The Presidency of Andrew Jackson

1
The Presidency of Andrew Jackson

• Tempest and Turmoil in a New Political Order,
  1829-1837

2
Mythology of the Age of Common Man

• Jackson, and most of his supporters, were
  uncommon men
• But Jackson and the political culture in general
  railed against artificial distinctions,
  especially those created by governmental policy

3
Jacksons Stated Principles

• Small government
• Retirement of the national debt
• rotation in office
• just policy toward indians
• States rightsbut hed decide what that meant

• Judicious tariff
• Jacksons election and values was anathema to the
  old political order the reign of King Mob
  seemed triumphantJoseph Story

4
Jacksons administration

• Cabinet was ordinarydesigned to give sectional
  balance
• Jackson relied on unofficial advisors too the
  Kitchen Cabinet
• Cabinet rivalry between Martin Van Buren and John
  Caldwell Calhoun dominated politics

5
Van Buren Calhoun
6
Eaton Affair

• Suggests a great deal about Andrew Jacksons
  state of mind following Rachels death
• Became a proxy for the Calhoun-Van Buren Feud
• Suggests a great deal about how polite society
  viewed gender roles and how these roles were
  policed

7
Jackson and Internal Improvements

• AJ tended to be a strict constructionistunless
  he needed to be a loose constructionist
• Vetoed the Maysville Road Billlargely to get at
  Henry Clay
• Supported other pork barrel internal
  improvements

8
Nullification Crisis

• Both a constitutional and sectional debate
  protective tariff wasnt mentioned in
  Constitution and South and New England are both
  attempting to build alliances with Western states
• Almost led to armed conflict
• Webster-Hayne Debate
• Jefferson Day Dinner/Florida debacle
• Final Break with Calhoun
• Real meaning of failure of SC to nullify Tariff

9
South Carolina
10
Indian Removal

• Most criticized part of AJs presidency
• 1830 Indian Removal Act (land in the west in
  exchange for ancestral lands in the east)
• Failed to support John Marshalls ruling that
  Cherokees had right to land in Georgia
• Trail of Tears

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Indian Removal Map
12
John Ross
13
Bank Recharter Controversy

• AJ didnt believe Bank was Constitutional and
  thought it facilitated Artificial Distinctions
• Clays supporters made Bank the election issue of
  1832pushed through recharter bill which AJ
  vetoed
• AJ won 1832 election
• AJ removed government money from 2dBUS and placed
  it in pet banks
• Coupled with distribution scheme and the specie
  circular, AJs fiscal policies brought on the
  Panic of 1837

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2dBUS420 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
15
Political Legacy of Andrew Jackson

• 2d Party system emerged by 1836Jacksonians were
  Democrats and his opponents were Whigs
• Until mid-1840s, Whigs only agreed that they
  opposed Jacksonians
• Politicians afterwards got right with Andrew
  Jackson by portraying themselves as just plain
  folks
• Martin Van Buren created national strategy of
  focusing on local issues and ignoring national
  issues like slavery

16
Jacksons Immediate Legacy President Martin Van
Buren

• Panic of 1837
• Independent Treasury
• Gag Rule debates
• 1840 ElectionLog Cabins and Hard Cider

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William Henry Harrison