Andrew Jackson’s Presidency

1829 - 1837

Clay and the American System

A Man for the PeopleJackson’s Successors

Manifest Destiny

Clay and the American Clay and the American SystemSystem

•President Madison recognized the two different economies booming in America

•In the North – Agriculture•In the South – Cotton

•Madison wanted to unify the country to create a strong economy. His plan included…

•Development of transportation systems•Creating a Protective Tariff•Creation of the 2nd National Bank

Republican Party SplitsRepublican Party Splits•National Republicans

•Clay, Quincy Adams – rule by the elite•Later become the Whig Party

•Democratic Republicans•Jackson – rule by the common man•Later known as simply Democrats

•Country did not like John Quincy Adams as President

•Felt he only favored the wealthy

Election of 1828Election of 1828•Andrew Jackson vs. John Quincy Adams

•John Quincy Adams was the Incumbent

•Jackson wins overwhelmingly

•Enter the Era of the Ordinary

•John Quincy Adams is appalled

•He lost to a man who couldn’t even spell

A Man for the PeopleA Man for the People•Born into poverty in Carolina backcountry

•Son of Scotch-Irish Immigrants

•First President without a College Education

•Had careers in law, politics, land speculation, cotton planting and soldiering prior to Presidency

Political IdeasPolitical Ideas•Believed he represented the nation as a whole

•Disliked people who obtained power from wealth (aristocracy)

•Manhood Suffrage: No longer needed to own land to vote

•Relied on his “Kitchen Cabinet”

•His unofficial group of advisors (buddies)

Political Ideas – Political Ideas – Kitchen CabinetKitchen Cabinet

•Personal friends who advised him in politics and government decisions

•Many were western newspaper editors

•Slipped through kitchen into the White House

Political Ideas – Political Ideas – Spoils SystemSpoils System

•“To the victor go the spoils”

•Fired and replaced 20% of the government with his supporters

•In addition, Jackson vetoed more bills than did all previous Presidents Combined!

Treatment of IndiansTreatment of Indians•Washington and Jefferson believed in assimilation

•Native American adoption of “American ways” (beliefs and culture)

•Henry Clay and others believed Indians should be eliminated

•Jackson agreed with neither

Treatment of IndiansTreatment of Indians•Indian Removal Act of 1830

•Forced Indians west of the Mississippi River

•Inferior lands than what the Indians had left

•Jackson thought this was a generous policy

Treatment of IndiansTreatment of Indians•Black Hawk War of 1832

•Illinois•Indians who resisted Jackson’s plan were slaughtered by local militia

Treatment of IndiansTreatment of Indians•Trail of Tears

•Jackson’s removal of the Cherokees in Georgia•Ignored the Supreme Courts decision which permitted the Cherokees to set up their own nation in Georgia

Treatment of IndiansTreatment of Indians•Trail of Tears

•Georgia militiamen brutally rounded up 17,000 Indians and packed them off to Oklahoma•800 mile journey

•Walked, railroad and steamboat•25% of the Indians died along the journey

Presidency of 1836Presidency of 1836•Martin Van Buren

•A Democrat, his Presidency was plagued with a serious depression

•He was blamed for it but it was really caused by Jackson

Presidency of 1840Presidency of 1840•Whig Party

•Believed in stronger state’s rights

•Main Concern was limiting the power of the Chief Executive

•Elected William Henry Harrison

•He dies one month later!

•Succeeded by John Tyler – also a Whig

Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny•In the 1840’s there was a feverish interest in expanding the country

•Known as Manifest Destiny

•Destiny implied that further expansion of the US was inevitable, nothing could stop it.•Manifest meant that the destiny was obvious

Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny•Reasons for the Manifest Destiny Mindset…

•Americans have always hungered for land

•Merchants and Manufacturers believed expansion would bring markets for their goods and services

•Millions of immigrants meant more living space was needed

Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny•Reasons for the Manifest Destiny Mindset…

•America wanted to expand trade with China

•Taking Oregon would give the US excellent harbors

•Panic of 1837 led many unemployed people to believe that moving west would allow them a fresh start•Americans wanted to spread the “virtues” of their government

Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny•Movement Westward found settlers encountering Indians Again…

•When settlers moved westward, Indians were naturally encountered again.

•Some tried to assimilate

•Others tried formal attacks and resistance