SSUSH7 C , D, E & SSUSH8 C

Jacksonian Democracy and a Changing America

Jacksonian Democracy

The New President

• Many American’s admired Andrew Jackson as the

“People’s President.”

• Most remembered him as the tough frontiersman

known as “Old Hickory.”

• Others still thought of him as a “Military Hero” for his victories at the

Battle of New Orleans (1814) and his Capture of Spanish Florida (1818).

• He returned the people’s admiration for him by utilizing the Spoils System

(granting government jobs to loyal supporters).

• He also supported a change in the nomination of presidential candidates

from the Caucus System to the new National Nominating Conventions.

(Party Selection) (Selection by the People)

Jacksonian Crisis

• The Tariff of 1828 increased

Sectionalism in the U.S.

• Southerners called it the “Tariff of

Abominations” because it had few

industries.

• Many South Carolinians threatened

to Secede from the Union.

• Vice-President John C. Calhoun of

South Carolina suggested the idea

of Nullification to solve to dispute.

Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian Crisis

• Nullification was an idea that states had the right to

declare any Federal Law null and void (or not valid).

• The issue continued with the

Webster-Hayne debate of 1830.

• The debate focused between

“Defending the Union” and the

issue of “States Rights.”

• President Jackson echoed northern sentiments in 1832 by stating

“Our Federal Union – It Must be Preserved.”

Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian Crisis

• The war of words erupted into a full confrontation when Congress passed

the Tariff of 1832.

• Immediately, a special state convention in South

Carolina adopted an Ordinance of Nullification

declaring the tariffs unconstitutional.

• President Jackson considered the nullification to be

an act of treason by South Carolina.

• In 1833, Congress passed the Force Bill authorizing

the president to use the military to enforce the law.

Jacksonian Democracy

Policies Toward Native Americans

• The President intended to move all Native American’s to the Great Plains.

• Many Americans believed the Great Plains was an un-useable wasteland.

• Many Westerners believed the move would end the nation’s Indian conflicts.

• In 1830: Congress passed the

Indian Removal Act that targeted

the Five Civilized Tribes:

Cherokee (Georgia & Alabama)

Chickasaw (Mississippi)

Choctaw (Mississippi & Alabama)

Creek (Georgia & Alabama)

Seminole (Florida)

Jacksonian Democracy

Policies Toward Native Americans

• Most Native Americans resettled except for the

Cherokee of Georgia who hired lawyers to fight the

Federal Government.

• In 1832: The Supreme Court ordered state officials

to honor Cherokee property rights in Georgia.

• However, in 1835 the Cherokee signed

the Treaty of New Echota ceding all

their land in Georgia to the U.S.

• By 1838, the forced relocation of the

Cherokee resulted in over 4000 dead

along the well known “Trail of Tears”.

Jacksonian Democracy

Jackson and the National Bank

• The President and most Westerners considered the Second National Bank

as a Wealthy Class Monopoly.

• In 1832, when Congress tried

to extend the bank’s charter

for 20 years, the President

Vetoed the bill.

• In 1833, after being re-elected, the President withdrew all government

deposits from the National Bank and deposited them in State Banks.

• Although this put an end to the Bank of the United States, it left the

country in danger of inflation and other financial woes for years to come.

Jacksonian Democracy

A Changing America

Rivalries Over the Presidency

• By the mid-1830’s: The Whig Party rose in America to oppose President

Jackson’s forceful style of leadership.

• The Whigs believed in:

Larger Federal Government

Industrial & Commerical

Development

Strong Centralized Economy

• However, because the Whigs couldn’t decide on a

candidate, Martin Van Buren (a Democrat) was

elected president in 1836.

• President Martin Van Buren had to immediately deal with a crippling

economic crisis in the United States known as the Panic of 1837.

• Because he believed in limited federal government,

he did little to stop the nation’s banks and

businesses from failing

A Changing America

Rivalries Over the Presidency

• The Whigs saw an opportunity to nominate a

hero of the War of 1812 as their candidate

for President: William Henry Harrison

• However, when Harrison died of pneumonia (32 days after taking office),

Vice-President John Tyler became the 10th President of the U.S.

America’s Changing Culture

• Between 1815 – 1860 the U.S. experienced a massive influx of immigrants

• Immigrants came to America for several different reasons:

Violence & Political Turmoil at home.

Escape Starvation and Poverty.

Opportunity for a Fresh Start in life.

Availability of Land and Jobs.

New found sense of Freedom & Liberty.

• The largest wave of immigrants came from Ireland (almost 2 Million)

• The second largest group of immigrants came from Germany (1.5 Million).

A Changing America

America’s Changing Culture

• Unfortunately, some immigrants encountered Discrimination in America

• American hostilities toward foreigners

became known as Nativism.

• Many American’s who were anti-Catholic

discriminated against the Irish.

• Several secret Nativist Groups formed on the pledge never to allow

Catholics or Immigrants to obtain political office.

A Changing America

• Since membership was secret, and they were obligated to say nothing if

questioned, the new American Party became known as the “Know-Nothings.”

America’s Changing Culture

• The Second Great Awakening was a religious movement that began around

1790, gained momentum in the early 1800’s, and rose rapidly after 1820.

• It began in Kentucky among the

frontier farmers and spread

quickly to the rest of the nation

• The new religious revival was

based on several key beliefs:

Rejection of Calvinist views

that only a few were chosen

Readmit God and Christ into

your daily lives

A Changing America

Purify Society in preparation for

the second coming of Christ

America’s Changing Culture

• Several Religious Denomination grew rapidly

as various Missionaries and Circuit Riders held

Revivalist styled Camp Meetings.

• The greatest number of new converts were

female and young people under the age of 25.

• The most well known new religious denomination to form during this period

was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

• It was founded in the 1820’s by Joseph Smith.

A Changing America

• Known more commonly as Mormons, they would

eventually migrate to Utah with Brigham Young.

America’s Changing Culture

• Optimism created by the Second Great Awakening also influenced some

of America’s greatest Poets and Authors:

• Many of these writers adopted two key tenets of the period:

Washington

Irving

(1819)

A Changing America

James

Fenimore

Cooper

(1826)

Nathaniel

Hawthorn

(1850)

Herman

Melville

(1851)

Edgar Allen

Poe

(1842)

The power of one’s feelings over reasoning, known as Romanticism.

Man’s ability to overcome all odds, known as Transcendentalism.

America’s Changing Culture

• The Second Great Awakening also inspired many new Reform Movements

that became responsible for establishing many Benevolent Societies.

• In 1826: Presbyterian Minister Lyman Beecher helped

establish the American Temperance Society.

• The society initially advocated the voluntary abstinence

of all alcoholic beverages and later promoted prohibition.

• 1841-1853: Activist Dorthea Dix worked tirelessly to

effect changes in both Prisons and Insane Asylums.

A Changing America

• Her efforts helped pave the way for new Hospitals

for the insane and Rehabilitation programs in prisons.

America’s Changing Culture

• Many reformers also believed that the United States could only survive

if the nation was made up of well educated and informed citizens.

• 1837: Massachusetts Senator Horace Mann pressed for

public education by promoting a bill that created the first

State Board of Education.

• 1837-1848: He spent 12 years improving teacher salaries,

building 50 high schools, and “Normal Schools” for teachers.

• 1814: Emma Willard founded a girl’s

boarding school in Vermont.

• 1837: Mary Lyon opened the first

Female Seminary in Massachusetts.

A Changing America

America’s Changing Culture

• The influences of the Second Great Awakening also effected American’s

ideas of the traditional family and the role of women in raising children.

• Many felt the women was the family’s moral compass.

• 1841: Catharine Beecher (daughter of Lyman Beecher)

wrote A Treaties on Domestic Economy that gave women

instruction on childcare, cooking, and health issues.

• However, some women argued that they also had a responsibility to be

politically involved in the greater moral crusades of society.

A Changing America

• 1845: Margaret Fuller wrote Women in the Nineteenth

Century that is considered the first Feminist book to

promote women’s rights in America.

America’s Changing Culture

• 1848: Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth

Cady Stanton were Women’s

Rights Activists who organized

the first women’s movement.

19-20 July 1848: Seneca Falls Convention

A Changing America

• First Women’s Right’s Convention in the

World.

• First Presentation of the “Declaration of

Sentiments and Resolutions” on Women’s

Rights in the United States.

• First mention of Women’s Voting Rights