Democrats and Whigs: Democracy and American Culture,

1820-1840 Chapter 8

Andrew Jackson and His Age Chapter 8.2

Democratization and the Rise of Andrew Jackson • Jackson embraced the ideals of democracy when many politicians

clung to classical republican values.

• Jackson, a self-made man, became one of the heroes of newly enfranchised white men who felt their interests lie in opposition to the wealthier, more affluent members of society.

The Election of 1824

• Monroe’s National Republican attempts at reconciling political divisions left no clear successor. • William Crawford – Secretary of Treasury was heir to old Jeffersonian

tradition.

• John Quincy Adams – Secretary of State and former diplomat had a great deal of foreign policy experience but little domestic vision.

• Henry Clay – Speaker of the House of Representatives and leading former War Hawk developed a strong neo-Hamiltonian economic vision known as “the American System”

• Andrew Jackson – Representative from Tennessee failed to put forward a domestic or foreign agenda but rather campaigned on his character as a self-made, frontier democrat.

The “Corrupt Bargain”

• With no clear victor in the electoral college, the House of Representatives decided the presidency. • Henry Clay threw his weight behind John Quincy Adams because he

embraced “The American System”

• Although Jackson had the highest percentage of both the electoral and popular votes, he lost the election as Clay embraced Adams’ candidacy. In return Clay was appointed Secretary of State

• Jackson labeled the deal a “corrupt bargain”

The Presidency of John Quincy Adams

• Adams proved loyal to the American System and even went beyond Clay’s vision.

• Adams was an ineffective politician, however. He embraced the classical republican political outlook of the 18th century.

• His opponents used his criticism of democracy against him. In an era of partisanship and democratic values – Adams’ politics were obsolete.

The Election of 1828

• Adams v. Jackson round 2 • By 1828 a new political coalition began to coalesce around Jackson.

• With the help of Calhoun, Crawford, and Martin van Buren Jackson galvanized the electorate with a grassroots campaign mechanism and a slur campaign against Adams.

• Jackson’s campaign turned millions of new voters out to the polls and Jackson won handily.

• Supporters hailed it as the rule of the people; opponents labeled his win “the Rule of King Mob”

Jackson as President

• Jackson eschewed the republican pretenses of his predecessors and instituted the “spoils system” – rewarding supporters with important political positions. • Ultimately the spoils system led to more harm than good as scandals erupted

within his administration. – Eaton scandal.

States’ Rights and the Nullification Crisis

• radical states’ rights philosophy undermined the new democratic coalition.

• South Carolina Senator Calhoun went beyond the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions by asserting the right of nullification. • The Webster-Hayne brought the issue of states’ rights to the floor of Congress

and the attention of the public.

• Jackson shocked States’ rights advocates when he responded to their nullification of the tariff with the Force Bill.

• Ultimately, Henry Clay brokered a peaceful settlement to the crisis averting a catastrophic confrontation between the states and the federal government.

Questions:

• What role did Clay’s American System play in the election of John Quincy Adams?

• Why did Jackson view the election of 1824 as a “corrupt bargain”?

• How did States Rights’ affect Andrew Jackson’s Presidency?