Ch+9+Jacksons+America


 * JACKSONIAN AMERICA **





**[|EARLY LIFE] **  On March 15, 1767, Andrew Jackson was born to the Presbyterian Scotch-Irish colonists, Andrew and Elizabeth Hutchinson. Receiving limited formal education, Jackson joined a local regiment. During the Revolution, Andrew and his brother Robert were captured by the British and held as prisoners. When a British soldier ordered Jackson to clean his boots, Jackson spit in his face and thus suffered the consequences.   The Redcoat slashed Jackson across his left hand and the left side of his head. By the time Jackson turned 14, he was orphaned and his immediate family had all been killed in hardships of the war, which subsequently Jackson blamed on the British. Jackson was the last of our presidents to have been a veteran in the American Revolution.

In 1787, Jackson was admitted to the bar and he became a lawyer along the frontier. Because Jackson's family was dead, he had to make his way through life by his own merit. By 1796, Jackson was a delegate in Tennessee's constitutional convention. In 1797, Jackson was elected to the Senate as a Democratic-Republican, but he resigned within that same year. He then became a judge in the Tennessee Supreme Court until 1804.

Jackson was also a successful slave-owner, planter and merchant. Jackson started out with nine slaves, but his plantation soon expanded to house over 150 slaves. His plantation was over 1,050 acr es and his primary crop was cotton.

In 1801, Jackson became commander of the Tennessee militia. During the war of 1812, Jackson’s mission was cancelled, but his troops experienced his tough command and gave him the nickname “Old Hickory”. In 1814, Jackson defeated the Red Stick Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The victory eliminated the Indian threat on the frontier.

The Battle of New Orleans was the height of Jackson’s military career in January 1815. On the American side only six were killed and ten wounded, while the British sustained more than 2,000 casualties. In light of what was going on in the rest of the country, such as the fire in the White House set by the British and the many arguments in government, Jackson emerges as a national hero.


 * CORRUPT BARGAIN**

The election of 1824 was one to be remembered. Secretary of State and son of former president, John Quincy Adams was running,  but was an unpopular cold man. Secretary of the treasury William H. Crawford was nominated by the republican caucus. Speaker of the House Henry Clay had proposed the American System to revolutionize American economy with protective tariffs, internal improvements and a stronger national bank. War hero with little political experience Andrew Jackson was currently serving in the US Senate and had friends in high places. All three of these men were running for the United States presidency, and when the results came in Jackson was the victor in terms of both popular and electoral votes, but had no majority. In accordance with the twelfth amendment the House of Representatives was to decide between the top three contenders (Crawford, Jackson, Adams) in such a situation. Crawford had fallen ill and Clay was out of the running, so John Quincy Adams had an idea. In exchange for giving Clay the office of Secretary of State (which at the time was a precursor to the presidency) he would take the votes of Clay’s supporters and defeat Jackson. When this dirty strategy proved a success Jacksonians were infuriated, believing that because Jackson had both electoral and popular pluralities he was the rightful winner. A strong opposition developed and they dubbed this happening a “corrupt bargain”. This corrupt bargain would haunt Adams through the duration of his term as president. This debacle would give Jackson an overwhelming victory in the next presidential election of 1828.

__**INTERNAL POLI****TICS** __ 

Upon election J ackson decided to clean house. He immediately targeted entrenched officeholders, arguing that official duties belonged to the person or people best fit for the job. Eight years later, Jackson had removed approximately 20% of federal officials for reasons of corruption, incompetence, or even simply opposing political views. Jackson was the first to institute the “[|spoils system]” which made it the right of elected officials appoint their own followers to public office. As William L. Marcy of New York put it, “To the victors go the spoils.”

In his Jackson’s cabinet an issue had rose. Peggy Timberlake, a widow, had recently remarried Senator John Henry Eaton. In the time period, marrying so soon after the death of a former spouse was strongly scorned. Notable wives in Jackson’s cabinet scandalized this event, including Vice President John C. Calhoun’s wife Floride Calhounin who formed the "anti-Peggy" coalition. Andrew Jackson, a friend of the Eaton couple and bewildered widower would not stand for such tomfoolery. Jackson was quick to appoint Eaton as his Secretary of War which only intensified the rumors. Eventually this “Peggy Eaton Affair” would lead to the resignation of the majority of Jackson’s cabinet and elevate Martin Van Buren in the eyes of Jackson. Soon thereafter John C. Calhoun would resign in shame and return to South Carolina where he would only cause more problems for his new enemy Andrew Jackson.



**<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 200%; text-align: center;">[|INDIAN REMOVAL] **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Americans commonly referred to Native Americans as "noble savages," people without a civilized lifestyle but with dignity that made civilization possible. However this sentiment changed and whites were referring to the Native Americans as simple "savages," who were not just lacking a civilized lifestyle but people who would never have that ability. They believed that they should not be expected to live anywhere near these Indians.

Whites favored the removal of the Indians because they believed that if they lived in such close proximity to one another, there would be endless disputes which could easily escalate into outright fighting. Not only this, but whites also supported Indian removal because of their desire for more territory.

As Americans continued to migrate further and further south, they began encroaching on Indian lands. In 1814, Jackson won a major battle over the Creek Indians and conquered over 22 million acres of land in Southern Georgia and central Alabama. Even more land was acquired from the Seminoles in 1818. Between 1814 and 1824, eleven treaties were negotiated to push the tribes further west, off of the good land that Americans wanted control over. In result, America gained most of Alabama and Florida, and parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

In 1823, the Supreme Court decided that though Indians could live on American land, they could not hold title to those lands. Five Indian nations made a non-violent effort in resisting. These nations later became known as the "Five Civilized Tribes". However, there were some tribes that did resist. The First Seminole War from 1817 to 1818 was a conflict between the Seminole with the help of fugitive slaves and the Americans.

In 1830, Jackson created the Indian Removal Act which gave him power to push tribes to the other side of the Mississippi River. In return the Indians were to receive land west of the Mississippi. This did not have much of an immediate impact however. By 1838, only about 2,000 Indians had migrated, so Jackson sent over 7,000 troops to force them to leave. They were forced to march all the way to their new lands. Over 4,000 Indians died on the way. This was known as the <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|Trail of Tears]

[|NULLIFICATION CRISIS] ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> John C. Calhoun had a prestigious past and a very bright future. However, the issue of the tariff of abominations created a bit of a problem. When the tariff was first proposed, in 1816, he was an outspoken advocate of it. But South Carolinians began to believe that the tariff was responsible for the poor status of their economy. Though it was not the tariff that caused this problem, it was the overused farmland which could not produce as much as the newer, more fertile land in the Southwest, the South Carolinians were beginning to consider seceding. How he handled this predicament could change the course of his career in politics.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 200%; text-align: center;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> He, therefore, developed the theory of nullification as a more moderate alternative to seceding from the Union. By compiling Jefferson and Madison's Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798-1799 and the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, Calhoun made the point that since the federal government gets its powers from the states, the states should be allowed to have a say in whether the federal laws were constitutional. If a state believed that the law was unconstitutional, then the state could hold a convention and declare the law null and void, but only within that state. This nullification doctrine received a great deal of support in South Carolina, but it hurt Calhoun's standing within Jackson's administration, especially because of Martin Van Buren.

In January 1830, the nullification controversy grew with the great debate in the United States Senate over another sectional controversy. The debate started with the federal policy toward western lands. A Connecticut senator suggested that all land sales and surveys be discontinued for some time, and Robert Y. Hayne responded by stating that slowing down the growth of the west would keep the political and economic power firmly in the grasp of the East. He claimed that the South and the West were overruled by the Northeast, and he stated that they intended to change this. Daniel Webster attacked Hayne and Calhoun for what he interpreted as a challenge to the integrity of the Union. He, therefore, challenged Hayne to a debate about state's rights versus national power. Hayne responded in defense of the idea of nullification. Then Webster replied with his two-day speech known as the "Second Reply to Hayne". He ended the speech by saying, "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable." On April 30th, 1830, Jackson rose to toast at the Jefferson Day dinner. He clearly challenged Calhoun when saying, "Our Federal Union: It must be preserved!" Calho <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">un replied by saying, "The Union: Next to our Liberty, the most dear." These two popular political figures were clearly divided.

In 1832, the dispute over nullification caused an outright crisis when South Carolinians furiously responded to the "tariff of abominations". The state legislature promptly called a state convention which voted for the nullification of the tariff of 1828 and the tariff of 1832; they also forbade the collection of taxes within the state. Meanwhile, the citizens elected Hayne governor and Calhoun, who had resigned as vice president, to become the senator. Jackson firmly believed that nullification was treasonous and that those that believed in it were traitors. He also strengthened South Carolinian forts and ordered warships to Charleston. In 1833, when Congress came together, Jackson proposed a force bill that would allow the president to use military forces to ensure that the acts of Congress were obeyed. The tension was so great that it seemed as though fighting could break out at any moment.

Calhoun was now under major pressure because no one had come to the defense of South Carolina, and there were even major divisions within South Carolina itself. It would be impossible for them to stand up to the federal government. However the great compromiser, Henry Clay intervened and averted the crisis. Clay created a compromise that would lower the tariff over time and would reach the same rate as it was in 1816.This Bill was passed along with a Compromise Tariff on March 1, 1833. Shortly after, the South Carolina Convention met and rescinded its nullification request.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #000094; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 58.5%; text-align: center;">**<span style="color: #b30000; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 400%; text-align: center;">[|BANK WAR] ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

Though Jackson exercised his federal powers when he deemed necessary, he strongly opposed concentrating power in the federal government and the aristocratic institutions that it carried with it. He often used presidential vetoes to prove his view, arguing against what he viewed as unconstitutional laws that tied the government with extravagant expenditures.

In the 1830’s, the Bank of the United States dominated American commerce, branching out across the country, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> giving credit, issuing dependable currency and housing all the federal governments funds in exchange for one fifth of the company’s stock. Heading this massive organization was the bank’s president Nicolas Biddle, who had been serving as the leader since 1823 and was a large force behind the bank’s prosperity.

In opposition to this system stood Andrew Jackson and the advocates of hard and soft money. Jackson was a hard-money supporter, which meant he advocated tangibly silver and gold backed currency. The soft-money supporters believed that copious amounts of currency flowing through country would bring speculation and rapid economic growth. Unlearned in the matters of politics Biddle reached out to notable men like Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, gaining their support for the bank’s renewal in 1836. The bill was hurried to Congress in 1832 in order to intensify the debate as a political issue in the upcoming national elections. Jackson’s veto quelled Congress’ appraisal. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> After sorting through some unresponsive secretaries of commerce Jackson appointed General Roger B. Taney who was loyal to Jackson’s wishes. Soon after this appointment the government began depositing their green in numerous pet banks in many states instead of the BUS. This action infuriated Biddle who quickly responded. Biddle realized that the bank was stretching too thin and that the economy would destabilize, but he persisted. The battle over the fate of the Second Bank of the Unites States soon became an intense, heated, personal battle between two hardcore opposites who wished to defame and humiliate the other. Jackson’s steadfast opposition eventually caused Biddle to fold as the economy began to take serious tolls, no pun intended. This event is often regarded as the greatest success of Jackson’s presidency, though many blame it for the forthcoming Panic of 1837.

The result of the banks death resulted in a highly debated piece of Jackson legislation, the Specie Circular of 1836. This law required a land to be bought with hard-money which many banks could not back with their unreliable currency. The struggling banks were quick to fail and rapid inflation was soon to follow. Lands were struggled to be bought for and over speculation was rampant. The result of the Specie Circular was a vast economic collapse and struggle, dubbed the Panic of 1837, which Martin Van Buren would have the misfortune of inheriting.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">** [|Bank War Political Cartoon] ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">
 * Author:** Edward W. Clay


 * Place and Time:** The Era of the Common Man. The picture is originally dated in 1833, just prior to the attempted renewal of the Second Bank of the United States charter. The bank is located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.


 * Prior Knowledge:** Andrew Jackson’s strict political views made the aristocratically run and powerful Bank of the United States a huge threat and annoyance to him. Throughout most of his first term Jackson focused many efforts towards destructing the “Many-Headed Monster”. The bank’s president Nicolas Biddle would not stand for this so the two proud men fought each other over this integral issue which culminated with the end of the bank and the foundation of an economic panic.


 * Audience:** This cartoon is intended for Jacksonian supporters, soft and hard money supporters, and other opposers of the Banof the United States.


 * Reason:** This cartoon glorifies Andrew Jackson’s efforts, picturing him as a heroic swordsman fending off an aggressive monster. Biddle is also pictured in this depiction, as the devil.


 * The Main Idea:** Jackson is just in his attacks on the bank and such a politically dominant force like the bank must be silenced.


 * Significance:** This cartoon intensifies the already heated debate and depicts Andrew Jackson as a strong warrior while also defaming Biddle. The sentiments offered in this drawing would create overwhelming popular support and be a driving force behind the collapse of the Second Bank of the United States.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">
 * [|Trail of Tears Map]** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">
 * Author:** Not applicable, a cartographer


 * Place and Time:** Around 1830 during the height of Andrew Jackson’s violent policies against Native Americans. This trek forced them from homelands in states ranging from Tennessee, to Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia to the new Indian Territory of modern day Oklahoma.


 * Prior Knowledge:** Andrew Jackson fervently detested Native Americans, whether it be massacring them in wars, forcing them on a march of death, or lobbying to pass discriminatory legislation, Jackson went out of his way to abuse these peoples.


 * Audience:** Those wishing to appeal against the plight of the Natives


 * Reason:** The map of the hellish march serves to illustrate how bad the Indians were treated and depicts an often hated flaw of Jackson’s presidencies.


 * The Main Idea:** The Natives were cruelly mistreated, being forced against their will from their fertile and spiritual homelands to an undesired location often at the cost of their lives. The Indian Removal Act was an awful and horrid law.


 * Significance:** This nightmarish event in American history reminds us of the harsh discrimination Americans have exhibited throughout history. The map illustrates how bad things were and reminds us that it took generations for Americans to shift their views towards the noble Natives.

[|Andrew Jackson’s Farewell Address] **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">


 * Author:** Andrew Jackson


 * Place and Time:** At the end of Jackson’s second presidential term in 1837, issued from the capitol


 * Prior Knowledge:** Andrew Jackson has always been a man of his morals, unwavering in his views and swift in his punishment of dissenters. Andrew Jackson ushered in the Era of the Common Man and was very well liked by his people. When he finished his period in office he recapped his achievements and warned against many things, importantly secession and the rise federal powers.


 * Audience:** Republicans and all who will listen because he sentiments should be important to all, especially the commoners.


 * Reason:** Jackson issued this oration to explain what prompted his actions as president and to address certain issues he believed would hurt the people if left unacknowledged.


 * The Main Idea:** Too much strength in any branch of government hurts the country as a whole and diminishes the very necessary power of the people. The country must unite to overcome obstacles and avoid getting tied up with divisive political problems.


 * Significance:** Andrew Jackson was eerily accurate in his predictions as the economy would soon plummet and secession and other threats would terrorize American nationalism in the coming years.


 * <span style="color: #b30000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">SOURCES

[] [] [] [] [] [] []**
 * []**
 * //A Survey: American History//** **by Alan Brinkley, twelfth edition**