Andrew Jackson and the Growth of American Democracy

1. Campaign of 1828 was a dirty campaign.

2. Both sides participated in mudslinging by making reckless accusations against each other.

3. Jackson was not the choice of the rich and well-born such as planters, merchants, bankers, and lawyers.

4. Jackson was a controversial president.

King Andrew the First

The Inauguration of Andrew Jackson

• Until 1820 only the rich and well-born could vote.

• New states west of the Appalachian Mts. challenged this.

• Believed they should also share the same rights, including voting.

• With the western states leading the way, voting laws were changed.

• Now the “common man” could vote but didn’t include slaves, Indians, or women.

• Because the “common man” could vote, three times more people voted in 1828 then in 1824.

• New voters felt the national government had been taken over by the rich.

• Jackson promised to return the government to the “people”.

• He was supported by the farmers, shopkeepers, and small business owners.

Everyone have a Everyone have a slice of cheeseslice of cheese

From the Frontier to the White House

*Jackson was considered the “people’s president”.• Showed courage, even as a young man.

The Frontier Lawyer:• “the most roaring, rollicking, game-cocking,

horse-racing, card-paying, mischievous

fellow” in town.• Earned enough money to buy land and

slaves and become a gentleman

farmer.

The Hermitage

Dueling over an insult about wife, Rachel.

The People’s Choice

• Battle of New Orleans made “Old Hickory” a national hero.• Ran for president against Henry Clay in 1824.• Clay made a “corrupt” bargain with John Quincy Adams so that Adams could be

president.• Jackson supporters built a new political organization called the Democratic Party.• They promised the party would represent ordinary farmers, workers, and the poor.• Sang the nation’s first campaign song “The Hunters of Kentucky”.

John Quincy Adams

Henry Clay

Hero of the Battle of New Orleans

Determined leader.

Supported by the “common man” of the West.

Jackson’s Approach to Governing

The Kitchen Cabinet:• Listened to others but did exactly what he wanted to do.• Made his decision with the help of trusted friends and political

supporters• Rich and well-born felt the men around the president were not the

proper sort to be running the country.

The Spoils System

* Some civil servants saw their

posts as lifetime jobs.

* Jackson wanted to give more

people a chance to serve

their government.

* He wanted to rotate people

in office.

• He could put patriotism above party loyalty.• He rewarded his supporters with government jobs.

Jackson rewarding his followers (as seen by the Republicans)

The Nullification Crisis

• In 1828 Congress passed a tariff.• Favored by the northern states, but

opposed by southerners.• Southerners felt the tariffs would

discourage trade with other countries

and hurt their cotton trading.• John C. Calhoun called for southern states to

declare the tariff “null and void”.• Southerners called it the Tariff of Abominations• Southern states threatened to secede.• Jackson passed the Force Bill.

John C.

Calhoun

Jackson Battles the Bank of the United States

• Felt the Bank favored the rich and not the farmers or workers.• Felt the Bank stood in the way of opportunity.• Distrusted the Bank’s president, Nicholas Biddle.• Henry Clay got Congress to renew the Bank’s charter.• Jackson had all federal deposits removed from the Bank and put

into small state banks.

Henry Clay