JACKSONIAN AMERICA
How did Martin Van Buren's and John C. Calhoun's backgrounds and rise to prominence differ?
Calhoun had a promising political future but ran into several issues due to the tariff of 1816 as he was once a protectionist who supported the tariff. This created an issue for South Carolina that he solved by drawing from Madison and Jefferson in quoting the 10th Amendment. He basically argued that the state, not Congress or the courts, should determine whether or not this tariff was unconstitutional. Van Buren, on the other hand, believed in stronger federal government. In 1828, he won governorship over New York. The following year he was appointed Secretary of State and established himself as a member of the Kitchen Cabinet, holding a heavy influence close to that a President Jackson.
What was the reaction of the older states to these democratic trends? Cite some examples.
Change provoked resistance, and at times, the democratic trend fell short or the aims of the most radical reformers, as when Massachusetts held its constitutional convention in 1820. Reform minded delegates complained that in the Massachusetts government the rich were better represented than the poor, both because of restrictions on voting and office holding and because of a peculiar system by which members of the senate represented property rather than simply people. page 236
How did Jackson's action in the matter of the Cherokee removal correspond to his views on the role of the president and on the issue of states' rights?
Congress passed the Removal Act in 1830. Jackson acted quickly to dispatch federal officers to negotiate nearly 100 new treaties based on the impatience that several states had demonstrated in previous negotiations. The Cherokee nation appealed to the Supreme Court which, through two court cases, attempted to partially vindicate the tribe. Jackson's longtime hostility toward the Native Americans left him with little sympathy toward the Cherokee and little patience with the Supreme Court. He believed that his actions would grant him favor with advocates of states rights when he enlisted the military to assist in the removal and support the actions of Southern legislatures. (245)
What groups were excluded from this widening of political opportunity? Why?
Despite the influence from the new states joining the union, bringing with them greater voting rights, the southern states remained unjustly biased towards the plantation owners. The book says on pg 278 "The democratization process was far from complete. In much of the South, election laws continued to favor the planters and politicians of the older counties and to limit the influence of newly settled western areas.
What were the general characteristics of "Jacksonian Democracy," its philosophy, and its practice?
It was not true democracy, but an effort to extend suffrage to all white males in spite of whether or not they were property owners.
What was Nicholas Biddle's initial attitude toward the Bank's involvement in politics? What caused him to change his mind, what steps did he take, and who were his supporters?
Nicholas Biddle was the president of the Bank and so he was for the Bank's involvement in politics, as it gave him more power. He changed his mind because Jackson was trying to shut down the bank's heavy dependence on politics. He applied to Congress for a Bill to renew the Bank charter before it was due to expire in order to cause the Bank to become a major issue in the elections. He was supported by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay (248-249)
How did the Webster-Hayne debate fit into the controversy between Jackson and Calhoun? What brought about the debate, what was the major point of disagreement between the two, and what were the arguments advanced?
The Webster Hayne debate was over tariffs put in place by congress. Jackson and Calhoun had very controversial opinions such as whether federal money could be used for things such as internal improvements in transportation. They also differed on things like tariffs and trade. Webster and Hayne began their debate because of the proposal to cut off new land sales until all current land was on sale and use that money towards internal transportation. The disagreement was whether Congressional money from land sales could be used for internal transportation improvements.
What were the accomplishments of Webster as secretary of state?
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 established a firm northern boundary between the US and Canada along the Maine- New Brunswick border that survives to this day.
What role did the western states play in the growing democratization of American politics?
The Western states played a very big role in Expanding democracy in America. On Page 236, it says "Changes came first in Ohio and other new states in the west which on joining the union, adopted constitutions that guaranteed all adult white males the right to vote and gave all voters the right to public office. Older states concerned about the loss of their population to the west began to grant similar rights to their citizens". Basically the new states in the west gave their people to have a say in voting and allowed them all to vote and run for office, so when the older states heard about this they were afraid to lose all of their citizens, so they gave theirs the same rights. If the western states had not began to join the U.S. then democracy would not have spread nearly as fast.
What was the Kitchen Cabinet? Who were its members? Why did it come into existence?
Van Buren was established in the official cabinet and also in the presidents unofficial circle of political allies. The circle of unofficial allies was known as the Kitchen Cabinet. The Kitchen Cabinet's members are Democratic newspapers editors Isaac Hill of New Hampshire and Amos Kendall and Francis P. Blair of Kentucky. Van Burren was the head of this Kitchen Cabinet. And his influence on the president grew stronger and stronger. (241)
What did Calhoun really hope his theory of nullification would accomplish?
Well this theory said that "since the federal government was a creation of the states, the states-- not the courts or Congress-- were the final arbiters of the constitutionality of federal laws. If a state concluded that Congress had passed an unconstitutional law, then it could hold a special convention and declare the federal law null and void within the state"(241). And he came up with this law really, because he believed that it would help south Carolina, because they were having problem with the tariff. And if he wasn't able to help out his home state of South Carolina, then his future political hopes would be diminished.
What caused the Panic of 1837? What effect did it have on the nation? What effect did it have on the Democratic Party?
Following a period of federal budget surplus and the "distribution" act whereby "loans" for internal improvement projects were passed along to states from the federal government, Congress did nothing to hold the speculative fever in check, so Jackson issued a presidential order, the "specie circular," requiring that payment for public lands could only be made in "hard" currency securely backed by gold and/or silver. This produced a panic at the outset of the Van Buren presidency when hundreds of banks and businesses failed, unemployment grew, and bread riots broke out in some of the larger cities. It was a political catastrophe for Van Buren and the Democrats. (252)
How did Calhoun and South Carolina propose to test the theory of nullification? What factors contributed to their decision?
In 1832, the crisis came to a head when another tariff was passed. The SC legislature summoned a state convention, which voted to nullify the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 and to forbid the collection of duties within the state.
How did Calhoun attempt to resolve this dilemma? What arguments did he use, and on which sources did he draw?
He developed an alternate to secession with the theory of nullification, drawing from the ideas of Madison and Jefferson from the VA and KY resolutions and citing the 10th amendment. He essentially argued that since the federal government was a creation of the states, the states- not the courts or Congress- were the final arbiters of the constitutionality of federal laws (241).
What was the origin of the split between Tyler and Clay? What effect did it have on the administration? On the Whig Party? What was the result?
He refused to support efforts to recharter the BUS and vetoed several internal improvement bills. A conference of Congressional Whigs read him out of the party. Cabinet members resigned. New political alignments emerged with southern Whigs preparing to rejoin Democrats.
Why did the Whigs select William Henry Harrison as their candidate in 1840? How did his campaign "set a new pattern for presidential contests"?
He was a descendant of the VA aristocracy, a renowned soldier, and popular national figure. The 1840 campaign saw the emergence of the "penny press" which carried news of the candidates to common people. They used catchy slogans and techniques of mass voter appeal. (253)
Why did Daniel Webster not resign from the Tyler cabinet when the other Whigs did? What were the diplomatic problems on which he was working?
He was serving as Sec of State engaged in diplomacy with Great Britain regarding controversial incidents in the Niagara / New York area that almost erupted in war.
What was the Whig strategy in the election of 1836? Who was the Democratic candidate? Why was he selected? What was the result?
In the election of 1836, the Whigs were divided over several Presidential candidates: Daniel Webster represented the party in New England, Hugh Lawson White of TN represented the South, and former Indian fighter William Henry Harrison from OH represented to the middle states and the West. They reflected broadly diverse political opinions, a political coalition galvanized in opposition to "King Andrew I." The Whigs hoped they could keep the Democrats from winning a majority in the popular election and throw the decision to the House of Representatives where they had a better chance of victory. The Democratic candidate was Martin Van Buren, Jackson's personal choice. The party united behind Van Buren and won the election easily over a divided Whig party (250-1).
What did the selection of John Tyler as Harrison's vice-presidential candidate reveal about the composition of the Whig Party?
It illustrated party competition. The party was diverse in leadership, representing many sections of the country and political ideologies. However, immediate political needs, primarily victory in the presidential election, proved more important than ideology. (253)
What was Jackson's reaction to South Carolina's attempt at nullification? How did his action in this case correspond to his action in the case of the Cherokee removal? What accounts for this?
Jackson attempted to pass a law which would grant federal soldiers and sailors to collect taxes. This is a attempt at a power grab for the Executive - Jackson is the first president to use the veto power extensively, and used his presidential powers extensively, thus earning him the nickname of 'King Jackson' to some of his opponents. This all-powerful executive idea is seen in the Cherokee removal and several Indian tribes sued the Jackson Administration, and Supreme Court justice John Marshall ruled that the U.S could not remove the Indians as it would violate previous treaties, in response, Jackson famously said "Mr. Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." and proceeded anyways. (Pg. 250-253)
What was the program (inherited by Jackson) designed to deal with the Indians who lived east of the Mississippi? What happened when this program was applied to the Cherokee in Georgia?
Jackson implemented the Indian Removal Act in order to move them west, "beyond the Mississippi, out of the way of expanding white settlement" (243-244). In Georgia, "some whites argued that the Cherokees, unlike other tribes, should be allowed to retain their eastern lands, since they had become such a 'civilized' society and had, under pressure from missionaries and government agents, given up many of their traditional ways" (244). Jackson wanted the Cherokees to move westward, but they would not; therefore, "he sent an army of 7,000 under General Winfield Scott to round them up and drive them westward at bayonet point" (245).
What was Jackson's opinion on the Bank of the United States? On what did he base his views? What other factors contributed to his stand?
Jackson was against the BUS b/c thought UnConst. (248) It commits govt to extravagant expenditures. He did not want to give Fed govt power.
Explain Jackson's position on states' rights. How did he apply this to the matter of internal improvements?
Jackson was quoted to have said, "Our Federal Union-It must be preserved" (242). In this statement he has let it known that the Federal Union was most important. Even while others including his vice president disagreed, the Northerners respected Jackson because of this.
How has the debate over Jacksonian Democracy focused not only on Andrew Jackson but on the American society in the Jacksonian era as well?
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man. Jacksonian democracy developed following the era of Jeffersonian democracy that dominated the past years of politics. Jackson ended what was known as the "monopoly" government and made policies that gave more power to the people. He also gave more power to the president and executive branch of the congress and allowed judges to be voted on and not appointed. This points out that American society has moved to more of a republic and put more value on votes. (243)
What was the dilemma faced by John C. Calhoun, and what factors gave rise to it?
John C. Calhoun's major conflict was that his home state, South Carolina wanted to secede from the United States. This was because many blamed the faltering economy on South Carolina for not being able to compete in the farming with the newly open fields in the Southwest. Instead of trying to go secede, he proposed an alternate solution, nullification. "Calhoun argued that since the federal governments was a creation of the states, the states-not the courts or Congress-were final arbitrators of the law" (241). Calhoun's idea was quickly shut down though because of the new cabinet President Martin Van Buren brought in.
What were the origins of the Calhoun-Jackson split? How did the Eatonton administration contribute to the division? What effect did it have on the Jackson administration?
John Calhoun was Andrew Jackson's vice president and in 1828 he came up with a theory of nullification which he thought would help give an alternative to secession. This idea was dangerous to Jackson and he was against it, but to others it attracted a lot of support from those in South Carolina but it didn't help Calhoun move up higher in his ranks somewhat because of his rival Martin Van Buren. Jackson allowed Van Buren to become secretary of state and then later on he was able to become a member of the official cabinet and the Kitchen Cabinet. Van Buren had a very strong influence on Jackson, which continued to grow, because Calhoun's and Jackson's view on certain etiquette had driven a wedge between the two of them. This wedge grew even more and led to their final split when John H. Eaton, a friend of Jackson's, married Peggy O?Neale a couple of weeks after her husband had died. Calhoun's wife refused to accept her socially and Jackson was furious and demanded that Peggy O'Neale be accepted. Calhoun refused to follow through because of the pressure his wife had put on him. This ended the relationship between Jackson and Calhoun entirely and partly because of this affair, Jackson had Van Buren succeed him as President, ending Calhoun's dreams of becoming president (241).
Explain the different ways the Indians responded to Jackson's policies. What was the outcome for the different tribes?
Many of the Native Americans accepted what they were given and traveled to the land where they were expelled to without resistance. Some, like the Cherokee, however, tried to appeal to the supreme court and make the court understand that this wasn't right. No matter what argument any Natives provided, all of the tribes in some way relocated so that there was more room for white settlers(244-245).
What was the effect of this growth of democracy? How did it change, or not change, the American political system? What is its significance?
On page 236.The expanding of Democracy was known as the "age of Jackson". This expansion of democracy started transformation of American politics that widely extended to new groups the right to vote. Some new policies that were put into place included all white men being able to vote, not just white property owners. As this happened many states, and eventually all decided to democratize its electorate to some degree.
What programs did Martin Van Buren propose to ease the depression? Why did he act in this way?
On the one hand, his administration strongly opposed government intervention and did little to fight the depression. On the other hand, some of the steps that it took may have made things worse, including the creation of an "independent treasury" to replace the BUS. (252-3)
How did white Americans justify their policies toward Native Americans? What evidence is there to suggest that there were other alternatives available to expanding Americans?
President Jackson said that it would be best if the Native American's live far away from white Americans. There probably wasn't any realistic possibility that the government could stop white expansion.Some evidence was, there were many examples in the west of white settlers living side by side and creating a shared world. Another example is the natives being in close contact when it came to trade, the fur posts.
What was the general condition of the American economy in 1836? What factors contributed to this? What was the most pressing problem that Congress and the administration faced between 1835 and 1837, and how did they propose to solve it?
The American economy was experiencing a boom. Canal and railroad builders were at a peak of activity. Prices were rising, money was plentiful, and credit was easy as banks increased their loans and notes with little regard to their reserves of cash. The land business, in particular, was booming. The government was selling public land, mostly to speculators, which created a federal budget surplus and made possible a steady reduction of the national debt. Congress passed a "distribution" act requiring Congress to pay its surplus funds to the states by issuing unsecured "loans" which the states in turn used for construction of roads, highways, canals, and railroads. (252)
How did the supporters of the Bank respond to Jackson's action? What did Biddle do? What were the results?
Supporters of the bank were not pleased with Jackson?s vetoing of the rechartering bill. In response, Biddle recklessly began calling in loans and raising interest rates in an attempt to cause a short recession in America. This recession he hoped would persuade Congress to recharter the bank. But, supporters of the bank felt threatened by Biddle?s countermeasures and the BUS became no more (248)
What was the outcome of the nullification crisis? What, if anything, did the antagonists learn from the confrontation?
Tarrifs were revised and were considerably lower for southern states, antagonists learned that states could nullify federal taxes with a large amount of protesting and more importantly, that one state could not stand against the federal government alone.
Who were the Whig leaders? How do they reflect the variety of political opinions found in the Whig Party?
The "Great Triumvirate" included Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Calhoun. Clay was know for his "American system" of economical development which included internal improvements and was associated with the West. Webster was the greatest orator of his generation, a defender of the Constitution and Union, and associated with the BUS and protective tariff. Calhoun never considered himself to be a true Whig and was identified with the nullification controversy.
How did the Supreme Court under Roger B. Taney differ from the Court under Marshall? What groups profited from Taney's decisions?
The Court differed because "Taney did not bring a sharp break in constitutional interpretation, but he gradually helped modify Marshall's vigorous nationalism" (249). The groups that profited from Taney's decisions were the companies of Charles River Bridge and Warren Bridge.
How did the party philosophy of the Whigs differ from that of the Democrats?
The Democratic philosophy envisioned expanding political opportunities and economic opportunities for white males, also to limit the role of the government, and they were on the side of the union. The Whigs wanted to expand federal gov., commercial development, industrial development, and were cautious of westward expansion. Their vision was to make america embrace an industrial future. "Democrats emphasize on opportunity", while the "Whigs' call for economic union"(250-251).
How did the spoils system fit into Jackson's "democratic" plans?
The spoils system fit well with Jackson`s ideas of giving the government back to the people. Jackson is described as many things on pages 238-239, but the one hing he is most known for is his commitment to the common people (farms and other labor jobs). He used the spoils system to get rid of the high ranking officials or business owners and replaced them with new ones. These new officials were able to appoint their followers underneath them to hold jobs for their collaboration. (238-240)
How did Jackson respond to the efforts to recharter the Bank? What reasons did he give for his action, and what effect did the election of 1832 have on his Bank policy?
the first thing Jackson did was veto the idea of renewing the bank notes and tried very hard to re chart the bank. Jackson tried, he tried to reform the bank to when that wasn't working he began putting money into state banks and soon after the bank of united states started to fall and was soon gone.
