The American Pageant

Chapter 13

The Rise of a Mass Democracy,

1824-1840

Cover Slide

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Slideshow Adapted from: Ms. Susan M. Pojer

Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

Slideshow Adapted from: Ms. Susan M. Pojer

Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

The Corrupt Bargain of 1824

• Election of 1824• Andrew Jackson of Tennessee• Henry Clay of Kentucky• William H. Crawford of Georgia• John Q. Adams of Massachusetts

– All called themselves Republicans

The Corrupt Bargain of 1824

– Jackson = most popular & electoral votes• BUT DIDN’T get majority in Electoral College.

– Adams=2nd in both– Crawford=4th in the popular vote but 3rd in the

electoral votes– Clay = 4th in the electoral vote

• SO?– 12th Amendment top 3 vote getters voted upon

in House of Reps– Majority (over 50%) = President

The Corrupt Bargain of 1824

• Clay = eliminated– he was the Speaker of the House– Crawford suffered a paralytic stroke

(he’s out of the picture)– Clay hated Jackson– supports John Q. Adams (becomes

president)

• So what’s the bargain?– Clay is appointed Secretary of the State– SO? = the traditional stepping-stone to

the presidency– Jacksonians cried foul play & corruption– Jackson said:

• he was the people’s choice• He had been swindled out of the presidency

by career politicians in Washington D.C.

– Evidence?• Never been found• Both men’s reputations = flawed

The Corrupt Bargain of 1824

Results of the 1824 Election

Results of the 1824 Election

A “Corrupt Bargain?

”

A “Corrupt Bargain?

”

Opposition to John Quincy Adams

Opposition to John Quincy Adams

3 Some believed he allowed too much political control to be held by elites.

3 Some objected to his support of national economic development on constitutional grounds.

Adams believed a strong, active central government was necessary.

A national university.

An astronomical observatory.

A naval academy.

3 Many Americans saw Adams’ vision of a mighty nation led by a strong president as a threat to individual liberties.

A Yankee Misfit in the White House• Public reaction was mixed:

– roads = good– Southerners knew that if the

government did anything, it would have to continue collecting tariffs

• Land:– tried to curb over-speculation of land,

much to Westerners’ anger • even though he was doing it for their own

good

Tariff BattlesTariff Battles Tariff of 1816 on imports of cheap

textiles.

Tariff of 1824 on iron goods and more expensive woolen and cotton imports.

Tariff of 1828 higher tariffs on imported raw materials [like wool & hemp].

Supported by Jacksonians to gain votes from farmers in NY, OH, KY.

The South alone was adamantly against it.

As producers of the world’s cheapest cotton, it did not need a protective tariff.

They were negatively impacted American textiles and iron goods [or the taxed English goods] were more expensive!

Votes in the House for the “Tariff of Abomination”

Votes in the House for the “Tariff of Abomination”

Land & Indian PoliciesLand & Indian Policies3 John Quincy Adams:

His land policies gave westerners another reason to dislike him.

He attempted to curb speculation for public lands his opponent accused him of denying their individual rights and freedoms to expand westward!

He supported the land rights of Native Americans against white settlers. 1825 govt. officials negotiated a

treaty with a group of Creek Indians to cede their land rights to GA.

The Creek Indians appealed to Adams to renounce the treaty.

Congress sided with the governor of GA.

The 1828 ElectionThe 1828 Election3 Jackson’s campaign was engineered

by Senator Martin Van Buren of NY

He wanted to recreate the old Jeffersonian coalition of:

Northern farmers and artisans.

Southern slave owners.

Farmers with small land holdings.

He created the Democratic Party from the remains of Jefferson’s old party: Created a national committee that

oversaw local and state party units.

Mass meetings, parades, picnics.

A lot of political mudslinging on both sides.

Rachel JacksonRachel Jackson

Final Divorce DecreeA devoted wife who did not live to become first lady, she died a month after the election of 1828. Andrew Jackson was convinced that this enemies vicious accusations that she was a bigamist and adulteress had killed her. The more complicated truth was that Andrew Jackson had married Rachel Robards confident that her divorce had been granted. Two years later, when they discovered to their dismay that it had not bee, they made haste to correct the marital miscue.

Jackson in Mourning for His Wife

Jackson in Mourning for His Wife

1828 Election Results

1828 Election Results

The New “Jackson Coalition”

The New “Jackson Coalition”

3 The Planter Elite in the South

3 People on the Frontier

3 Artisans [competition from factory labor].

3 State Politicians spoils system To the victor belong the spoils

of the enemy! [William Marcy of NY]

3 Immigrants in the cities.

Jackson as Satan Dangles the Spoils of Victory over

his Supporters

Jackson as Satan Dangles the Spoils of Victory over

his Supporters

Jackson’s Faith in the “Common

Man”

Jackson’s Faith in the “Common

Man”3 Intense distrust of Eastern“establishment,” monopolies, & special privilege.

3 His heart & soul was with the“plain folk.”

3 Belief that the common man was capable of uncommon achievements.

The Reign of “King Mob”

The Reign of “King Mob”

Andrew Jackson as PresidentAndrew Jackson as President

The “Peggy Eaton Affair”• Who?

– The wife of, Eaton, Secretary of War• She was the daughter of a Washington boardinghouse keeper

• Rumors:– spread about her and the male boarders

• So?– She was snubbed by ladies in Jackson's family & Vice

President Calhoun's wife

• So???– Jackson wanted to help her because his wife had been the

object of many rumors– tried to force the social acceptance of Peggy– was called the "Petticoat Wars"

• So????– scandal played into the hands of Secretary of State Van

Buren• He paid attention to Mrs. Eaton so he could get on Jackson's good

side.

The Tariff & Nullification • Tariff of 1828

– Jackson’s opposition to it helped him to win the election– He was forced to protect it….WHY?

• November 1832: the South Carolina state convention adopted an Ordinance of Nullification • Declared the tariffs of 1828 & 1832 null & void & threatened secession.

The Tariff & Nullification• John C. Calhoun (VP)

– maintained that the U.S. Constitution had been ratified by state conventions– therefore, a state convention could declare a congressional law null & void.

• Jackson rejected Calhoun’s ideas & asserted that nullification was unauthorized & destructive.

The Tariff & Nullification • Congress passed a Force Bill

– authorized the use of the army & navy to force South Carolina’s obedience. • At the same time, legislation was passed to reduce tariffs. • South Carolina rescinded its nullification of the tariff, & Jackson had established the principle that no state could nullify a law of the United States.

Indian Removal • In the late 1820s, whites in both the West & East called for the resettlement of the Indians west of the Mississippi River. • Indian peoples still controlled vast tracts of land • 1827: the Cherokees introduced a new charter of government modeled directly on the U.S. Constitution.

Indian Removal

• The Georgia legislature: – Declared that the Cherokees were

only tenants on state-owned land, not an independent nation

– Jackson agreed; he withdrew the federal troops that had protected Indian enclaves.

Indian Removal

• Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830: – Provided territory in modern-day

Oklahoma & Kansas to Indians who would give up their ancestral holdings.

• Jackson sent troops & applied both military force & diplomatic pressure to force 70 Indian peoples to sign treaties & move west of the Mississippi.

Indian Removal • Supreme Court:

– Cherokee Nation v. GeorgiaThe Supreme Court ruled that Indians weren't independent nations but dependent domestic nations which could be regulated by the federal government. From then until 1871, treaties were formalities with the terms dictated by the federal government.

Indian Removal• Worchester v. Georgia: 1832 –

– The Supreme Court decided Georgia had no jurisdiction over Cherokee reservations. – Georgia refused to enforce decision and President Jackson didn't support the Court.

• Jackson relentlessly took Cherokee territory

The Trail of Tears• President Martin Van Buren’s ordered General Winfield Scott’s army to march the Cherokees 1,200 miles to the new Indian Territory—the journey is remembered as the Trail of Tears.

Indian RemovalIndian Removal

The Grand National Caravan Moving West

The Grand National Caravan Moving West

Trail of Tears (1838-1839)

Trail of Tears (1838-1839)

Indian Removal • The national government asserted its control over most eastern Indian peoples & forced their removal to the West.

The Bank War• Background:

– In operation since 1816– Had 20 year charter– Privately managed, but federal gov’t owned 20% of its stock– Most important role = stabilizing money supply

The Bank War

• State banks issued paper money.• They promised to redeem notes on

demand with specie (medal coins)• The Second Bank of the United

States kept state banks from issuing too many notes – They collected notes– Regularly demanded specie– This prevented monetary inflation

& higher prices.

The Bank War• During the 1820s the 2nd Bank had maintained monetary stability by restraining some expansion-minded banks in western states and forcing others to close.• Most Americans did not understand the regulatory role of the Second Bank:

– They feared its ability to force bank closures, which left them holding worthless paper.

The Bank War • Jackson’s opponents persuaded the Second Bank’s president to request an early recharter…WHY?

– They had hoped Jackson’s veto would split the Democrats before the election of 1832.

The Bank War • Jackson vetoed the bank bill & became a public hero

• He declared that the Second Bank promoted the advancement of the few at the expense of the many.

The Bank War • Jackson won the election of 1832:

– Dumped Calhoun as vice president– Chose Martin Van Buren instead.

• Jackson had Secretary of the Treasury Roger B. Taney withdraw the government’s gold from the Second Bank & deposit it in state “pet” banks.

The Bank War • Jackson opponents in the Senate:

– Passed a resolution censuring the president for acting independently of Congress– Jackson continued to dismantle the bank & turned it into a state-chartered bank in Pennsylvania.

1832 Election Results

1832 Election Results

The Bank War• Jackson had destroyed

– National banking– The American System of protective tariffs– Internal improvements

• The result was a profound change in the policies & powers of national government.

A Whig World View• By the mid-1830’s a 2nd national party

was created– Called themselves “whigs”

• took their name from the British pol. party that had opposed King George during the Am. Revolution

• Included: Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and, for a while, Calhoun.

• policies included support of industry, protective tariffs, and Clay's American System

• were generally upper class in origin.

A Whig World View• Created in response to

– the rise of the Democracy – & Jackson’s tumultuous presidency

• Goal was a political world dominated by men of ability & wealth– Sought votes among evangelical Protestants & upwardly mobile middle- & working-class citizens in the North.

A Whig World View• Northern Whigs called for a return to Clay & Adams’s American System; • Southern Whigs advocated economic development but did not support high tariffs & social mobility.

Election of 1836• Martin Van Buren (D)

– emphasized his opposition to the American System & his support for individual rights.• 4 regional candidates 

– The Whigs ran 4 regional candidates in the election hoping to throw the contest to the House, which they controlled– plan failed & Van Buren won

Labor Politics & the Depression of 1837–1843

• The ideology of artisan Republicanism:– Embraced by Working Men’s Parties– Soon they joined the Jacksonians

• demanding equal rights• attacking chartered corporations• monopolistic banks.

• Taking advantage of the economic boom of the early 1830s, workers formed unions to bargain for higher wages.

Labor Politics & the Depression of 1837–1843• Employers

– Attacked the union movement– Brought lawsuits to overturn closed

shop agreements that required them to hire only union members.

– Argued that such agreements violated:• Common law• Legislative statutes that

prohibited “conspiracies” in restraint of trade; judges usually agreed

Panic of 1837

• Threw the American economy into disarray

• began when the Bank of England sharply curtailed the flow of money & credit to the United States.

• To pay their foreign loans & commercial debts, Americans had to withdraw specie from domestic banks

• Local banks didn’t have enough specie & without a national bank to turn to, domestic banks suspended all payments in specie.

Panic of 1837

• By 1839 the American economy fell into deep depression:– Canal construction fell by 90%– Prices dropped nearly 50%– Unemployment rose to 20% in

some areas.• Depression devastated labor

movement– Depleted membership of unions &

destroyes their bargaining power• By 1843, most unions had

disappeared.

Panic of 1837• During the depression:

– Commonwealth v. Hunt • upheld the rights of workers to form unions & enforce a closed shop

• Van Buren established a ten-hour day for federal employees.

The Panic of 1837 Hits Everyone!

The Panic of 1837 Hits Everyone!

The Independence of Texas

• The Adams-Onís Treaty (1819) – Guaranteed Spanish sovereignty over Texas

• After winning independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government, short on population & cash for settling the region, encouraged settlement by both Mexicans & migrants from the U.S.

The Independence of Texas

• 1829: the Americans won special exemption from a law ending slavery in Mexico.

• By the 1830s, Americans in Texas had split into two groups: – The “peace party”: wanted more

self-government for the province– The “war party”: wanted

independence from Mexico.

The Independence of Texas

• On March 2, 1836, the war party proclaimed the independence of Texas & adopted a constitution legalizing slavery. • General Antonio Lopéz de Santa Anna’s army wiped out the war party’s garrison that was defending the Alamo & then captured Goliad.

Assault on the Alamo

• After a 13-day siege, on March 6, 1836, a Mexican army of 4000 stormed the small mission in San Antonio, Texas. “the first to climb were thrown down by bayonets…or by pistol fire,” reported a Mexican officer. Only a half hour of continuous assaults gave the attackers control of the wall. This contemporary woodcut shows the fierceness of the battle, which took the lives of all 250 American defenders; the Mexicans suffered 1500 dead or wounded.

Fall of the Alamo by Robert Jenkins OnderdonkAlthough they were greatly outnumbered, Texas forces held off a siege at the Alamo by the Mexican army under Antonio López de Santa Anna. The old mission's walls were eventually breached, however, and the Texans were overcome in hand-to-hand fighting. This painting is an artist's conception of the last moments of battle, before the remaining Texans were finally defeated. (Friends of the Governor's Mansion)

Fall of the Alamo by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The Independence of Texas

• General Sam Houston (strong leader) – With reinforcements, the war party routed the Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto, establishing de facto independence.

Sam Houston, by Martin Johnson Heade, 1846

• Military hero, president of the Lone Star Republic of Texas, and senator from the state of Texas: Sam Houston cut an impressive figure and had many admirers both inside and outside politics. According to a Nashville belle who knew the Texan as a young man, “two classes of people pursued Sam Houston all of his life—artists and women.” Heade’s portrait, painted when Houston was a senator, conveys the Texan’s flamboyant character.

The Independence of Texas

• Presidents Jackson & Van Buren: – Refused to allow the annexation of Texas – Felt its status as a slave state would:

• Divide the Democratic Party• Lead to war with Mexico.

Photo of Andrew Jackson in 1844

(one year before his death)

Photo of Andrew Jackson in 1844

(one year before his death)

1767 - 1845