1. The Age of Jackson
Agenda:

2. Introduction Andrew Jackson is a man of many titles:
President
War Hero
Indian Hunter
His presidency is conflicting because Jackson is seen as a hero and a villain
Hero:: First common person to become president, kept the nation together in time of nee
Villain: Responsible for the Trail of Tears: the removal of the Cherokee and other Native Americans from the SE United States

3. Rise of Jackson
Before the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson was unknown to the American people until several events occur:
1. Battle of New Orleans
Jackson’s devastating victory over the British makes him a national celebrity

4. Rise of Jackson 2. Invasion of Florida
Without the Presidents permission, Andrew Jackson ordered his men to invade Spanish Florida to attack the Seminole Indians
Unable to stop the invasion, Spain handed Florida over to the United States
See YA!

5. Rise of Jackson Due to his popularity, Jackson runs for president.
Will be different from other presidents because…
Jackson was uneducated
Jackson grew up poor
Jackson was from the “west” (Tennessee)
First politician to go town to town campaigning for peoples’ support

6. Nullification Crisis Nullification Crisis
Nullification: a constitutional theory that gives a state the right to reject any law passed by the United States Congress
The National Government passed a tariff that Southern states disliked.
Made it harder to sell cash crops to Europe
South Carolina threatens to secede (leave the United States) unless the government gets rid of the tariff

7. Jackson’s Presidency Jackson’s response:
Threatens military force if South Carolina does not enforce the treaty
A compromise is reached and things return to normal
Significance: South Carolina almost leaves the United States over States’ rights; foreshadows the Civil War.

8. The Trail of Tears
Conflict erupted between Native Americans and American settlers in SE United States
Jackson was being pressured to take Cherokee land
Settling on Cherokee land was illegal but still being done
Georgia grew impatient and took the Cherokees’ land
Rumors of gold on the land lead to faster settlement

9. The Trail of Tears To handle the issue, Jackson pushed for two things:
Created an Indian Territory (Oklahoma) where the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw will be relocated
Passed the Indian Removal Act: Law forcing the Native Americans off their land in two years.

10. Trail of Tears Worchester v. Georgia
The Cherokee sue the government over their forced relocation; Supreme Court rules the Natives should not have to move
Significance: Jackson ignores the Supreme Court, moves forward with the removal
Only president to ever directly defy the Supreme Court

11. The Trail of Tears
In all, 100,000 Native Americans were forced off their land by the US military
The Cherokee walked over 800 miles from Georgia to Oklahoma
Suffered through…
Disease
Dehydration and Starvation
Physical abuse
Approximately ¼ of the Cherokee will die on the trail