Age of Jackson, 1828-1848

Andrew Jackson• Personal:

– Famous for Military Exploits

• Florida and Battle of New Orleans

– First President from the West

• Wealthy slaveholder• Tennessee

– Seen as the Champion of the Common Man

• “King Mob”• Political NOT

Economic Rise

% of Eligible Voters in Presidential Elections

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860

%

Brinkley, 10th Edition

The Common Man’s

President

Elections

• 1824—Loses the “Corrupt Bargain” to John Quincy Adams

• 1828—Jackson Victory!• 1832—Jackson wins reelection!

– New Party Formation• Jacksonian Democrats• National Republicans

Major Issues

• Spoils System—patronage system—election winners can appoint hundreds/thousands of jobs– Advantage—rotates bureaucrats; more

democratic– Disadvantage—unqualified people;

could lead to corruption

Major Issues—Bank War

• Charter for the National Bank up for renewal in 1836– decide to renew early (1832) to

embarrass Jackson– Jackson vetoes the act—dislikes the

bank– The Common Man agrees– Becomes a major issue for the 1832

election

Nullification Crisis

• Do the states have the right to nullify a federal law? Do they have the right to secede?

• 1828—Congress passes the “Tariff of Abominations”• 1830—Webster-Hayne Debates and Jackson-Calhoun

– “Our Union, it must be preserved.” Jackson– “The Union, next to our Liberty, most dear.” Calhoun

• 1832—A second tariff is passed, South Carolina nullifies both the 1828 and 1832 tariffs

• 1833—Force Bill—President will send 50,000 federal troops unless S.C. pays

• COMPROMISE—Congress reduces the tariff and SC pays (Henry Clay)

Indian Removal

• 1828/1829—State of Georgia seizes land from Indians that had been promised to them in a treaty.

• 1830—Indian Removal Act passed—allows states to seize Indian land if the state pays for it

• Cherokees sue in Federal Courts. Supreme Court decides for the Cherokees, as a state cannot violate a federal treaty

• Andrew Jackson refuses to enforce the ruling• “Marshall has made a decision, now let him enforce it.”

Trail of Tears

• 1837/1838• 15,000 Cherokee are marched by the

US army to Kansas and Oklahoma.– 25% die along the way– Cherokee were charged $6 million for

the escort

Trail of Tears

Removal Routes