Transcript Monroe and Jackson’s Presidencies Ch 8 sections 4 and 5

Monroe and
Jackson’s
Presidencies
Ch 8 sections 4 and 5
Monroe’s Era of Good Feelings
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1817-1825
People optimistic about the future
One national political party: the
Jeffersonian Republicans
Still some economic and political issues
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Economic booms and busts
Sectional disputes concerning slavery
What did the government do?
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Adopted new, nationalist policies (home
and abroad)
1816 Protective Tariff: make American
goods cheaper to help business
Key decisions by the federal government’s
role in the nation’s government
Chief Justice John Marshall’s Key
Decisions
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Dartmouth College v. Woodward: (1819) state
can’t interfere with private contracts
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McCulloch v. Maryland: (1819) implied power of
the federal government
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Protect businesses from regulation and helped stabilize
the economy
Federal government more powerful
Gibbons v. Ogden: (1824) fed government
regulates interstate commerce
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Increased steamboat competition
Helped to open the American west to settlement
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All of these decisions helped build up
nationalism in the United States
James Monroe and Sec. of State John
Quincy Adams set up some foreign policy to
encourage nationalism and strength in the
federal government
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Main goal: ease tensions with Great Britain
Nationalism Abroad
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1817: US and England signed RushBagot Agreement: agree to decrease # of
warships on the Great Lakes
1818: England and US draw northern
border of the US at 49° North latitude
from present-day Minnesota to the Rocky
Mtns
Monroe Doctrine created because
Monroe was worried about European
nations colonizing the western
hemisphere
Monroe Doctrine
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US neutrality (will not get involved in the internal affairs of
European nations or take sides)
US will recognize existing colonies in the western
hemisphere and not interfere with them
US will not allow any more colonization in the western
hemisphere
If any European nation should attempt to take control of any
nation in the western hemisphere, the US would take it as
hostile action toward them
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The US didn’t have the armed forces
necessary to back up the warnings of the
Monroe Doctrine
Still a bold declaration of policy considering
our capital was just burned down less than
a decade before
Election of 1824
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First time no candidate was a leader from
the Revolution
Marked the end of the Era of Good
Feelings
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Economic problems, the spread of slavery, and
other issues led to conflict among Jeffersonian
Republicans
Several Republicans decided to run
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John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, John C.
Calhoun, Andrew Jackson
John Quincy Adams
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Secretary of State
Lots of experience in politics and foreign
affairs
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Negotiated treaty with Britain to extend US
northern border
Helped in acquiring Florida
Helped devise Monroe Doctrine
Henry Clay
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Speaker of the House
Energetic and charming
The American System
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Combination of government-backed economic
development and protective tariffs aimed at
encouraging business growth
John C. Calhoun
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Secretary of War
From South Carolina
Eventually withdrew from the crowded race
Instead ran for Vice President because he
had a better chance of winning that
Andrew Jackson
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General from War of 1812
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Battle of New Orleans
War hero
“Old Hickory”
Relied on his popularity to attract votes
The “Corrupt Bargain”
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Jackson won most votes in electoral college but
not the majority
House of Representatives voted to decide the
election
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Clay used his influence to swing enough votes to Adams
to give him the victory
Adams made Clay his Secretary of State just days later
Many of Jackson’s followers didn’t like this
John Q. Adams as President
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Wanted to strengthen nation’s economy
(funding and protective tariff)
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American System
Pushed for legislation authorizing federal
building of canals, roads, bridges,
lighthouses, universities, and other public
improvements
Supported protective tariffs
Jackson’s supporters
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Those in Congress blocked Adams’s plans
every chance they got
Jackson prepared for next election
Election of 1828
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Supporters of Adams and Clay called
themselves the Adams Party or National
Republicans (later Whig Party)
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Believed they were true to Jeffersonian spirit of
improvement
Supporters of Jackson called themselves
Jacksonians or Democratic Republicans,
we call them Jacksonian Democrats
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Believed they were true to Jefferson’s ideal of
limited government
2 Political Parties in US Again
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1828 also notable because about 3 times
as many men voted than in 1824
Many states removed property
qualifications to vote
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Many new voters supported the man of the
people: Andrew Jackson
Jackson won by a landslide
Andrew Jackson
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Man of the people
From west of the Appalachians so he was made
out to understand the “average” person’s life
Inauguration day: mob of well wishers celebrated
by taking over the White House
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Signaled the start of a new era in American democracy
and the growing power of the American west (Jacksonian
Democracy)
Jacksonian Democracy
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Most support came from first-time voters
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No property requirements so the less wealthy had a say in
government now
Spoils System/Patronage: giving government jobs
to friends and supporters
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Official policy of Jackson’s administration
His opponents were infuriated by this, they’re the ones
who called it the Spoils System
Jackson’s Defense of the Spoils
System
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Said any intelligent person could be a
competent government official
“rotation in office” would prevent a small
group of wealthy, well-concerned people
from controlling the government
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Supported his image as the common man
Limited Government
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Jackson supported limited government
Attacked politicians he considered corrupt and
laws that he thought would limit people’s liberties
Used his veto power to restrict federal activity as
much as possible
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Rejected more acts of Congress than the 6 previous
presidents combined
Increased power of the presidency also
Tariff Crisis
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Tariff of 1828: heavy tax on imports designed to
boost American manufacturing
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Started before Jackson became president
South Carolina decided to nullify (reject) the tariff
on the basis of states’ rights argument (tariff was
hurting south economically)
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States’ rights: powers the Constitution neither gives
to the federal government nor denies to the states
State sovereignty: because the states created the
federal gov, they have the right to nullify its acts and
secede from the union if they decide to
South Carolina’s Nullification
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1832 another tariff was passed and South
Carolina declared them null and void
1833: Force Bill passed by Congress with
Jackson’s support
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Made it difficult for SC to block federal collection of the
tariff
Jackson threatened to send in fed troops to enforce the
law
Sen. Henry Clay offered a compromise reducing
some import duties, SC canceled its nullification
but nullified the Force Bill
The Indian Crisis
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Most Native Americans had already given up their
territory and moved west, but some remained in
the Old NW and south
“Five Civilized Tribes” (Cherokee, Creek,
Choctaw, Chicksaw, and Seminole) lived in lands
in the Carolinas, GA, FL, AL, MS, and TN
1830: Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act
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Authorized the President to give Native
Americans land in parts of the LA Purchase in
exchange for land taken from them in the East
Northern groups generally resettled peacefully
The Five Tribes refused to move so Jackson
forcibly removed about 100,000 from the south
and moved them into the Indian Territory (OK)
Cherokee Resistance
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Many Cherokee had adopted white ways
Gold was found on Cherokee land in GA and the
government seized the land
In 1832 the Cherokees brought their case to the
Supreme Court
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Worcester v. Georgia: Marshall ruled that GA had no
authority over Cherokee territory
GA defied the court with Jackson’s support
Trail of Tears
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Court had no power to enforce its decisions
1838 the US Army rounded up more than 15,000
Cherokees and forced them to walk on a 116-day
forced march westward about 1,000 miles to the
OK Territory
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No pause for rest
1 out of every 4 Cherokee died of cold or disease
Indian Uprisings
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Black Hawk War: clashes between 1,000
Indians and the government of the Illinois
Territory (most killed)
Second Seminole War: nearly 7 years of
war
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Ended once leader was captured
Few hundred Seminoles remained in FL
Bank War
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Jackson believed that the Bank of the US was a
“monster” institution controlled by a small group of
wealthy Easterners
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Held it responsible for Panic of 1819 and hard times that
followed
Bank of US had charter until 1836 and then
Congress would have to issue new charter
Nicholas Biddle: president of the bank charter,
decided to recharter in 1832 (early)
Jackson vetoed the bill as a protection of the
rights of ordinary citizens
Election of 1832
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Jackson re-elected by huge margin
Defeated Clay
1834 The National Republicans joined
several other anti-Jackson groups to form
the Whig Party
American Whigs saw themselves as
defenders of liberty against a powerful
executive (King Andrew I)
Jackson’s Successors
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1836: Jackson decided not to run again
Van Buren ran and won (his VP)
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Lacked Jackson’s popularity
Before killing the Bank of the US, Jackson had
begun putting money in “pet banks” around the
country
Result: in 1836, Jackson was forced to declare
that the fed gov would accept the Specie Circular
Specie Circular
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Weakened the “pet banks” and helped
cause the Panic of 1837 (Van Buren’s 1st
year in office)
Severe depression followed, thousands lost
their jobs, urban poverty increased
Second panic of 1839 made depression
drag on into 1840 election year
Election of 1840
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Whig candidate: William Henry Harrison
(military hero)
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Hoped to win by avoiding major issues and
relying on his popularity
Harrison defeated Van Buren but died just
one month after taking office
John Tyler took over
John Tyler
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Southern Democrat who supported states’ rights
Angered his party by taking a public stand against
Jackson
Whigs used him to pull votes away from Van
Buren but never expected him to become
president
Blocked much of the Whig policies (national bank)
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Whigs abandoned him and had a tough 4 years