US history chapter 12

"An Era of Good Feelings"

- James Madison wanted James Monroe to be his successor - Monroe won by defeating his Federalist opponent in the Electoral College - "Virginia Dynasty" of presidents continued - after his inauguration, Monroe embraked on a goodwill tour of N.E. (stronghold of the Federalist party) - federalist paper complimented Monroe for making the effort to "harmonize feelings, annihilate dissentions, and make us one people" - "Era of Good Feelings" became a popular label for Monroe's adminstration

McCulloch v. Maryland

- Justice Marshall's most significant interpretation of the constitutional system - James McCulloch, a B.U.S clerk in Baltimore refused to pay state taxes on B.U.S currency (required by Maryland law). Maryland indicted McCulloch who appealed to the Supreme Court. The S.C., then, ruled unanimously that Congress had authority to charter the B.U.S and states had no right to tax the national bank

Why did America begin to manufacture goods?

- controversy w/ G.B. over shipping rights made Americans believe that they needed to develop their own manufacturing sector to end their dependence on imported British goods - efforts to develop iron and textile begun in N.Y. and N.E. during embargo of 1807 (accelerated during War of 1812 b/c America did not have access to European goods)

Jackson as a presidential candidate

-Jackson declared himself the champion of the common people and the foe of the entrenched social and political elite -claimed to represent the "old republicanism" of Thomas Jefferson -Jefferson believed that Jackson lacked the education, polish, and prudence to be president -he was an attractive candidate, b/c he was a self-made military hero -Irish voters especially liked him b/c of his commitment to the "common men"

Renewal of the Second Bank of the United States (B.U.S.)

-Jackson showed the same stubornness in dealing with the national bank as he did in removing the Indians -The First Bank of the United States had been renewed in 1816 as the Second Bank of the United States

The Maysville Road Veto

-Jackson used his authority to limit the role of the federal government -Jackson (urged by Martin Van Buren) vetoed a bill (pushed by Calhoun and Clay) that the government should use federal monies to build a 60 mile long road across the state of Kentucky -Jackson vetoed b/c the road was only going to be built in Kentucky, and thus, it is outside the domain of Congress b/c it is not an interstate project -funding such local projects would require a constitutional amendment

Clay Steps In

-Jackson wanted to end the matter w/ peace -Jackson requested from Congress the authority to use the U.S. army to "force" compliance w/ federal law in South Carolina -Calhoun claimed that South Carolina's state constitutional rights were being threatened -greatest threat facing the nation was not nullification but presidential despotism -However, clay and the nullifiers soon backed out and postponed the implementation of the nullification ordinances in hopes that Congress would pass a more palatable tariff bill which depended on the support of Senator Henry Clay

President Jackson

-Jackson won election vote and popular vote -twice as many men voted -won every state west and south of Pennsylvania -became obsessed w/ punishing Henry Clay and persecutors for his wife's death (after a few days the scandal happened) -wanted to launch a new democratic era that would silence his critics, restore government to "the people," and take power away from the Eastern "elite." He trusted the people because he was one of them -he would be the people's president

Killing the B.U.S.

-Jackson won his battle with Biddle's bank -The B.U.S. would shut down completely by 1841 -his determination to humble Biddle and destroy the B.U.S. ended up hurting the national economy -there was nothing to regulate the nation's money supply or its banks -loans made by these unregulated banks quadrupled -Jackson and the Democrats grew increasingly committed to the expansion of slavery westward into the Gulf Coast states -Gold was scare but paper money was plentiful and people rushed to buy lands freed up by the removal of Indians -each bank printed its own paper currency that was often lent to land speculators and new businesses

Election of 1824

-Jackson won the popular vote and the Electoral College -he did not have the necessary majority of electoral votes. House got to make final decison. b/c Crawford had a stroke, the decision was between Adams and Jackson -House elected Adams

The "Common Man" in Politics

-Jackson's campaign appealed to common voters (many of them could vote in the presidential election for the first time) -The extension of voting rights to common men led to the election of politicians sprung from "the people" rather than from the social elite

What did Jackson do to the Eastern Indians?

-Jackson's highest priority was to remove Indians -Jackson saw Indians as barbarians who were to be treated as "subjects" not "nations" -Clay felt the same way -Jackson urged that the Eastern Indians should be moved to reservations west of the Mississippi River -states in the lower south were restricting the rights of Indian nations and taking their land -Jackson made it seem as if he was protecting the Indians

John C. Calhoun

-Jackson's vice president -from South Carolina -wanted to succeed Jackson as president -Jackson did not trust Calhoun

The Nullification Crisis

-South Carolians feared that if nothern representatives in Congress were powerful enough to create such high tariffs that were so harmful in the South, they could also vote to end slavery

The 8th President

-Van Buren was a skillful politician whose ability to manipulate legislators was amazing -first New Yorker to be elected president -he had been Jackson's closest political adviser and most trusted ally, but many considered him too self-centered to do the work of the people -promised to follow the footsteps of President Jackson -nation's financial sector began collapsing -several large state banks in New York ran out of gold and silver suddenly refused to convert customers' paper money into coins and other banks did the same which created a panic among depositors

Jackson's "Rotation in Office"

-a policy where he replaced many federal officials with his own supporters -government jobs- district attroneys, federal marshals, customs collectors- belonged to the people, not to career bureaucrats -believed that the winning party's "newly elected officials" should appoint new government officials -it was partisan behavior

How did the Second Bank of the United States help the economy?

-accelerated business expansion by making loans to individuals, businesses, and state banks -promoted a stable money supply and deter excessice lending by requiring the 464 state banks to keep enough gold and silver coins (specie) in their vaults to back their own paper currency, which they loaned to individuals and businesses -was able to monitor and regulate many of the state banks

The Cherokees

-adopted a constitution in which they declared that they were not subject to the laws or control of any state or federal government -Georgia government announced that after June 1, 1830, the authority of state law would extend to the Cherokees. they would not be allowed to vote, own property, or testify against whites in court. prohibited Cherokees to dig for gold in their own lands

How did the critics react to Clay's program?

-argued that higher prices for federal lands woul ddiscourage western migration and the tariffs benefited the northern manufacturing sector at the expense of southern and western farmers and the "common" people, who had to pay higher prices for the goods produced by tariff-protected industries -westerners/southerners feared that the B.U.S would become extremely powerful and corrupt that it could dictate the nation's economic future at the expense of states' rights and the needs of particular regions -Missouri senator Thomas Benton predicted that cash-strapped western towns would be at the mercy of the B.U.S

The Tariff of 1832

-b/c of Jackson's calling, Congress responded w/ the Tariff of 1832 -lowered rates on some products but kept them high on British cotton fabric and clothing -disappointed Calhoun and others in South Carolina. they had resentment toward the federal government.

Jackson as President

-believed that the presidency was "superior" -ruling political and economic elite must be removed, he said, for "the people" are the government, and too many government officials had grown corrupt and self-serving at the expense of the public interest -sought to cut spending to help pay off the federal ddebt -supported internal improvements -promoted "judicious" tariff -called for relocation of Indians still living in the East to new lands across the Mississippi River

Jackson and Adam's relationship

-both wanted Clay's support -Clay and Adams disliked each other, but the nationalist Adams supported most of the policies that Clay wanted (especially high tariffs, transportation improvements, strong national bank) -Clay expected Adams to make him Secretary of State -Jackson's supporters launched a campaign to undermine the Adams adminstration and elect Jackson in 1828. Crawford's supporters supported Jackson and the vice president, John C. Calhoun did as well.

Henry Clay as a person

-consummate deal maker and economic nationalist -assumed responsibility for sustaining Alexander Hamilton's vision of a strong federal government nurturing a national economy that combined agriculture, industry, and commerce

What choice did Jackson give to the Cherokees?

-either abide by the discriminatory new state laws or relocate to government-owned lands west of the Mississippi River, which would be theirs "forever" -Georgia officials began selling Cherokee lands -the irony was that the Cherokee had come the closest to adopting the customs of white America

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

-established the federal government's right to regulate anything that involves commerce between the states -set the stage for future expansion of Congressional power over other activities by states - Marshall's last great judicial decision

The Money Question

-federal government acquired huge amounts of money from the sale of government-owned lands -Treasury Department used the annual surpluses from land sales to pay down the accumlated federal debt -Eastern banks had to transfer much of their gold and silver reserves to western banks. As Eastern banks reduced their reserves of gold and silver coins, they had to reduce their lending -proved much more difficult for individuals and businesses to get loans

Calhoun and the Tariff

-financial panic of 1819 sparked a nationwide depression -South Carolina continued to suffer from a collaspe in cotton prices. residents moved West in search of cheaper and more-fertile land for growing cotton -this all happenned in Calhoun's home state

John Quincy Adams

-from Massachusetts -one of the most ineffective presidents -lacked common touch and politician's gift for compromise -worried that republicanism was rapidly turning into democracy and that government of the people was degenerating into government by the people, many of whom, in his view, were uneducated and incompetent -detested democratic politicking that Andrew Jackson represented. wanted politics to be a "sacred" arena for the "best men". wanted people who were motivated by a sense of civic duty rather than a selfish quest for power and stature -suffered bouts of depression and self-pity, these things did not endear him to politicians or the public

The Anti-Masonic Party

-grew out of popular hostility toward the Masonic fraternal order (a large, all-male social organization that originated in G.B.) -Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay were members of the party -drew most of its support from New Englanders and New Yorkers alienated by both the Democratic and National Republican parties -tended to be rural evangelical Protestants who opposed slavery -in addition to being the first third party with a national base of support, it was the first political party to hold a national convention to nominate a presidential candidate, and the first to announce a formal platform of specific policy goals

Jackson's New Cabinet

-he appointed members who agreed to treat Peggy Eaton w/ respect -Jackson relied on the advice of Van Buren and the president's close friends and supporters (many of them were Democratic newspaper editors) they were known as the "kitchen cabinet"

How was Jackson special?

-he was the first president from a western state -first not to have come from a prominent colonial family -last to have participated in the Revolutionary War -never discarded his backwoods personality and rural ways -never hesistated to fight -for him, politics was personal and visceral (explains why his actions/politics were sometimes contradictory) -not in good health when he assumed presidency. henry clay described him as "feeble in body and mind" -no political figure was so widely loved or more deeply depised -symbolized what he called the emergence of the "common man" in politics (he only meant white men)

Jackson Says No to Nullification

-his public response was moderate, but in private he was very angry -northern state legislatures passed resolutions condemning the nullificationists -southern states expressed sympathy for South Carolina but didn't endorse nullification -thus, South Carolina was standing alone against Jackson -Jackson dismissed nullification as "an absurdity" -warned that nullification would lead to secession (formal withdrawal of a state from the United States), and secession meant civil war

Democracy Unleashed

-inauguration of President Jackson symbolized the democratization of political life -Jackson delivered a brief speech in which he promised that his administration would be committed to "the task of reform" in the federal government, taking jobs out of "unfaithful or incompetent hands" and balancing states' rights with the exercise of national power -pledged to pursue the will of the people in exercising his new presidential powers -sworn in by Chief Justice John Marshall -Jackson's qualifications for office saw the boisterous inaugaral party as a symbol of all that was wrong with the "democratic" movement

Jackson and the B.U.S.

-interpreted his lopsided reelection as a "decision of the people against the bank -ordered the Treasury Department to transfer federal monies from the national bank to 23 mostly western state banks (they were ran by the president's friends and allies)

Anti-Democratic Forces

-many southern slaveholders worried that the surge of democratic activism would threaten the slave system -Jacksonian Democrats helped greatly expand economic opportunity and political participation for workingmen (white factory laborers, craftsmen and mechanics, small farmers, and land-hungry frontiersmen) -Andrew Jackson promised to protect "the poor and humble" from the "tyranny of wealth and power" -his goal was to elevate the "laboring classes" of white men who "love liberty and desire nothing but equal laws"

Calhoun vs. Jackson

-many southerners assumed that Jackson would resist the federal tariff b/c he was a cotton-planting slaveholder too -Jackson and Calhoun were on opposite sides -Van Buren offered himself up as a sacrifice as a way to remove all Calhoun supporters from the cabinet and thereby end the ongoing Eaton affair that had fractured the administration -Jackson now had a clean slate on which to create another cabinet

Monroe Doctrine

-most important diplomatic policy crafted by President Monroe and Secretary of State Adams -determined effort to prevent any future European colonization in the Western Hemisphere -U.S. foreign policy that barred further colonization in the Western Hemisphere by European powers and pledged that there would be no American interference with any existing European colonies. U.S. would keep out of internal affairs of European nations. -No European nation recognized the Monroe Doctrine -Russians owned Alaska and claimed to own Oregon Country -has no official standing in international law -important statement of American intentions to prevent European involvement in the Western Hemisphere

Biddle's Response

-ordered the bank to quit making loans and demanded that state banks exchange their paper currency for gold or silver coins as quickly as possible -he was trying to bring the economy to a halt, create a depression, and thus reveal the importance of maintaining the national bank -his plan to create a financial crisis workerd

What did people hate about the B.U.S?

-the south and west feared its growing into a "monopolistic" power -critics claimed that Biddle and the B.U.S directors (most lived in the Northeast) were so focused on their own profits that they were restricting lending by state banks and impeding businesses from borrowing as much as they wanted

How did state banks operate?

-they each issued their own paper money... became a problem later b/c there would so many different currencies

Republican party splitting and creation of Democratic party

-those who supported Adams and Clay called themselves National Rephublicans -those who opposed, called themselves Democrats. they supported Andrew Jackson and states' rights. strongest in the South and West, and the working class in large eastern cities -Democrats were first party to recruit professional state organizers -Democrats convinced voters that their primary allegiance should be to their party rather than to a particular candidate -party loyalty was a prized virtue for Democrats -Adams' opposition used the controversial tariff issue against him. the anti-Adams congressmen introduced a tariff bill designed to help elect Jackson. it placed duties on various imported raw materials (wool, hemo, iron). these things were produced in key states where Jackson needed support (known as Tariff of Abonominations)

Jackson's Legacy

-unregulated economy witnessed booming industrialization, rapidly growing cities, rising tensions between the North and South over slavery, accelerating westward expansion, and the emergence of the second two-party system featuring the Democrats and Whigs -foreign demand for southern cotton and other American goods, along with substantial British investment in new American enterprises, helped fuel an economic boom and a transportation revolution

Martin Van Buren

-wealthy New York lawyer -shrewd political sense -Jackson's secretary of state -ran a powerful Democratic party "machine"

Missouri Compromise

Amendment introduced by Illinois senator Jesse Thomas. Slavery should be excluded in the rest of the Louisiana purchase north of Missouri's southern border (36°30'). Slavery would still be practiced in the Arkansas Territory and in the new state of Missouri, but will be excluded from the remainder of the area west of the Mississippi River. It passed. Missouri also violated the U.S. Constitution w/ it's state constitution- it excluded free blacks and mulattoes from residing in the state.

What did Clay do for South Carolina?

He circulated a plan suggested by Jackson to reduce, gradually over several years, the federal tariff on key imported items -he urged Congress to treat South Carolina w/ respect -tariff reductions were less than what South Carolina expected but helped the nullifiers out of the dilemma they had created -Calhoun supported the compromise - Jackson signed into law the compromise tariff and the Force Bill (a symbolic statement of the primacy of the Union) -the delegates later nullified teh Force Bill, which Jackson no longer needed

how did Clay constitutionalize the banking bill?

He cited the congressional power to regulate the currency

Election of 1832

Jackson v Clay, Jackson wins. Political parties will hold nominating conventions where the people decide who the nominee is. First time a third party was in an election, Anti-Masonic party. -Jackson actually went out into the crowd

Eaton Affair (Petticoat Affair)

John Eaton, a widow and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, was a close friend of Jackson. He had an affair w/ Margaret "Peggy" O'Neale Timberlake who was married -a lot of gossip occurred between the cabinet-members' wives -Jackson gave Eaton advice to marry Peggy so the gossip would go away -However, more gossip occurred after the marriage, people said that Eaton married his mistress -b/c the wives of the cabinet-members' gossipped greatly about Peggy, Jackson believed that women had no right to mix politics with social life and demanded loyalty from his admistrative team and their wives -Jackson defended Eaton and Peggy -this whole affair became a time-consuming distraction for the president -Jackson blamed the Eaton scandal on Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun

Distribution Act (1836)

Law requiring the distribution of the federal budget surplus to the states, creating chaos among state banks that had become dependent on such federal funds -initially proposed by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay

Force Bill (1833)

Legislation, sparked by the nullification crisis in South Carolina, that authorized the president's use of the army to compel states to comply with federal law

What advice did the "kitchen cabinet" give to Jackson?

They told Jackson to drop his pledge to serve only one tern b/c it would be hard for Van Buren (Jackson's chosen successor) to win the 1832 Democratic nomination b/c Calhoun would do everything in his power to stop him

President James Madison's attitude towards the role of the federal government

The war of 1812's challenges changed Madison's perspective. Madison and other southern Republicans started to act as Nationalists, rather than state rights' Sectionalists. - abandoned Thomas Jefferson's presidential initiatives (efforts to reduce armed forces and oppposition to National Bank) - he was in favor of economic nationalism - supported a larger army and navy, national bank, tariffs (to protect American manufacturers from foreign competiton)

South Carolina Nullifiers

a special convention in South Carolina passed an Ordinance of Nullification that disavowed the "unconstitutional" federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 -if federal authorities tried to use force to collect the tariffs on foreign goods, South Carolina would secede from the Union -Calhoun resigned from vice presidency and became a U.S. senator from South Carolina so he could defend his nullification theory in Congress and oppose Jackson's tyrannical actions

Treaty of New Echota (1835)

a treaty between the U.S. Government and a minority representation of the Cherokee tribe that ceded all Cherokee land in the Southeast to the United States and allowed for their move to Indian Territory (Oklahoma); three of the Cherokee signers of the treaty (Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot) were killed for signing over Cherokee land for personal profit

What did the Jacksonians say about Adams?

condemned Adams as an aristocrat and monarchist, a professional politician who had never had a real job president that had been corrupted by foreigners in the courts of Europe during his diplomatic career

Seminole War

conflict that began in florida in 1817 between the seminole indians and the us army when the seminoles resisted removal -longest, most costly, and deadliest war ever fought by Native Americans -last Native American tribe to end its war w/ the United States

what did St. Louis become?

crossroads through which southerners brought slaves into the Missouri Territory

Nationalist Diplomacy

efforts of Henry Clay to promote economic nationalism and John Marshall to affirm judicial nationalism were reinforced by efforts to practice diplomatic nationalism wanted Europeans to recognize America's dominance in the Western hemisphere

Economic Nationalism

emphasis on domestic control of the economy - developed by Federalists Hamilton and Washington

Convention of 1818

even more important treaty w/ Britain settled disputed northern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase by extending it along the 49th parallel westward, and that territory would be jointly occupied by the British and the Americans

which issue was the most difficult to resolve between the nationalists and sectionalists?

expansion of slavery

Nicholas Biddle's contribution to the election of 1832

he invested vast resources of the B.U.S into the campaign against Jackson and paid for thousands of pamphlets promoting Clay

American System

national bank, federal tariffs, and federally-financed roads, bridges, ports, and canals- were interrelated pieces of a comprehensive economic plan called the American System - term was coined by Republican Henry Clay (powerful congressional leader from Kentucky)

Nationalists

promoted the interests of the country as a whole. no single section could get all it wanted without threating the survival of the nation

What did other people think of Adams' ideas?

reaction was negative.people said he behaved like an aristocratic tyrant. Congress said that they would not approve any of his proposals. led to creation of Democratic party b/c his attempts to expand the federal government led to the Republican party splitting into two

Florida

still a disputed boundary Spain was a declining power that could not enforce its obligations to keep Indians in the region from making raids into south Georgia Jackson's force went into that territory and fought w/ them Spain demanded that their territory should be returned and that Jackson be punished for violating international law John Quincy Adams thought that this attack led U.S. to have the upper hand b/c even though American forces withdrew from Florida, the negotiations of purchase resumed w/ the knowledge that the U.S. army could retake Florida at any time

What was the most scurrilous attack on Jackson?

that he had lived in adultery w/ his wife Rachel. actually, they had lived together as husband and wife for two years in the mistaken belief that the divorce from her first husband was final

Who started positioning themselves as the next president after Monroe?

the leading Republicans and three members of the president's cabinet: Secreatary of War John C. Calhoun, Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford (group of Republican congressmen nominated him), and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts legislature nominated him) and the speaker of the House, Henry Clay (kentucky legislature nominated him). Andrew Jackson wanted to be president as well and Tennessee legislature had named him their long-shot choice to succeed Monroe. Pennsylvania Republicans endorsed Jackson for president and Calhoun for vice president. This showed how fractured the Republican party had become.

What happened to the Federalist party?

the refusal of support for the war of 1812 virtually killed the party. for the election of 1820, the Federalists didn't nominate a candidate

sectionalists

they were single-mindedly focused on promoting their region's priorities: shipping, manufacturing, and commerce in the Northeast; slave-based agriculture in the South; low land prices and transportation improvements in the West.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

- Chief Justice John Marshall ruled the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction - Cherokees "domestic dependent nation" and subject to federal laws - Georgia - Cherokees had a right to maintain control of their land - Georgia ignored the ruling

Protecting a National Currency

- Chief Justice Marshall ruled that Congress had the right to take any action not forbidden by the Constitution as long as the purpose of such laws was within the "scope of the Constitution"

The Recharter Effort

- The bank's 20-year charter would run through 1836. - Biddle didn't know whether to force the issue of recharter before or after the presidential election of 1837. - People like Clay and Webster wanted the recharter before the election. - Both charters passed in the houses but Jackson vetoed it. - Major Point: an effort to override the veto failed in the Senate, thus setting the stage for a nationwide financial crisis.

A Protective Tariff

- after the war ended, the more-established British companies flooded U.S. markets w/ their less expensive products which undercut their American competitors - northern manufacturers lobbied Congress for federal tariffs to protect their small industries from "unfair" British competition

The Panic of 1819

- first major economic depression - after war of 1812, european demand for american products soared which led to farmers and planters to increase production - local and state banks multiplied and made it easy for people/businesses to get loans - B.U.S issued risky loans as well - federal government sold vast amounts of public land - good weather in Europe led to spike in crop production there, reduced need to buy American commodities - ignited by sudden collapse of cotton prices ater British textile mills quit buying high-priced American cotton to buy cheaper cotton from other parts of the world - due to this, cotton prices fell and flow of commerce slowed. banks began to fail and unemployment spiked. especially devastating to southern planters, but reduced world demand for other American goods. - owners of factories and mills struggled to find markets for their goods and compete with experienced competitors - to generate more loans, banks issued more paper money - frauds/embezzlement increased in banks (B.U.S of Baltimore) - forced state banks to keep more gold coins in their vaults to back up the loans they were making - lasted about three years - many people blamed the B.U.S. - people in south and west remained critical of the national bank

Henry Clay's role in B.U.S

- from Kentucky - opposed national bank before, now argued that current economic situations made it indispensable

Daniel Webster's role in B.U.S

- from New Hampshire (later Massachusetts) - led opposition to the bank among New England Federalists who feared the growing financial power of Philadelphia

John C. Calhoun's role in B.U.S

- from South Carolina - war-hawk nationalist - introduced banking bill/pushed it through

Tariff of 1816

- response to northerners request - it was a cluster of taxes on imports. placed a 20 to 25% tax - used to protect America's emerging iron and textile industries from British competition - tariffs benefited the North more than the South (created sectional tensions and grievances) - few Southerners voted in favor - Calhoun led a couple southerners into voting for it b/c they hoped that the South may become a manufacturing center - but, N.E's maunfacturing sector would exceed the South's - this led Calhoun to oppose tariffs

Internal Improvements

- third major element of economic nationalism - construction of roads, bridges, canals, harbors, and other infrastructural projects intended to facilitate the flow of goods and people - b/c most rivers flowed from north to south, the nation needed a network of roads running east to west - Calhoun put a bill to fund internal improvements through the House. believed that a federally-funded network of roads and canals in the West would help his native South by opening up trading relationships between the two regions - support for federally-financed roads and canals came largely from the West b/c they needed transportation infrastructure - opposition came from N.E. b/c they would gain the least from this

James Monroe

- was a slaveholder planter in Virginia - b/c of the Revolutionary War, he dropped out of college and served in the army under George Washington - Under Thomas Jefferson: he served as a representative in Virginian assembly, governor, representative in the Confederation Congress, U.S. senator, U.S. ambassador to Paris, London, Madrid - Under President Madison: served as secretary of state and secretary of war during war of 1812 - he was praised by many

Andrew Jackson's view on B.U.S

-Andrew Jackson hated banks and bankers -he claimed to speak for ordinary Americans who felt that banks favored the "rich and powerful" in the East. Jackson also distrusted banks because they printed too much paper money, causing prices to rise (inflation) -He wanted only gold and silver coins to be used for economic transactions

A New Political Landscape

-Andrew Jackson helped reshape the American political landscape -he helped accelerate the democratization of American life -championed opportunities for the "common man" to play a greater role in politics -working men were forming labor unions to increase their economic power and political clout - helped establish the modern Democratic party and attracted to it the working poor and immigrants from eastern cities, as well as farmers from the South and East -saved the Union by suppressing the nullification crisis -the government had paid off the national debt accumulated since the Revolutionary War -Jackson was selectively willing to defy constitutional limits on his authority when it suited his interests and satisfied his rage -justified using governmental power to ensure equal treatment for everyone

nominating convention

-Democratic and National Republicans followed the example of the Anti-Masonic party by holding presidential nominating conventions of their own -National Republicans: nominated Henry Clay -Jackson endorsed the idea of a nominating convention b/c it gave the people a greater role in choosing nominees

Andrew Jackson

-During the Revolution, he and his two brothers fought against the British -his whole family died during the war, he depised and blamed the British for their deaths -After the Revolution, Jackson went to North Carolina to pursue a license to practice law. Then became an attorney in Tennessee -had a quick temper, loved a good fight -When Tennessee became a state, Jackson was elected to the U.S. House and later Senate. But, he returned back to Tennessee to be a judge -had a lot of money -owned 100 slaves on his large cotton plantation. he had no moral reservations about slavery and could be a cruel master -served as commander of the Tennessee militia -not many American political leaders liked him. Jackson dismissed that critism w/ saying that this was an example of the "Eastern elite" trying to maintain control of American politics

Working Men's parties

-organized in 1828 in Philadelphia (nation's largest manufacturing center) -devoted to promoting the interests of laborers, such as shorter working hours and allowing all males to vote regardless of the amount of property owned -made up of the working class, became an important political force in the form of this party -concern was the widening inequality of wealth in American society -the party faded quickly, inexperience of labor politicians left them vulnerable to manipulation by political professionals -Labor parties proved vulenrable to charges of social radicalism, and the courts typically sided with management in dealing with strikes -succeeded in drawing attention to their demands -promoted free public education for all children adn abolition of imprisonment for debt -called for 10 hour workday -new Democratic party proved adept at building a national coalition of working-class supporters

Jacksonian Democracy

-people continued to move westward, white men were able to vote and hold office (regardless of their financial status) -politics was no longer the arena for only the most prominent and wealthiest Americans -Jackson was the most openly partisan and politically involved president in history -he actively sought votes among the people, lobbied congressmen, formed "Hickory Clubs" across the nation to campaign for him -Jacksonians rarely defined what they meant by the "rule of the people" -showed little concern for undemocratic constraints on African Americans, Native Americans, and women (they were all denied basic political and civil rights)

The New Whig Party

-president's war on the bank led his opponents to create a new political party whose diverse members were unified by their hatred of Jackson -claimed he was ruling like a monarch -called his democratic supporters Tories -called themselves Whigs, a name that linked them to the Patriots of the American Revolution -Jackson preffered to call them Federalists -grew directly out of the National Republican party led by John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster. they found support among the anti-masons and some democrats who resented Jackson's was on the national bank -they were economic nationalists who watned the federal government to promote manufacturing, support a national bank, finance a national road network -in the south, whigs tended to be bankers and merchants and in the west, they were mostly farmers who valued government-funded internal improvements -tended to be native-born Protestants who advocated social reforms such as the abolition of slavery and restriction of alcoholic beverages -whigs and democrats would be the two major political parties -the Democrats, North and South, were solidly in support of slavery, while the Whigs were increasingly divided on the issue

How did the rivalry between Van Buren and Calhoun affect the Eaton Affair?

-rivalry between Martin Van Buren and John C. Calhoun b/c both wanted to succeed Jackson as president -Van Buren took full advantage of a juicy social scandal known as the Peggy Eaton affair

Why did the Missouri crisis happen?

-sectional controversy over expanding slavery into the western territories -possibility of new western states becoming "slave states" (greatest political debate) -Jefferson realized that the U.S. was increasingly at riskk of disintergrating over the future of slavery -region west of Mississippi River, slavery existed since france/spain colonized the area -1819: people in Missouri territory requested the House to draft a constitution and apply for statehood (population of the territory passed the 60,000 white settlers) -N.Y. republican, James Tallmadge Jr., proposed to ban the transport of additional slaves into Missouri. Southern slaveowners did not like this b/c some had a profitable trade selling slaves to traders (the traders then took the slaves to the western territories to be sold again). Southern congressmen threatened that any attempts to restrict slavery would lead to "disunion" and civil war. They also worried that declaring Missouri as a free state would tip the balance of power in the Senate against slave states. Around the same time, Maine applied for statehood, so the Senate decided to make Maine a free state and Missouri a slave state. This way the balance of power within the Senate would remain the same.

Censoring the Mail

-slavery emerged again as an issue -northern organizations pushing for the immediate abolition of slavery began mailing anti-slavery pamphlets and newspapers to prominent white southerners. Southerners were angry so they broke into federal post offices, stole bags of abolitionist mailings, and burned them -some legislatures passed laws banning such publications -Jackson asked Congress to pass a federal censorship law. southern post offices began censoring the mail -abolitionist groups started mailing their pamphlets and petitions to members of Congress. some people wanted Congress to ban such anti-slavery petitions -"gag rule": petition calling for the end of slavery was introduced, someone would immediately move that it be tabled rather than discussed

Adams' vision

-stressed that the government should finance internal improvements, create a great national university in D.C., support scientific explorations, build astronomical observatories, establish a Department of the Interior to manage the vast federal lands -challenged Congress to approve his proposals -knew what was best for the country and would not be stopped by the concerns of voters

Tariff of Abominations (1828)

-taxed British cloth coming into U.S. markets. this hurt southern cotton growers by reducing British demand for raw cotton from America and raising the prices they had to pay for imported products. -revealed how the North and South had developed different economic interests and different ways of protecting those interests -Calhoun claimed that this tariff favored the interests of New England textile manufacturing over southern agriculture

Clash of Titans- Webster-Hayne Debate

-the Webster-Hayne debate in Congress sharpened the lines between states' rights and national authority -Hayne believed that the Union was created by the states, and the states therefore had the right to nullify federal laws. independence of the states was to him more important than the preservation of the Union -Webster believed that the U.S. Constitution was created not by the states but by the American people. if the states were allowed to nullify a federal law, the Union would be nothing but a "rope of sand" -Webster had the better argument

The 1840 campaign

-the Whigs passed over Henry clay in favor of William Henry Harrison -Harrison was a victor at the Battle of Tippecanoe, former governor of the Indiana Territory and former congressman and senator from Ohio -Clay was disappointed b/c he wanted to be president -Whigs refused to take a stand on major issues -Harrison defeated Van Buren easily -Election of 1840's turnout was remarkable... more than 80% of white American men voted

The Trail of Tears

17000 Cherokees were evicted and moved West under military guard on the Trail of Tears (800-mile journey from the southern Appalachians to Indian Territory. 4000 people died along the way

Independent Treasury Act

A system created by President Martin Van Buren and approved by Congress in 1840 whereby the federal government moved its funds from favored state banks to the U.S. Treasury, whose financial transactions could only be in gold or silver coins of paper currency backed by gold or silver -political disaster -state banks lost control of federal funds -did nothing to end the widespread suffering caused by the deepening depression

Spoils System

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

The Black Hawk War

Chief Black Hawk of Sauk tribe, led rebellion against US; started in Illinois and spread to Wisconsin Territory; 200 Sauk and Fox ppl murdered; tribes removed to areas west of Mississippi

What did each candidate emphasize on?

Crawford: devotion to states' rights and strict construction of the Constitution Clay: promoted the economic nationalism of his American System Adams: only non-slaveholder, less strongly committed to tariffs, but shared Clay's belief that the national government should finance internal improvements to stimulate economic development

Martin v. Hunter's Lessee (1816) Cohens v. Virginia (1821)

Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution and the nation's laws and treaties could remian the supreme law of the land only if the Court coul dreview and at times overturn the decisions of state courts

What were the only areas under Spanish control?

Cuba and Puerto Rice and the colony of Santo Domingo -Spain had almost lost its entire empire in the Americas

The Election of 1836

Democrats nominated Jackson's handpicked successor, Van Buren. Whig coalition adopted a strategy of multiple candidates, hoping to throw the election into the House of Representatives (b/c if more than one candidate wins the majority vote, then the House picks) Van Buren won

Second Two-Party System

Domination of national politics by two major political parties, such as the Whigs and Democrats during the 1830s and 1840s.

Second Bank of the United States

Established in 1816 after the first national bank's charter expired; it stabilized the economy by creating a sound national currency, by making loans to farmers, small manufacturers, and entrepreneurs, and by regulating the ability of state banks to issue their own paper currency -led by Nicholas Biddie -became the largest corporation in the nation and the only truly national business enterprise -private corporation with extensive public responsibilites and powers -held all federal funds, including tax collections (mostly from land sales and tariff revenues) -headquartered in Philadelphia -29 branches -free to use the government deposits in its vaults as collateral for loans to businesses -disbursed federal payments for its obligations (in exchange for annual 1.5 million fee)

The Panic of 1837

Even though Jackson caused it, Van Buren got the blame. G.B. experienced a great financial crisis which forced most British companies to reduce their trade w/ America. this caused the price of cotton to drop. people who had loans could not repay their debts and thus, state governments could not repay their debts - a functioning national bank could have served as a stabilizing force amid the financial panic - unregulated state banks around the country flooded the economy w/ worthless paper money that they printed without adequate backing in gold or silver -many desperate southerners fled their debts altogether by moving to Texas -even the federal government was verging on bankruptcy -the poor were particularly hard hit -prices for food and clothing soared

Bad Axe Massacre

Final battle of the Black Hawk war. 2 day battle that resulted in a massacre of men, women and children by the US Army -soldiers misinterpreted the Indians' effort to surrender and fighting erupted

Monroe's second term

He was reelected w/o opposition his second term became the Era of Bad Feelings

election of 1828

Highly contentious presidential election between Andrew Jackson and incumbent President John Quincy Adams; Jackson effectively campaigned as a war hero and champion of the "common man" to become the seventh president of the United States -between National Republicans and Jacksonian Democrats. both engaged in personal attacks -Jackson was beloved as the "people's champion" by farmers and working men. Jackson had the trust of the southern political elite. He was for a small federal government, individual liberty, an expanded military, and white supremacy. Nationalist committed to preserving the Union in the face of rising sectional tensions.

Postwar Nationalism and the Supreme Court

In the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Marshall strengthened the constitutional powers of the federal government at the expense of state rights' - happened w/ two major cases

Bank of the United States (B.U.S)

Madison urged Congress to create one. Intended to support a stable national currency that would promote economic growth. made loans to farmers, small manufacturers,and entrepreneurs. based in Philadelphia and was chartered for 20 years. regulated ability for state banks to issue their own paper currency. the bank has to handle all of the federal government's funds w/o charge. it also could lend the government up to 5 million and pay them a 1.5 million cash bonus.

Indians' Resistance

Most northern Indians gave in to federal threats and were relocated -Sauk and Fox Indians fought to regain their ancestral lands

The Bank War (1832-1836)

Political struggle in the early 1830s between President Jackson and financier Nicholas Biddle over the renewing of the Second Bank's charter -revealed that Jackson never truly understood the national bank's role or policies and he continued to let personal dislike drive many of his political decisions

Northwest Ordinance & Southwest Ordinance

Northwest Ordinance: banned slavery north of the Ohio river Southwest Ordinance: authorized slavery south of the Ohio river -led the country to have an equal number of slave and free states (11 each)

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Passed by Congress under the Jackson administration, this act removed all Indians east of the Mississippi to an "Indian Territory" where they would be "permanently" housed -promised to pay for the Indian exodus and give them initial support in their new lands in Oklahoma -however many people distrusted the president's motives and doubted the promised support from the federal government -critics warned that Jackson's plan would bring "enduring shame" on the nation -sparked intense debate in Congress -House and Senate both narrowly approved the Indian Removal bill -southerners voted for it and northerners voted against it -federal agents bribed and bullied tribal chiefs to get their consent to relocate to the West

"corrupt bargain"

Scandal in which presidential candidate and Speaker of the House Henry Clay secured John Quincy Adams's victory over Andrew Jackson in the 1824 election, supposedly in exchange for Clay being named secretary of state.

Daniel Webster

Senator of Massachusetts; famous American politician & orator; advocated renewal & opposed the financial policy of Jackson; many of the principles of finance he spoke about were later incorporated in the Federal Reserve System; later pushed for a strong union.

Second Missouri Compromise

Speaker of the House Henry Clay made a deal where Missouri would be admitted as a state only if its legislature pledged never to deny free blacks their constitutional rights. Missouri legislature approved Clay's suggestion but denied that it had any power to bind the state in the future.

Protecting Contract Rights

Supreme Court strengthened the power of the federal government w/ a couple more cases Darmouth College v. Woodward: New Hampshire legislature's attempted to change Darmouth College's charter to stop the college's trustees from electing their own successors. The state legislature created a new board of trustees for the college. original group of trustees sued to block this- lost in state courts, but won on appeal in Supreme Court - implied a new and enlarged definition of contract that seemed to put corporations beyond reach of the states that had chartered them

Why was the Bank of the United States created?

The First Bank of the United States expired. Due to that, the nation's finances were not so good. States began chartering new local banks (with not much regulation), and their paper money flooded the economy w/ different currencies of uncertain value.

Specie Circular (1836)

The Specie Circular, issued by President Jackson July 11, 1836, was meant to stop land speculation caused by States printing paper money without proper specie (gold or silver) backing it. The Circular required that the purchase of public lands be paid for in specie. It stopped the land speculation and the sale of public lands went down sharply. The panic of 1837 followed.

Nullification

The right claimed by some states to veto a federal law deemed unconstitutional. -ultimate weapon for those determined to protect states' rights against federal authority -President Jackson did not allow this b/c he thought that allowing states to pick and choose which federal laws they would follow would create chaos

Transcontinental Treaty

Treaty between Spain and the United States that clarified thte boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase and arranged the transfer of Florida to the United States in exchange for cash ($5 million)

What did the Whigs try to do for the election of 1840?

Tried to bring a candidate like Jackson. One major difference is that Harrison is NOT a common man. So they picture Harrison's retirement as one that a common man does. They build a whole campaign based on log cabins and spiked cider. Had campaign buttons and built/carried log cabins throughout the country. Carried a celebration of what the common man is and what the common man thinks of himself

Politics Amid the Depression

Van Buren believed that he or the federal government did not have any responsibility to rescue hard-pressed farmers, bankers, or businessmen, or to provide relief for the jobless and homeless. Any efforts to help people in distress must come from the states, not the national government -this divided the Democrats from the Whigs Whig Henry Clay thought that an enlarged role for the federal government was the price of a maturing, expanding republic in which elected officials had an obligation to promote the "safety, convenience, and prosperity" of the people

What did Van Buren want?

Van Buren believed that the government should stop risking its cash deposits in the insecure state banks that Jackson had selected -he wanted to establish an Independent Treasury system where the government would keep its funds in its own vaults and do business entirely in gold or silver, not paper currency -wanted the federal government to regulate the nation's supply of gold and silver and let the marketplace regulate the supply of paper currency

What did Republican Henry Clay want to do?

he wanted to free America's economy from its dependence on Great Britain while tying together the diverse regions of the nation politically - claimed that he owed allegiance to the Union, not to any specific region - sought to give each section of the country its top economic priority - argued that high tariffs on imports were needed to block the sale of British products in the United States and thereby protect new industries in New England and New York from unfair foreign competition - to convince the western states to support tariffs, Clay called for the federal government to use tariff revenues to build much-needed infrastructure—roads, bridges, canals, and other internal improvements (to enable speedier travel and faster shipment of goods to markets) - raised prices for federal lands sold to the public and distribute the additional revenue from the land sales to the states to help finance more roads, bridges, and canals - endorsed a strong national bank to create a single national currency and to regulate the often unstable state and local banks - Clay's program could only work if each section was willing to compromise

Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1817

important treaty w/ Britain the two nations agreed to limit the number of warships on the Great Lakes

Who was opposed to the Bank?

westerners b/c the bank really only catered to the eastern customers

South Carolina Exposition and Protest 1828

written by John C. Calhoun where he declared that a state could nullify an act of Congress that it found unconstitutional (such as the new tariff bill)