APStudent.com V. Jackson and the Age of the Common Man Jackson and the common man First president to hold mass meetings Gave speeches to crowds (in the style of the Second Great Awakening) Voting restrictions finally abolished with Jackson's election Earlier elections had required property or money to vote Thomas Door Formed People's Party (Doorites) in Rhode Island 1840 - Drafted a new egalitarian constitution, proclaimed themselves new federal government Presidential primaries 1832 - Anti-Masons party held the first formal primary election Before this, caucuses of party elite selected the candidates President Jackson Believed in states' rights and strong executive John C. Calhoun - Jackson's VP and his main opponent Calhoun's nullification doctrine - compromise to prevent secession Martin Van Buren - Encouraged the Jackson/Calhoun split, became Jackson's right-hand man Peggy Eaton Affair Peggy had supposedly had affairs with Eaton and Jackson She married Eaton (Secretary of War), but other cabinet wives didn't accept her Jackson ordered federal staff to accept her, all complied but Calhoun Jackson/Calhoun split - Jackson turned support to Van Buren Nullification crisis North was trying to slow western development South and West joined forces against North Nullification debates, South Carolina stopped collecting tariff Force Bill - Jackson forced Carolina to pay tariff Clay's Compromise South Carolina would repeal tariff nullification Congress would lower tariff South Carolina nullified Force Act (Just to have the final word) Indian Removal Jackson vs. Indian tribes 1831-2 - Black Hawk War Sauks fought over the treaty ceding land to the U.S. Sauks were defeated, last major Indian war 1830 - Indian Removal Act - transport southern tribes to Oklahoma Five Civilized Tribes Cherokee, Creek, Chocktaw, Chicksaw, Seminole Farming tribes in the South that adopted White customs 1834 - Indian Removal Act enacted with removal of Chocktaws 1838 - Trail of Tears Some Cherokees fled to North Carolina reservation, but otherwise removal was complete 1835 - Seminole War Osceola (Seminole chief) stabbed removal treaty with a knife Most Seminoles captured and transfered by 1842 Indian removal opened up land for Southern planting War on the National Bank Jackson had vendetta against Nicholas Biddle, head of National Bank Daniel Webster and Henry Clay supported bank 1832 - National Bank's charter expired Congress renewed the charter Jackson vetoed the renewal Pet Banks National Bank still operated for a few years after 1832, but Jackson removed federal funds Jackson transfered federal funds to state banks run by Jackson and supporters Jackson fired a few Secretaries of Treasury over the removal Finally, Sec. of Treasury Roger Taney agreed to remove federal funds to pet banks Jackson later made Taney Chief Justice of the Supreme Court National Bank collapsed from loss of federal funds Election of 1832 Clay ran against Jackson on the National Bank issue, but lost Clay's loss was partly because third party candidates stole votes Political parties of the Jacksonian period Two main parties Democratic-Republicans Jacksonians - favored common man Mainly Westerners and rural Southerners Whigs Favored businesses Mainly New Englanders and wealthy Southerners Major Whig leaders - Clay, Webster, Calhoun Represented middle, New England, and rich South, respectively No clear presidental candidate Webster was an alcoholic, Clay and Calhoun lacked broad appeal Clay ran and lost three times Both parties favored economic expansion Third parties Anti-Masonic Right-wing Whigs, conspiracy theorists Anti-immigrant (German and Irish main immigrants at this time) Election of 1836 Martin Van Buren (Dem.) vs. Henry Clay, Hugh Lawson White, William Henry Harrison (all Whigs) Martin Van Buren won Whig vote split between three candidates Van Buren not a great speaker, but a great manipulator, also had Jackson's support Panic of 1837 Partly caused by destruction of National Bank Briefly held off by surplus from sale of western lands Specie circular Issued by Jackson Said that government land could only be bought with specie Stopped land sales Brought economy to a standstill 1840 - U.S. Treasury Department created to hold federal money Near-war with Canada (late 1830s) Part of Canada rebelled against Commonwealth government Rebels used U.S. ships to run guns British attacked one such ship, Caroline An American was killed U.S. tried British soldier for murder New York jury acquitted him Aroostook War Prompted by Caroline incident and lumberjack fight Election of 1840 Martin Van Buren (Dem.) vs. William Henry Harrison (Whig) Van Buren was hated by this time, Harrison won Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign Van Buren portrayed as an aristocrat, Harrison as a simple rural man Actually, Harrison was from a rich plantation family Vp John Tyler Southerner, former Jacksonian Took over when William Henry Harrison died months after the election Raised tariffs Did not recharter U.S. Bank Whole cabinet resigned over bank issue Tyler replaced them with Jacksonians Pro-states' rights, appointed Calhoun to cabinet 1842 - opened U.S.-China trade, which helped economy Immigration U.S. population quadrupled between 1800 and 1840 Immigration increased in 1830s, mostlty Irish and German Irish settled mainly in cities, Germans in West Transportation Before 1820, turnpikes were main transport routes After 1820, canals and steamboats were main transport routes Erie Canal (1825) Connected Albany, NY to Lake Ontario Transport from New York to Ohio Valley and Chicago Railroads became major in 1840s, linked with canals All of North and Northwestern states linked by 1850 Created strong North-Northwest ties British and French built and owned early American railroads Technology 1839 - vulcanized rubber (Goodyear) 1844 - telegraph (Samuel Morse), more widely used in North than South 1846 - rotary printing press (Richard Hoe) 1846 - sewing machine (Elias Howe) Industry 1830s - more companies - stock companies 1830s - factory system Interchangeable parts, steam-engine-powered machines Lowell, Massachusetts textile mills U.S. became a manufacturing center - textiles, shoes, guns, iron, tools Unions First formed among textile women 1842 - Commonwealth v. Hunt declared unions legal Unions formed for cattle ranchers, textile workers, stonecutters Society More urban population, individualism Fewer extended families - nuclear family became more important "Cult of domesticity" stressed nuclear family, defined male/female roles 1837 - Mt. Holyoke, first women's college founded American upper class developed, led to concern for lower class, reform movements Frontier - "Safety valve", less social unrest Southern Life Economy organized around cash crop agriculture 1840s - mechanical reaper invented (Cyrus McCormic) Mechanized farming Cotton was primary crop - more profitable than industry Cotton production and slave ownership increased from 1820s to 1860s Society Aristocratic plantation society, very little middle class Few cities, mostly widespread farms Little contact between neighbors Little need for railroads, river transport was available to main ports Slavery Slavery less oppressive before 1800, became increasingly dehumanizing 1800-1860s Slaves couldn't own property, be educated, or testify in court Slave owners not legally responsible for killing or injuring slaves In cities, slaves worked menial/factory jobs Better hours and lifestyle than that of plantation slaves As number of free blacks increased, white Southerners feared rebellion Passed laws to oppress blacks in general Slave revolts 1800 - Richmond, VA, led by Gabriel Prosser 1822 - Charlestown, SC, led by Denmark Vessey 1831 - Southern VA, let by Nat Turner Nat Turner's insurrection was the only slave revolt that wasn't put down before it started Reform movements Abolitionism, women's movements, aid for poor, better treatment for insane Socialist communities Fourier Experiment, Owen's city of "New Harmony" Complete failures Mormons - Joseph Smith Started in New York, moved west 1844 - Smith arrested for treason and killed by a mob Brigham Young - moved Mormon community to Utah Abolitionists 1817 - American Colonization Society Back-to-Africa movement, bought African land and formed Liberia Not a very feasible plan William Lloyd Garrison Wrote for abolitionist paper and founded "The Liberator" Wrote about slavery from Blacks' point of view Believed in abolition and not gradual emancipation Lost support when he started calling for overthrow of the government Frederick Douglass Escaped slavery 1838 Joined abolitionists and started "North Star" Henry Beecher - preacher, Harriet Beacher Stowe's father Elija Lovejoy - martyr Prigg v. Pennsylvania Ruled states were not required to assist each other in return of slaves Northern states began passing laws that made escaped slaves free Liberty/Free-Soil Party - run by James Birney Uncle Tom's Cabin (1851) by Harriet Beecher Stowe Protections for slavery States' rights With states' rights, federal government could not outlaw slavery Westward expansion Expansion of slavery into western states gave slave states more power Westward expansion John L. O'Sullivan - "Manifest Destiny" Henry Clay opposed manifest destiny, felt it would bring out North-South conflicts Election of 1844 Henry Clay (Whig) vs. James Polk (Democratic-Republican) vs. James Birney (Liberty) Polk believed in manifest destiny, wanted to annex Texas and Oregon James Birney ran on anti-slavery platform, stole votes from Clay Texas Mexican government invited Americans to settle Texas Mexico wanted a buffer between their land and the U.S. Americans clashed with Mexican government, tried to become independent Mexico banned further immigration (unsuccessfully) Santa Ana Dictator of Mexico, established control over Texas Planned to intimidate the Texans into submission Stephen Austin Leader of the Texas immigrants His arrest led to guerilla fighting 1863 - Texas declared independence, Santa Ana invaded Battle of the Alamo - Texans wiped out Goldiad - Texans surrendered, Santa Ana had them executed Battle of San Jacinto Texas army led by Sam Houston wiped out Mexican army Santa Ana recognized Texan independence, Mexican government did not Texas applied for annexation to the U.S. At first, U.S. worried about angering Mexico Then U.S. worried whether to make Texas slave state or free 1845 - Tyler annexed Texas just before leaving office Oregon 1818 - Joint occupancy (Britain/U.S.) of Oregon 1820s and 30s - American settlers moved into Oregon 1840s - American settlers formed the majority in Oregon Polk wanted to annex Oregon Wanted to show Britain that U.S. was serious about expansion (Mexican-American war cause) 54-40 or Fight! Debate over where to draw line between Canada and Oregon 1846 - British offered to compromise at 49 degrees latitude, Congress agreed