Class Notes - Andrew Jackson, Part I

Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian – Of or relating to Andrew Jackson

Democracy – Government by the people; the rule of the majority

Jacksonian Democracy – An equal political system; government that also includes the “common man.” In Jackson's view, the "common man" was someone who looked like him.

Andrew Jackson Timeline

The Battle of New Orleans (1815) – The last battle of the War of 1812, but was actually fought after the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the war. The victory makes Jackson a national celebrity.

Election of 1824 – William Crawford, Henry Clay, John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson (Democrat) are all candidates, but no one wins a majority of electoral votes. Clay helps convince the House of Representatives to elect Adams as President.

Election of 1828 – Jackson wins the presidency in a landslide over John C. Calhoun with 56 percent of the popular vote and 178 electoral votes. Jackson is the 7^th President of the United States and serves two terms

Andrew Jackson’s version of “Equality”

Expanded suffrage – Formerly only White men who owned property or paid taxes could vote. Under Jackson, more White men could vote, but women, African-Americans and Native Americans had few rights at all.

Spoils System – replacing government workers with the winning candidates’ supporters.

The Modern Democrats

The Democratic-Republicans split in 1824 over the choice of a successor to President James Monroe.  The people who supported many of the old Jeffersonian principles, led by Jackson and Martin Van Buren, became the Democratic Party.

Jackson was the first presidential candidate to run as a Democrat.

Jackson vs. The 2^nd Bank of the U.S.

2nd Bank of the United States (1816) – The 2nd Bank of the United States is chartered in 1816 under President James Madison.

•         Just as Jefferson was against the 1st Bank of the United States, Jackson was against the 2nd Bank. Both felt the idea of a bank was unconstitutional.

•         The bank was chartered for 20 years, but Jackson ordered all government funds to be withdrawn and placed in state banks. He then refused to sign a new charter and the bank closed in 1836.

Jackson prevents the Civil War (for now)

Nullification Crisis (1832) – Southern states protested government tariffs (a fee paid by those who imported goods). South Carolina was so angry, they threatened to secede (separate) from the Union.

•         The Southern states felt they had the right to nullify (cancel) federal laws that went against state interests.

•         Jackson supported a lower tariff, but also passed the Force Bill, which allowed Congress to use the military to enforce the law.

•         South Carolina accepted the new tariff, but nullified the Force Bill.  29 years later, the Civil War would start in South Carolina.