YOU ARE HERE >
Main > Teacher Resources > JCC Survey Course > Cyber Lectures > Survey 1-11
Hyperlinked materials are considered part of each lecture
and should be reviewed carefully.
Jackson's terms of office, 1829-1837, are referred to as
The Age of Jackson, or the Age of the Common Man. Historians
often question whether he was the catalyst or merely the
President at the time of a great rise in democratic society.
Regardless of the outcome of the argument, the changing
politics of this time period were consistent with the social
and economic transitions we have already discussed. In the
Election of 1828., Jackson's supporters were
becoming a separate political entity--The Democratic Party.
Jackson portrayed himself as a common man and a war hero
combating the greed, corruption, support of the wealthy and
partisan politics of the Adam's administration. Three times as
many voters cast ballots in 1828 as had in the controversial
Election of 1824.
This fact was due to a highly
combative campaign, more local newspapers, mudslinging and the
advent of universal male suffrage--initially in the new
western states. This trend began to be accepted throughout the
United States as religious and property qualifications for
voting were removed from state constitutions (gender
The
Lives of Women 1820-1840
and race continued to be
exclusionary factors). Universal male suffrage, nominating
conventions including the electorate, modifications in the
Electoral College System (electoral votes reflecting the will
of the popular vote), the rise of second and third parties
offering a real choice, more local and state elected offices,
concerns for sectional interests and even the spoils system
contributed to "expanding democracy". The theory of equality
of economic opportunity and political opportunity was
reflected in the informal manners and democratic attitudes of
Americans.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French
aristocrat, was amazed at the apparent blurring of social
class distinctions and belief in equal rights and
opportunity--but, also noted pressing social problems which
would haunt this country. In many ways, Jackson personified
the concept of the self made man --from log cabin to White
House.
Who was this
Andrew Jackson?
War hero, plantation owner, slave holder, the first
non-college educated President since Washington, tobacco
chewing/cussing frontiersman, Indian fighter, dueler with
bullets still in his body, and a person with a violent
temper. View this video clip from the History Channel
Andrew Jackson. In spite
of or because of these human frailties and traits, a
majority of the men from every section and social class of
the United States voted for this man. What Presidents in
your life (or from your memory of the 20th Century) were/are
perceived as "common men"--why? He also perceived himself as
a representative of the people committed to protecting the
common man from the wealthy and privileged. He was similar
to Jefferson in that he was a strict constructionist and he
vetoed more bills than all of the six preceding
presidents--in an attempt to maintain strict construction,
limit federal spending through a balanced budget and
eliminate the national debt. During last year's discussions
of the projected federal surplus and the tax rebate, many
politicians have discussed the elimination of the national
debt and point to Jackson as the last
president/administration to achieve this goal. Check out our
present
national debt
and consider the enormity of the task ahead. How do our
politicians propose achieving this goal? Would Hamilton
support an end to the national debt?
Jackson confronted three major problems, worthy of
review, while in office: The Nullification Controversy, The
Indian Removal Act and the Destruction of the Second Bank of
the United States.
The Nullification Controversy :
A crucial event during Jackson's first administration was
related to states rights. In 1828, the South Carolina
legislature declared a new federal tariff, that raised
prices on imported goods, abusive to the South and
unconstitutional. This declaration embraced a
nullification theory,
proposed by John C. Calhoun, that each state had the right
to decide whether to obey a federal law or to declare it
null and void. If you recall, Jefferson and Madison
basically proposed this theory in 1799 in the Virginia and
Kentucky Resolutions. During this crisis, Daniel Webster if
Massachusetts debated Robert Hayne of South Carolina
(Webster-Hayne
debates)
regarding the Constitution and the relationship of the
states to this agreement. Although Jackson supported states
rights, he could not accept a direct threat to the union of
the states. Ultimately, he issued a proclamation stating
that nullification and destruction of the union were
treasonous acts and federal troops could be utilized. South
Carolina proposed nullification, but subsequently formally
rescinded this action. The federal government also
restructured the tariff with lower rates. The issue was
temporarily resolved, but would be back with a vengeance
over another issue. The power of the federal government and
the powers of the states has been a recurrent theme in
United States history. What are some of the primary
conflicts between the states and federal government today?
The Indian Removal Act of 1830:
In the struggle for territory in Georgia and the other
southern states, Native Americans wanted to retain their
sovereignty and petitioned the federal government to uphold
their treaties. The citizens of various states wanted
sovereignty over all land within state boundaries and wanted
tribal claims abolished. Congress and the President enacted
the Indian Removal Act (1830) which forced the resettlement
of thousands of Native Americans from their traditional
lands east of the Mississippi River to the Indian Territory
(predominately in present day Oklahoma). The Cherokee Nation
fought their removal through the courts. The Supreme Court
in
Cherokee
Nation v. Georgia (1831)
ruled that Cherokees were not a foreign nation with the
right to sue in federal court. However, in
Worcester
v. Georgia (1832),
the Court ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within
the boundaries of the Cherokee territory. Jackson refused to
enforce the Court's decision and allowed the states to
continue enforcing their laws abusing Native Americans.
Thus, a legal victory did not have anticipated results. A
subsequent "agreement" between non-elected leaders of the
Cherokee tribe and the federal government to trade
traditional lands for money and land in the Indian Territory
was not accepted by most of the tribe. The United States
Army ultimately enforced the agreement and forced 15,000
Cherokees to march from Georgia to the Indian Territory.
Over 4,000 members of the tribe perished on this tragic
Trail of Tears (1838).
The next fifty years of the nineteenth century would be
marked by the continual removal, resettlement and abuse of
the Native American tribes west of the Mississippi River.
What is the social, economic and political status of Native
American tribes/nations today--think in general terms and
specific to our region? What is happening in courts today as
related to the demand to uphold treaties? Is anyone familiar
with the "Salamanca problem and resolution"? Why are the
Senecas so important to Buffalo and Niagara Falls today?
The Destruction of the Second Bank of the United States :
The final issue concerned the rechartering of the Second
bank of the United States. The bank and its branches were
privately owned but held federal deposits, thus serving as a
national bank. Jackson remembered the actions of the
"national bank" during the Panic of 1819, when foreclosures
destroyed the lives of many frontier farmers and other
constituents. In addition, he believed in Jefferson's
perspective that a national bank was unconstitutional.
Jackson vetoed the rechartering bill and refused to deposit
federal funds. In 1836, the charter of the Second Bank of
the United States expired, leaving the United States without
a national banking system. Various state banks rushed in to
fill the void and many issued banknotes of questionable
value. Combined with other actions and issues, the United
States entered a depression referred to as the Panic of
1837. What is the Bank of the United States today? What is
their role? Who was Alan Greenspan? Who is Ben
Bernanke?
In each case, Jackson strengthened the power of the
Presidency and changed expectations for the Executive
Department--yet one must question the tenacity and justice
of some of his decisions. By 1834, politicians opposing
Jackson and his policies, founded the Whig Party. By 1840,
their candidate, William Henry Harrison gained the
Presidency. The two party system was now defined as Whigs
versus Democrats and party platforms would be constructed to
promote the differences.
Our textbook offers a very comprehensive Online Student
Learning Center. Click on the link below, Select the
appropriate chapter and you will have access to: Chapter
Objectives, Chapter in Perspective, Chapter Overview, numerous
Interactive Activities, Primary Source documents and my
favorite--Internet Exercises/Recommended Sites Related to the
Specific Topics
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072870982/student_view0/index.html
Folk Music of American History: Music and Lyrics
(highly recommended music before, during or after reading
cyberlectures!)
Additional
Folk Music and Lyrics
|