American History

American History

Chapter 5.2The Age of Jackson

Missouri Compromise

The Union had 11 free states and 11 slave states.

• There was a balance of political power.

Missouri wanted to be admitted as a slave state.

Missouri Compromise

Maine also wanted to be admitted as a state – a free state.

Henry Clay (Kentucky) helped form a compromise.

• Missouri would be a slave state. • Maine would be a free state.• BUT no more slavery above the 36

30’

1820

The balance of power would stay the same.

The election of 1824(4 Republicans were running)

Andrew Jackson won the popular vote.

Andrew Jackson led in the electoral vote . . .

. . . but he didn’t have the necessary majority.

The election had to be decided by the House of Representatives.

The election of 1824 (2)

When the election was thrown into the House of Representatives, Henry Clay threw his votes to John Quincy Adams.

*Clay hoped that Adams would support his “American System.”

• Adams won the election.• He made Clay the new

Secretary of State.

Clay

“corrupt bargain”

Jackson and his followers believed that JQA and Clay had made a deal: Clay would help JQA become president, and JQA would give him a job as Secretary of State.

Name-calling followed . . .

“the People’s President”

Andrew Jackson

• Portrayed himself as a “common man” (and criticized Adams as out-of-touch, an aristocrat, untrustworthy)

• Many first-time voters in the West and South supported him.

• Nicknamed “Old Hickory” –after a frontier hardwood

1828

“the People’s President” (2)• Invited common people to

his inauguration

• Used the spoils system to fill government jobs

• His followers used a national convention to choose presidential candidates.

• 1st Democratic president

More democracy for more people

Spoils System

Jackson appointed people to government jobs if they were loyal to the party.

He believed it kept a small group of wealthy men from controlling government year after year.

Indian Removal Act

• White farmers wanted Native American land.

The Indian Removal Act took Native Americans off of their (good) farmland, and they had to move to Oklahoma.

Jackson & the Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Marshall

• The Cherokee Indians appealed to the Supreme Court.• The Court (led by John Marshall) supported their right to

control their land.• The Court ordered the states to leave Native American

property alone.

“King” Andrew Jackson• It’s the job ofthe President to enforcethe law, but Jackson ignored the ruling ofthe Supreme Court.

“Marshall has made hisopinion, now let himenforce it.” A.J.

Trail of Tears

The President sent the army to remove the Cherokee people from their homes.

• 2,000 died in camps while waiting to be moved to reservations in the West.

• 2,000 more died on the journey of starvation, disease, and exposure to the cold.

Jackson and the BankJackson hated the Second Bank of the United States.

He believed the stockholders were too powerful.

Jackson killed the bank by taking out the government’s money.

Jackson and the Nullification Crisis

.

.

Congress passed a high tariff in 1828.• South Carolina objected because they imported many

manufactured goods from England. Imports became too expensive.

• South Carolina threatened to secede (pull out) from the Union.

• South Carolina voted to nullify the tariff law.

Treason?!?

Whigs

Not everyone liked President Jackson!

People who opposed him formed a new political party.

William Henry Harrison

The first Whig President

Shortest term

He died of pneumonia a month after taking office.