Unit IIIPart 6

Andrew JacksonThe and the Second BUS

The Whigs

Remember Jackson hated Banks He distrusted paper money He opposed the Second BUS because it

put power into the hands of his enemies

The Second BUS was not popular with farmers

Ruthless foreclosures

If Jackson was elected again in 1832The BUS charter was up for renewal in

1836Who would be President in 1836?

Friends of the BUS

Were worried that even if congress passed a BUS renewal, Jackson would veto it

Nicholas Biddle was President of the Second BUS…he ran it very well

Biddle was worried too

Daniel Webster had a plan

To save the Second BUS

He told Biddle to apply EARLY for a recharter

He believed that Jackson would not dare to veto a bank bill before the election of 1832

Belief that if Jackson DID veto the BUS recharter, he would LOSE the election

Biddle asked for an early re-charter

Congress passed the Second BUS recharter bill

Jackson vetoed it

NOTE: the Second BUS would still operate until 1836

Biddle made lots of low-interest loans to those opposed to Jackson during the election

BUT THEN

Jackson was re-elected! Still two factions of one party:

Democratic Republicans: Jackson (VP Van Buren) (219) National Republicans: Henry Clay (49): first to have a

national platform Anti-Masonics (Third Party) Wirt (0): first to have a National

Convention

Jackson

Believed his election was a sign from the people that they wanted him to destroy the Bank even before the charter ran out

So he asked his Secretary of the Treasury to remove all of the federal $ from the Bank…he refused and was fired

The next Sec. of the Treasury…the same

They both believed it would be really bad for the economy

Roger Taney (Attorney General)

Was made the new Sec. of the Treasury

HE removed the federal $ from the Second BUS

The $ was re-deposited into several “PET” banks owned by Jackson lovers

Was this more democratic? Yes…before the government $ could

only be used by one bank, now…many

The Federal Money

Was used by more banks = more economic opportunities for more people

Marshall died! 1834

Jackson named Taney as new Supreme Court Chief Justice (a reward?)

In the meantime…Nicholas Biddle was forced to call in loans early to keep the bank afloat

More farmers lost land Businesses failed, factories closed,

lost jobs Depression for several years

The Specie Circular 1836

A Jackson idea passed by congress Required buyers to buy land with

specie! Made economy even worse Contributed to the Panic of 1837

Panic will be blamed on Van Buren because he will be the president to inherit it

Taney’s Court

Modified some of Marshall’s decisions:

Charles River Bridge v Warren Bridge 1837: Taney said that a state MAY amend a contract if it would benefit that state’s citizens

The Rise of the Whigs Jackson made many enemies due to his

actions during the Nullification Crisis and his war with the Second BUS

During his second term, the Whig Party was formed

It was a combination of National Republicans and Jackson Haters (who did not necessarily agree with the ideology of the National Republicans)

The Whigs Founders: Daniel Webster and

Henry Clay

Platform: Clay’s American System

Ideology: Stood for the same issues as the Federalist Party: High Tariff, Strong Central Government, a BUS

Remember: Webster was the last spokesman for the Federalist Party at the Hartford Convention

Election of 1836 Democrats (Old Democratic-Republican

Party) Van Buren (NY) (170) VP Johnson (killed Tecumseh)

Three Whig Candidates: W.H. Harrison (73) Hugh White (26) Daniel Webster (14)

Independent: Magnum (11)

Van Buren

Will only serve one term because the economy was so bad and it was all blamed on him

Although Jackson was at fault: his war with the Second BUS and the Specie Circular

BUT Jackson was still President until March of 1837

African Americans

Free in the North but second class citizens

Often could not vote in Northern States

1831 Nat Turner’s Rebellion: White family killed while slaves attempted to escape

Great fear by Southerners Abolitionist societies disappeared in the

South

The Gag Rule

The slavery issue was such a hot topic that if it was introduced in Congress, no work was done…only fighting over slavery

SO…members of the House were subject to the Gag Rule…Members were not supposed to bring up the topic of slavery so other work could get done

The Gag Rule

John Quincy Adams (was elected to the House after his presidency) tried to break the Gag Rule over 300 times

Native Americans

Since Jefferson, the U.S. policy was removal to east of the Mississippi

Jackson’s Trail of Tears

1832 Black Hawk War in the Northwest

1837-42 Seminole War in Florida

Foreign Affairs

The English finally opened up West Indies trade to the U.S.

The French paid us compensation for ships and cargo seized prior to the War of 1812 with the Convention of 1831

Now…Mexico…

Mexico

Had gained its independence from Spain in early 1820’s

Big U.S. migration to Mexico due the the Empressario System (like the Headright system: free land to settlers)

Stephen Austin one of the first

Great Migration

By 1830 there were 20,000 Americans in Mexico

BUT they were not happy: Did not like to pay a tariff on U.S.

goods Did not have self-government 1829: Mexico outlawed slavery

Mexico

Americans in Texas area formed a provisional government

Santa Ana (Mexican dictator) Led the Mexican army against the Americans

Americans in Texas (Mexico) declared their independence in 1836

The War for Texas Independence

1836: Battle of the Alamo (big win for Mexico)

1836: Battle of the Goliad (big win for Mexico)

1836: Battle of San Jacinto (Americans won their independence by capturing Santa Ana)

Sam Houston: President of the Texas Republic asked for U.S. annexation

Texas

Jackson would not consider annexing Texas

Did not want to risk war with Mexico Did not want to upset the Senate

balance of free and slave states…Texas would enter as a slave state.

Will be annexed by Tyler after election of Polk in 1844