A. Politics for the People
1. Jacksonian Democracy: common man = government
2. VT first to have universal white manhood suffrage, later West and all states followed, elected judges
B. Nourishing the New Democracy
1. Market ↑, MO Compromise, economic problems → Jacksonian Democ
2. Pres. candidates chosen by Congress = ↓, ↑ if campaign on the streets
C. The Adams-Clay Corrupt Bargaining
1. 1824 election: Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, William Crawford, John Quincy Adams, AJ had pop. vote but not maj of College, went to House for vote, Clay (out of race) presided in House, helped Adams win
D. A Yankee Misfit in the White House
1. Was a ‘minority pres.’, tactless, lost followers
2. Wanted to build fed roads/canals, university, observatory, ppl hated it
3. Wanted to treat fairly w/ NA in GA, but GA took back rights
E. The Tricky “Tariff of Abominations”
1. Tariff of 1828: Jacksonians proposed tariff with 45% duties, esp on raw wool
a. Wanted Adams to lose support of NE, needed wool badly
2. NE ok w/ Tariff, wanted to continue principle of protection, factories ↑
3. South hated it, “Black Tariff”, feared slave abolitionism from fed gov
F. The Tariff Yoke in the South
1. High prices = ↓ business in South
2. SC led protests, The Exposition written by VP John C. Calhoun, like KY and VA resolutions of 1798, urged states to nullify tariff in own borders
a. VP wanted to prevent secession
3. Jackson campaign began, born in SC, so expected to support S
G. Going “Whole Hog” for Jackson in 1828
1. Jackson followers badmouthed JQA, used hickory as AJ symbol
2. Jackson married Rachel, accidentally not divorced, died before becoming First Lady, AJ convinced was slander that killed her
H. The Jacksonian “Revolution of 1828”
1. Elected in 1828 over JQA (44%), considered hero, represented common man, power shift to West, considered a political revolution like TJ vs. JA
2. JQA served in House later, won respect, died on floor of House at 80
I. The Advent of “Old Hickory” Jackson
1. AJ poorly educated, grew up orphaned, violent temper, good leader
2. Used veto power rashly, accused of tyranny, ignored SupCt sometimes
3. Wanted ↓ power to fed gov, contrary to nationalistic JQA
J. Jackson Nationalizes the Spoils System
1. Replaced officials with his party followers, gained more followers, discounted experience but ‘trained’ the common man in gov, rotated many people through office
2. Was a way to gain power (throwing over Nationalists, ↑ D/R), JQA didn’t do it, neither did TJ when ‘overthrew’ Federalists
3. Too many people in office for the pay, not the job, many unqualified, one stole $1 mil, lived for gifts from AJ, corrupted gov
K. Cabinet Crises and Nationalistic Setbacks
1. Sec of State: Martin Van Buren of NY, clever, powerful
2. 6 cabinet members, 13 unofficial cabinet, looked down on
3. 1831 “Eaton malaria”: Sec of War John Eaton married Peggy Eaton, accused of prostitute in her boardinghouse, VP Calhoun tried to stop rumors, so did Sec Van Buren, who turned AJ against Calhoun
4. SC Calhoun resigned as VP, became SC Senator
a. Nationalist became southern sectionalist
5. AJ wanted state rights, vetoed bills for improving roads/canals, A System ↓
L. The Webster-Hayne Forensic Duel
1. NE wanted to stop W expansion, bill to curb sale of public lands, W and S allied, SC Robert Y. Haynes was spokesperson
2. Daniel Webster, (Dartmouth lawyer for charter, ear of J Marshall), rep. NE
3. June 1830, 9-day debate w/ Haynes for union
M. Websterian Cement for the Union
1. Neither won, but Webster affected many people, speeches publ in schools, boys wanted to fight for Union, Abraham Lincoln impressed
2. AJ expected to support state rights, but wanted Union more
N. Timeline: p. 272 (1822, Slave rebellion in SC – 1832, Calhoun resigns as VP)