The Age of Jackson

Elected in 1828. Popular in the SouthRan against John Quincy Adams who he

said was part of the aristocracy.The first President to come from humble

rootsVoting laws changed so that men no

longer had to be property owners in order to vote.

Jackson appealed to these new voters by saying he was a common man.

Andrew Jackson

“The People’s President”

By 1828 the Democratic Republicans had shortened their name to the Democrats.

Spoils System: Jackson gave his political supporters government jobs to reward them for their efforts.

Jacksonian Democracy

Jackson and his Democrats hated the National Bank.

He supported Southern farmers and many of them thought the bank was corrupt.

Manufacturers in the North liked the Bank.In 1832 Congress voted to renew the bank.Jackson vetoed it. He said that the bank led to

the “advancement of the few at the expense of the many.”

The bank crisis led to the formation of the Whig Party.

Whigs wanted a strong federal government, protective tariffs, and were loose constructionists.

Bank Crisis

1828 and 1832 Congress passes tariffs on imported goods, which benefit northern manufacturers but hurts southern planters.

South Carolina votes to nullify (void) the tariffs and threatens to secede from the Union if the federal government decides to use force.

Nullification Crisis

Jackson gets the authority to send troops to South Carolina.

Congress reduces the tariffs.

Tough Question: What is the broader significance of the nullification crisis?

Nullification Crisis (continued)

Jackson removed thousands of Indians living in the South.

Many had adopted white American culture and had schools, practiced Christianity, and formed Constitutions with Republican governments.

The Native Americans thought their best hope was to assimilate into white society.

Jackson and Native American Removal

Between 1827 and 1830, Georgia seized the land of Native Americans.

This violated federal peace treaties with Indian governments.

John Marshall ruled in favor of the Indians.

Tough Question of the Day: How does this ruling fit in with the other rulings of the Marshall court we have talked about so far? (Think about Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland.

Worcester v. Georgia

The Supreme Court ruled that the Federal government had formed treaties with the Native American tribes and the State governments could not override Federal treaties.

Again, the Marshall Court thought the Federal government should hold more power than the states.

Worcester v. Georgia

Jackson refused to enforce Worcester v. Georgia

Congress passed the Indian removal act which moved Southern Native Americans to what is now Oklahoma.

Trail of Tears: In 1838 U.S. soldiers forced 16,000 Cherokees to walk from their lands in the Southeast to Oklahoma. 4,000 died of disease and starvation on their long hard journey.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Trail of Tears

How does this cartoon portray Jackson’s use of power?

Was Jackson a man of the people? Or power hungry?

Manifest Destiny: The belief that God wanted Americans to expand Westward.

Westward expansion worsened tensions about slavery.

Read Document 2b on pg. 15 of packet and answer the questions.

Manifest Destiny

Louisiana Purchase

Florida: 1821 Purchased from Spain under John Quincy Adams.

Texas (1845): Texas they declared independence from Mexico, but they were weak and wanted to be annexed by the United States. Northerners didn’t want to accept another slave state into the Union. They compromised by saying they would bring Oregon into the Union at the same time as a free state.

annexation: The federal policy of adding territory (Texas) to the United States.

Oregon (1846): Agreement with Great Britain

Manifest Destiny

California and the Southwest(1848): Gained from the treaty which ended the Mexican American war.

Gasden Purchase: (1853) Purchased from Mexico. Included New Mexico and Southern Arizona.

Alaska (1867) Purchased from Russia

Manifest Destiny