson
Jackson told the Supreme Court that the Justices could enforce their ruling
To Jackson, the Cherokee needed to move west of the Mississippi
They were forced to move on what became known as the Trail of Tears
Most Americans approved of this because it opened up new land to them
The Supreme Court was just ignored in the matter
Nullification During the Panic of 1819, there was
economic depression Farmers moved west and bought land
on credit They thought they would do well
because there was a growing demand for food, especially in the cities
The demand dropped, farmers couldn’t pay mortgage, and banks foreclosed
The economy recovered in the 1820s, but Americans continued to worry about the it
U.S. placed protective tariffs on imported goods but southerners felt these protective tariffs may have helped fledgling industries in the North but did nothing to protect their #1 product, cotton
Tariffs increased in 1816, 1824, and in 1828
To southerners, the Tariff of 1828 became known as the Tariff of Abominations
The government continued to help protect industrial goods but again did not help them
Southerners bought imported goods, and the prices kept rising
The South Carolina Legislature issued the “South Carolina Exposition & Protest”
It was written anonymously by Andrew Jackson’s own Vice President, John C. Calhoun
To protect its states’ rights, South Carolina said it had the right to nullify any federal law it felt was unconstitutional.
Congress could then appeal the law or add an amendment to the Constitution
Then the state could accept the law or secede from the Union
If this went through, then Southern States could secede if Congress outlawed slavery
Jackson said this action was treasonous and had Congress pass the Force Bill in March, 1833 This said U.S. could use troops to put
down any insurrection
Then Jackson had Congress lower the tariff South Carolina repealed “Nullification” Jackson was not happy to learn that his
own Vice President was working against him
He dropped him from the ticket in 1832 Martin Van Buren became V.P. under
Jackson and later President in 1836 – p. 300
Destruction of National Bank
The National Bank underwrote many economic ventures
In the Panic of 1819, it called in its loans and foreclosed on many ordinary Americans
Citizens hated the Bank and felt it had helped to ruin them
They felt the Bank helped the rich and hurt them
Jackson personally distrusted the Bank Didn’t like its use of paper money Felt it helped the rich
In 1832, Jackson resolved to crush the Bank
He put federal money in state banks
This was an illegal move The Bank went under in 1839 –
never to rise again
Election of 1840 P. 304 Whigs won with William Henry Harrison His supporters campaigned and
portrayed him as an ordinary guy who drank hard cider and lived in a log cabin
It wasn’t true, but he won over Martin Van Buren who had run into economic hard times during his term as President, 1836 - 1840
Changes in Politics
Virginia Dynasty ended Secretary of State becoming
President ended New 2-Party System Political Convention with more
participation by more white men New ways to campaign