Andrew Jackson as President The Common Man’s Man Or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Election of 1824 or “The Corrupt Bargain” Candidates Electoral Votes John Quincy Adams (MA) 84 Andrew Jackson (TN) 99 Henry Clay (KY) 37 William Crawford (GA) 41 All Republicans Nominated by State (favorite son) Election thrown into the House of Representatives Clay (Speaker of the House) supports Adams Adams appoints Clay Sec. of State Jackson accuses Adams and Clay of a “corrupt bargain” and prepares of the election of 1828

Jackson as President 1829-1837 Old Hickory First Frontier President Little formal education War Hero – Battle of New Orleans Short tempered “King Mob” a party at the White House Spoils System “To the victor, goes the spoils” Rotation in Office Graft and corruption Veto Power – 12 times, only 7 vetoes from previous 6 presidents

Tariff of Abominations 1828 Tariff increased early tariffs Bitterly protested against in the Old South South opposed to Federal protection of industrial north at the expense of the south South fears Federal interference with slavery South Carolina Exposition written by V.P. John C. Calhoun argues nullification of tariff (Nullies) Tariff of 1832 eases rates, but SC still not satisfied SC nullifies Tariff and threatens succession if Federal government attempts to collect tariff in SC Jackson prepares for military action against SC – Force Bill Clay puts through a compromise tariff – ends crisis (for now)

Indian Removal Policy Five Civilized Tribes – Cherokee, Creeks, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminoles Cherokees assimilated into white society Sequoyah – Cherokee alphabet Legal Code, Slavery, Newspaper Worcester v. Georgia (Marshall case) Jackson supports Indian removal (for their own good) and defies Marshall’s decision Trail of Tears – 4000 Cherokees die enroute to the Indian Territory

Trail of Tears

The Bank War Jackson opposed the National Bank as detrimental to westerners and small farmers and elitist, controlled by Eastern monopolists National Bank president Nicholas Biddle Clay pushes a bank recharter bill through Congress 4 years before it’s due, which Jackson vetoes Jackson defeats Clay in the 1832 election Jackson removes federal funds from the BUS and deposits them in “pet banks” Wildcat banks create a land boom and over-speculation in western land Specie Circular – required public lands to be purchased with “hard” money leading to a bust in the speculative land boom and contributing to the PANICCCC of 1837

King Andrew I The Whig party emerged during the Bank War from a coalition of Anti-Jackson interests. Clay, Webster and Calhoun became the party leaders. Southern States’ rightists, upset with Jackson’s Tariff stand and north- ern industrialists form a political alliance to challenge Jackson’s Democratic Party in the 1832 election. The term Whig was in reference to the Revolution Era party in Britain that opposed George III and monarchies.

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Jackson’s VP, Martin Van Buren won the 1836 presidential election against Whig Henry Clay (poor guy can’t catch a break) Paniccccc of 1837 - overspeculation on canals, land, roads, slaves and railroads – dooms Van Buren Whigs nominate W. H. Harrison (war hero) in 1840 Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign Harrison wins and dies 30 days after inaugeration Return of the Two-party system – Democrats and Whigs John Tyler (first to ascend to the Presidency as VP (“the accidental president”), policies more in line with Democrats than Whigs

Log Cabin Campaign

Democracy on the March Suffrage rights expanded due to dropping of property qualifications Western states granted more suffrage rights to white males By 1820 older states were following lead of the west by granting more suffrage Competition for votes drove reforms in voting By 1840, 80% of white males could vote Anti-Masonic – 1st minor party and 1st to use nominating convention Candidates had to appeal to a broader base of voters Free blacks were denied vote and political office and jury duty Commonwealth v. Hunt – unions are NOT illegal conspiracies Party loyalty and strait ticket voting became common Wider suffrage broke the political monopoly of the elite Voters identified with a national party