Chapter 9

Jacksonian America
 Fears of rapid economic/territorial growth
o Emphasis on establishing order and a system of authority
 Also fears of inequality (socially and economically)
o Emphasis on getting rid of elites
o Andrew Jackson advocated for this, and he was the first president born poor
 Supported by working people
 Still, Jackson and his supporters were not egalitarian, and he was an aristocrat
o Still did not advocate for POC or women
o Also didn't advocate for farmers or workers
 He advocated for people who earned their wealth, not people born into it
o He challenged elites and supported entrepreneurs in the South/West
Mass Politics
 Transformation of American politics
o Politics open to all white male citizens
o "era of the common man"
 Did not really bring economic equality
o No major changes of wealth and property
Background
 Only white male property owners or taxpayers could vote
o Ohio and new states began to give all white males the right to vote
 Older states were afraid of their citizens leaving, so they lowered their requirements
 Even before Andrew Jackson, there were changes
 Reforms were relatively peaceful but created instability in Rhode Island
o Rhode Island Constitution limited 1/2 of adult males from voting in 1830's
 Thomas Dorr formed a "People's party" and made a new Constitution, which got approved by a lot
 They created a new government, and Dorr was the governor
 The legislature rejected it though so there was competition between both governments
 The old government imprisoned Dorr and his supporters
 His followers captured the state arsenal but failed
 This "Dorr rebellion" caused the old government to make changes to their own constitution in fear of more
rebellion
 Still not completely reformed
o Slaves couldn't vote in the South
 Also, the South favored old counties
o Even freed black slaves couldn't vote in the South/ barely in the North
o Women couldn't vote in either
o Voting wasn't secret, which led to bribery
 Still, the number of voters rapidly grew
 Chose presidential electors differently
o Legislatures determined the electoral college, and therefore the president in 10 states
 Only 6 states had the people choose the electors
o By 1828 election, electors were chosen by the people's vote (except for South Carolina)
 State electors could cast votes
o Gave voters a say in elections
o Also, in 1824, only 27% of those who could vote voted, but it grew to 58% in 1828, and 80% in 1840
Democracy in America
 1900's --> more people allowed to vote and emergence of political parties
 Alexis de Tocqueville spent 2 years watching the US's political changes
o The French government made him investigate US prisons
 Thought to be more humane and effective
o Instead, he got really into American life
o Wrote Democracy in America
 Examined the US culture
 Daily lives of Americans
 Their visions of democracy
o In France, only aristocrats and landowners could vote
 But in US, there was economic and social nobility, anyone could be an aristocrat
o Still, there were limits
 Women couldn’t vote
o Helped people in France and Europe understand American democracy
Acceptance of Party Factions
  Voter participation because of expanded voting rights
o More people participate in politics
o Ideas of a "party" had been accepted
 In the 1820's-1830's, people viewed that political parties were important (first in NY)
o Essential to democracy
 This first happened in the states
o After the war of 1812, Martin Van Buren ("Bucktails) challenged political elite, DeWitt Clinton
 Argued that Clinton's exclusive circle did not represent democracy
 Advocated institutionalized political parties, since competition was needed in order to make them focus on
the will of the people
 Similar to checks and balances
 Voted Jackson in 1828 because of a non-elite group
o 1830's had a functional 2 party system
 Anti-Jackson called "whigs", pro-Jackson called "democrats"
 Whigs = republicans, democrats = democrats
Andrew Jackson (President of the Common People)
 Born to Irish immigrants (1767)
o Studied law, became representative, senator, and judge
o Early 19th was a planter and merchant in Tennessee
o Led campaigns against Natives
o Had more than 100 slaves at his plantation
 Democratic party didn't have a clear position at the time
o Jefferson used the theory of democracy but wasn't majorly into democracy
 "Government should offer protection and benefits"
 Did not apply to POC
o Expel Natives from the Southeast
o Banned slavery literature
 Jackson launched an assault on Eastern Aristocracy
o Gave more opportunities to the West and South
o Denounced Federal officeholders
 Believed offices belong to the people
 He also wanted to give those positions to his supporters
 Created the spoils system (giving out jobs as political rewards)
o Jackson used this system by removing 1/5 of the federal officeholders
 Andrew Jackson's followers transformed the way candidates were selected
o Staged a convention to renominate him
o Believed power comes from the people, not political institutions and caucus's
"Our Federal Union"
 Jackson wanted to reduce Federal gov power
o A concentration of power could restrict power of the people
 Jackson was committed to preserving the Union
o When reducing power of national government, also asserting supremacy of a Union in the face of a challenge
o His vice president Calhoun started a theory called nullification
Calhoun
 He supported the tariff of 1816 to temporarily raise money for national debt
o By 1820, he believed that it was responsible for limiting economic growth
 The real reason was the overuse of farmland
o People in South Carolina were thinking about withdrawing from the North
 He developed the idea of nullification from Madison, Jefferson, and the 10th amendment
o Since the federal gov was created by the states, the states could consider a federal law unconstitutional
 They can hold a convention to declare federal law null and void
o Used to nullify 1828 tariff
 Gained popularity in South Carolina
 Did not help his standing

Martin Van Buren

 A governor of NY
o Now Jackson's secretary of state
 Member of the official cabinet and "Kitchen Cabinet" (president's political allies)
o His influence grew stronger with the president
 Because of a fight about etiquette between Jackson and Calhoun
 Peggy O'Neale was a daughter of a tavernkeeper that Jackson and Eaton had been associated with
o Rumors that she had an affair with Eaton
 Her husband died and she married Eaton
 o Jackson named Eaton secretary of war
o Ms. Calhoun refused to receive Mrs. Eaton as a cabinet wife
 Gossip was a cause of Jackson's wife's death, so he was angry
o Calhoun refused Jackson
 Van Buren became friends with Eaton and Jackson
o Jefferson made Van Burren his successor
Webster-Hayne Debate
 1830 --> senator from Connecticut asked for all land sales and surveys to be stopped
 Hayne said that slowing down growth of West was to allow East to retain its powers
o Hayne wanted South and West to check the power of the East
o Slavery would only strive with new western lands
o Federal government should not be able to control sale of land
 Daniel Webster disagreed with Hayne because it was an attack on the integrity and federal government
o The South was favoring their own power over the survival of the nation
 Hayne defended nullification
 Webster wrote his "Second Reply to Hayne"
o Said that Liberty and Union are inseparable
 The president had written text, saying "our Federal Union-It must be preserved" while looking at Calhoun
o Calhoun said the liberty was more important than the Union
Nullification controversies
 1832, South Carolinians responded to the tariff of 1832 which didn't give them time to recover form tariff of abominations
o Summoned a state convention to nullify both tariffs
 South Carolina elected Hayne as governor & Calhoun as senator
o Jackson called nullification treason, and he strengthened forts in South Carolina + ordered a warship
o He proposed a bill to allow him to use the military in order to obey Congress
 In the senate, no state defended South Carolina
o Clay compromised the tariff to be lowered by 1842, same level as 1816
 Both the compromise and bill were passed
o South Carolina repealed its nullification
o The convention nullified the force act
o Calhoun considered it a victory
 Showed that a state couldn't defy federal government
Removal of the Indians
 Jackson wanted the Indian tribes to move West
o He had hostility towards Indians
White Attitudes toward the Tribes
 Whites shared Jefferson's view as "noble savages"
o Civilization was possible with them if the mimicked whites
 Still, people viewed them as just savages who should be removed
o White people wanted to end competition in the West and wanted land
 Events in the Northwest
o Sauk and Fox Indians fought white settlers to overturn illegal possession of Native lands
o Called the Black Hawk war and known for violence
 Even when Natives surrendered, still attacked and pursued
 Many Natives died
 Reinforced determination to remove tribes
The "Five Civilized Tribes'
 Remaining tribes in the South
o Land for growing cotton
 Known as the "Five civilized tribes"
o Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Chickasaws, and Choctaws
o Called civilized because had European American practices like reading, organized government, laws, agricultural
economies, and slavery
 1830 --> accelerated efforts to move tribes West
o Indian removal act gave money to negotiate relocation
 Cherokees stopped Georgia which had made laws about removing them
o The Supreme Court supported them in Worcester v. Georgia
 State couldn't negotiate with tribes
o Jackson denied this decision
 A minority of Cherokees sold their land for 5 million and land in the West
o The majority and their leader didn't see this treaty as legit
 Jackson sent army of 7000 to drive them westward
Trail of Tears
 1000 Cherokees went to North Carolina and had a small reservation
 The rest went to "Indian Territory" or Oklahoma in 1838
o A quarter or more died before arriving
o Survivors called it "the trail where they cried" or "trail of tears"
 1830-1828, all civilized tribes traveled
o Choctaws were the first, then Creeks, then Chickasaws, and finally Cherokees
 Seminoles resisted but agreed to a settlement to move to the Indian territory in 3 years
o Some moved west but a few under Osceola staged an uprising
 Called the 2nd Seminole Wars
 Runaway slaves who lived in the tribe joined them
 Jackson sent troops, but Seminoles used guerrilla warfare in the Everglades
o 1842--> war was abandoned but Seminoles killed or forced West
The Meaning of Removal
 1830's --> Indian societies in east had been removed
o Given over 200 million acres and received 68mil $ + 32mil acres
 Divided into separate reservations surrounded by US forts
o Not used to environment
 The West had whites and natives living in peace
o Pueblos and New Mexico
o Fur trading posts in NW
o Texas and California
 Sometimes contact was mutually beneficial, sometimes it was cruel
o The West didn't separate whites and Indians
 Mid-nineteenth century these ideas changed
o Whites believed Indians couldn't be partners because of the plantation system
o They were seen as obstacles
Jackson and the Bank War
 Jackson was reluctant to use federal authority
o Ex: his veto of a measure for a road in Kentucky
 It was unconstitutional since the road was entirely in Kentucky
 Also was unnecessary
o Shown on his stance against the Bank of the US
Biddle's Institution
 Botus had monopoly on federal deposits
o Credit to growing enterprises
o Gave banknotes as money
o Restrained state banks
 Nicholas Biddle ran the bank
 Opposition to the Bank from "soft-money" and "hard-money"
o Soft money was state bankers and allies
 Said Bank restrained state banks from freely issuing notes
o Hard money faction was Andrew Jackson
 Believed that gold/silver was the best currency
 Didn't like banknotes, since they would be worthless if people didn't give them value
 Botus was the largest corporation in US
o Publicly and privately owned
o Could give anyone loans
 Attacked as overly centralized and greedy
o Favored rich and powerful
 Botus was about to expire in 1836, and Jackson would not renew it
 Biddle gave banking favors to influential people
o Such as Daniel Webster and Henry Clay
 Persuaded Biddle to apply for Congress in 1832 for a recharter bill
o Bill was passed but vetoed by Jackson
 The Bank then became an issue of the 1832 election
 Clay ran for president
o "Bank war" didn't allow Clay to win
 Jackson won 55% of popular vote and 219 electoral votes
The "Monster" Destroyed
 Jackson couldn't abolish the bank before its charter
o Could weaken it by removing government deposits
  His secretary of treasury advised him that it could destabilize the financial system
o Jackson fired him and hired a new one
 The new one agreed and Jackson fired him too
o Finally, he got Roger B. Taney, who was his friend
 Taney started taking out government deposits and giving them to states
o Biddle called loans and raised interest because of this
 This destroyed corporations
 Led to unemployment
 Caused a short recession
 During winter of 1833-1834, people sent petitions to Washington to recharter the Bank
o Jacksonians blamed economic recession on Biddle
 People sided with Jackson, and Biddle couldn't recharter the Bank
o The country had an unstable banking system
 Jackson moved against the Supreme Court
o When Marshall died, Jackson appointed Taney
o Taney changed rules about vigorous nationalism
 In the case Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1837), two companies had a dispute over the right to
build a bridge, and Taney said that the state could nullify a contract if necessary
 Jacksonian idea that the key to democracy was expansion of economic opportunities
Changing face of American Politics
 Jackson's role in opposing nullification and BOTUS created an coalition (mob/union) against him
o A few political leaders opposed how he exerted authority
o Called themselves whigs and called him "King Andrew I"
 English political party to limit power of the king
 Introduction of the 2nd party system
Democrats and Whigs
 Democratic Party (1830) supported Jackson
o Believed federal government should have limited power
o Unless it made policies to eliminate privilege
o State right should be protected unless states interfered with mobility
o Celebrated "honest workers", "simple farmers", and "forthright businessmen"
o Supported expansion more than Whigs
 Create opportunities for Americans
o Loco Focos (radical members), working class and businessmen protested elites and saw the US economic
government as trying to help the elites
 A riot in New York of Loco Focos
 1840 Act which separated bank from federal government
 Whiggery favored expanding federal power
o Expanded industrial and commercial development
o Feared that rapid growth could lead to instability
o Gave more value to institutions that promoted gradual economic growth
 Whigs were favored by merchants and manufacturers in Northeast, rich planters in South, and farmers in West
o Richer/more aristocratic
o Focused in commerce
 Democrats favored by small merchants and working class of NE, Southern and Western planters in agrarian economy and
southern/western planters who wanted agricultural economy
 Both parties focused on philosophy, not elections
 Changed philosophy regionally to attract more voters
o New York, Whigs created Anti-Masonry
 Anti-Mason party led to dislike of exclusivity/secrecy, led to Society of Freemasons
 William Morgan disappeared from his home before publishing something to expose Freemasonry
o Whigs used Anti-Masonry ideas to launch attacks on Jackson and Buren (which were Democrats and Freemasons),
implying a connection between the two
 Racial divisions in the parties
o Irish and German Catholics favored Democrats
 Avoid commercial development
 Respect cultural values
o Evangelical Protestants favored Whigs
 Because they wanted constant development and idea of progress towards order
 Thought that immigrants needed to be taught American ways
 The party did not have a leader, and had 3, called the "Great Triumvirate" with Clay, Webster, and Calhoun
o Clay wanted internal improvements and economic development
 American system
 He did not have a great reputation
o Webster spoke in defense of the Constitution and Union
  Ties with BOTUS, tariff, rich men, and drinking issue did not allow him to win office
o Calhoun didn't consider himself a true Whig
 Nullification controversy
 Sided with Clay and Webster about national bank
 Didn't like Andrew Jackson
 Whigs were even with Democrats but only won 2 elections in 20 years
o 1836 --> Democrats wanted Van Buren, but Whigs didn't have a candidate
 Ran several candidates and drew votes for election in HoR, where Whigs could elect their candidate
 Still, Van Buren won with 170 electoral votes against 124
After Jackson
 He retired from the public in 1837
o He was beloved
 Van Buren didn't have Jackson's charm and his time in office led to economic difficulties
Van Buren and the Panic of 1837
 Van Buren won the 1836 election because of the economic boon
o Peak of canal and railroads
o Rising prices, lots of credit, land was booming
 (1835-1837) Government sold 40 million acres of land
o Land sale + tariff of 1833 increased federal budget and reduced national debt
o 1835-1837, only time government was out of debt
 Surplus for Treasury
o Support to give the rest to states
o 1836 distribution act that made the federal government pay its funds every quarter as loans
 States used this for highways, roads, canals
 Facilitated economic boom
 Giving funds that they needed to distribute to state government, state banks had to call-in loans
 Jackson was scared that government was selling land for banknotes
o 1836 --> the government could only use gold or silver coins
 Created a financial crisis during Van Buren's presidency
 Panic of 1837
o Failing businesses
 Growing unemployment
o Railroad project failures
o State governments in debt because of railroad projects etc.
 Could not pay interest for their loans from the federal government, and some just didn't pay
 Worst political issues for Democrats
 Response was not major
o Borrowed money to pay government debts
o Only accepted coins for taxes
o A "preemption" (special rights of payment) bill gave settlers rights to buy government land before public sale
 Also rejected bill to lower land prices
o Established 10-hour work day, not many legislative achievements
 Proposed a new financial system
o "Independent treasury" system, where government funds are placed in an independent treasury
 No private banks could use the government's money/name
o Called a session of Congress in 1837, but it failed
o 1840, it succeeded through both houses of Congress
Log Cabin Campaign
 For election of 1840, Whigs were trying to decide on a candidate
o They chose William Henry Harrison, who was a soldier and was popular
 The democrats chose Van Buren
 The "penny press" (1833) was used to carry news
o Newspapers were more sensationalist, since they were now directed at common people
o The Sun was egalitarian, and started publishing in 1833
 Other similar papers appeared
o Reinforced democracy become important and trying to appeal to "ordinary people", not just elites
 Showed how the spirit of competition had been established
o The Whigs were presented as party of the common people
o Democrats couldn't defend against this
 Harrison won 234 electoral votes to 60
Frustration of the Whigs
 Whigs were frustrated after their victory
 o Harrison died of pneumonia
 Succeeded by John Tyler
 Tyler was a Democrat but left since he though Jackson was too egalitarian
o His approach to public policy was somewhat democratic
o But he abolished the independent-treasury system and raised tariffs
o Did not want to recharter Botus
 Vetoed bills written by clay
 Tyler got kicked out of the Whigs
o Most cabinet members except Webster left
 5 former democrats replaced them
 Webster left
 Tyler appointed Calhoun who rejoined the Democrats
 Tyler and some conservative Whigs were going to join the Democrats
o Integration of aristocratic political ideals in democracy
o Wanted to expand slavery and agreed with state rights
Whig Diplomacy
 Anti-British factions in Canada revolted against the government
o Failed, and refugees chartered an American ship (Caroline) to get supplies
 Britain ended up burning the ship and killing an American
o "Caroline affair"
 Tensions over Canada and Maine borders
o American and Canadian lumberjacks started a violent brawl called the Aroostook war
 An American ship (the Creole) had over 100 slaves but rebelled
o Went to the Bahamas, where British officials let them free
 The London government didn't overrule this decision
 Great Britain government now wanted to reduce tensions
o Send Lord Ashburton to negotiate an agreement on the Maine boundary
 Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842
o US got over 1/2 the disputed area and agreed on a far west northern boundary
o Also expressed regret about Caroline and Creole affairs and also promised no interference
 Improved relationship
 Diplomatic relationship with China
o Treaty of Wang Hya (1844)--> American diplomats had same privileges as the British
o Trade with China increased
 After the Tyler administration, James K. Polk (a democrat) won and wanted to expand westward