Who was Andrew Jackson?

Who was Andrew Jackson?Who was Andrew Jackson?

The American President Movie Clip

Book Work

• Read p. 333 and and the top of 334 to find background information about Andrew Jackson.

• Fill in some background info on Jackson on the top of p.3 in your packet.

Like most of us, our seventh President Like most of us, our seventh President was full of contradictionswas full of contradictions

• He had virtually no education. It was said that the President “never spelled a word the same way twice.”

• Yet he turned himself into a lawyer, a general, a man of considerable wealth, and the President of the United States

He was Scots-IrishHe was Scots-Irish• Which meant he was touchy and

fiercely protective of his honor

• He carried two bullets in his body from duels he’d fought

• 1806-Jackson became involved in a dispute over a horse. Dickinson challenged Jackson to a duel. Although Dickinson shot first, sending a bullet into Jackson’s chest, Jackson shot next and last - killing Dickinson.

Jackson showed this sense of Jackson showed this sense of honor when he was only twelvehonor when he was only twelve

• During the American Revolution, a British officer struck him in the head with a saber when Jackson refused to shine his boots

He led troops against Indians and, in He led troops against Indians and, in the War of 1812, crushed the British the War of 1812, crushed the British

at the Battle of New Orleansat the Battle of New Orleans

• What no one knew at the time was treaty that ended the War of 1812 had already been signed!

His military skill made him a heroHis military skill made him a hero

End Lesson

Analyzing Trends

Previously Held Office

President A Vice President

President B Secretary of State

President C Secretary of State

President D Secretary of State

What trends emerge from this data?

Hypothetical Election

Qualifications

Candidate A Secretary of State

Candidate B Speaker of the House

Candidate C Treasure

Candidate D Military Hero

Who do you think is the most and least qualified to be president?

Hypothetical Election Results

Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes

A 108,740 84

B 47,136 37

C 46,618 41

D 153,544 99

Who won this election?

Election of 1824Candidates Revealed

Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes

AJohn Quincy Adams

108,740 84

BHenry Clay

47,136 37

CWilliam Crawford

46,618 41

DAndrew Jackson

153,544 99

Who won this election?

Amendment 12, United States Constitution (1804)

“if no person have such a majority [of electoral votes], then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as president, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President…”

Election of 1824So who wins?

• No candidate received a MAJORITY (1/2 plus 1) of the electoral votes. (261/2 = 130+1=131 electoral votes= winner)

• Amendment 12 says vote goes to the House of Representatives.

• House elects John Quincy Adams• 3 days later Adams appoints Clay (Who was

Speaker of the House) to become his secretary of State.

• Jackson supporters claim it was a Corrupt Bargain.

Is it a corrupt bargain?

“There never was a corrupt bargain in the election of 1824. Supporters of Jackson invented this as a campaign strategy to get their candidate elected in 1828.”

Historian A

“Adams and Clay clearly entered into a corrupt bargain in 1825 and, in the process, cheated the American people out of the president they wanted.”

Historian B

Can we ever really know what happened?

Corrupt Bargain Video Clip

End Lesson

Homework: Page 3&4 in packet

Jackson was both tough and frailJackson was both tough and frail

• The men who fought for him called him “Old Hickory”—after the wood that is so incredibly hard that it made great canes for gentlemen to carry (and clobber each other with). Yet he was over 6’ 1” and weighed about 130 lbs.

In 1835, a man attempted to shoot In 1835, a man attempted to shoot the Presidentthe President

• But his palms were sweaty, so both his pistols misfired.

• Jackson proceeded to nearly beat the poor man to death with his cane. It took several people to pry the old man off the would-be assassin.

Jackson saw himself as the Jackson saw himself as the champion of the “Common Man”champion of the “Common Man”

• At his first Inauguration, the “Common Men” at the White House reception nearly tore the place apart during their celebration for “Old Andy.”

• They were distracted only when a 300-lb. cheese was wheeled out onto the White House lawn.

• Which is where we get the term: “Big Cheese”

Although he loved the “Common Although he loved the “Common Man,” this did not extend to people of Man,” this did not extend to people of

colorcolor

• Jackson’s wealth was based on The Hermitage, his plantation, worked by slave labor

• He hated Indians and probably would have preferred to have seen them exterminated

His political idol was His political idol was Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

And his political philosophy And his political philosophy followed Jefferson’sfollowed Jefferson’s

• He believed that farmers and workers were the backbone of America

• He opposed a powerful national government; he felt that political power should be at the state level, closer to the people

• Both men hated the Bank of the United States—both felt it gave the national government too much power

• Neither man trusted wealthy, city-dwelling easterners

Jackson’s PresidencyJackson’s Presidency• Was one of the most controversial in

American history

• His power either made him a hero or a dictator, depending on your point of view

The Spoils The Spoils SystemSystem

• After taking office, Jackson fired many government employees– He dismissed more than 200 employees.

• Critics accused him of rewarding Democrats instead of choosing qualified men– Jackson felt that ordinary Americans could fill

government jobs, instead of just the wealthy– Spoils System – practice of rewarding supporters with

government jobs

The “Kitchen Cabinet”The “Kitchen Cabinet”

• Jackson gave a number of his supporters Cabinet positions– Most of these men were NOT qualified so he rarely met with them

• Instead, he relied on a group of unofficial advisors such as Democratic leaders and newspaper editors– Because he met with them in the White House kitchen they became

known as the “Kitchen Cabinet”

The Bank WarThe Bank War• President Jackson disliked the Bank of the United

States– He thought it was too powerful

• The bank had great power because it controlled loans in the United States– Example: If the bank directors thought state banks were

making too many loans, they limited the amount of money those banks could lend

– This angered farmers and merchants who borrowed money

Jackson’s VetoJackson’s Veto• Jackson vetoed the bank bill for two

reasons1. He declared the bank unconstitutional

2. He believed the bank helped aristocrats at the expense of the common people

Bank War Video

End of Lesson

Homework: P. 6 & 7 in packet

But the biggest crisis of Jackson’s But the biggest crisis of Jackson’s PresidencyPresidency

• May have been the Nullification Crisis over the Tariff of 1828. In 1833, it nearly tore the Union apart.

• Jackson’s foe in the crisis was John C. Calhoun, whose wife had insulted Peggy Eaton. Jackson intensely disliked Calhoun.

• What was the crisis about? How did Jackson resolve it?

• It was one of the most important achievements of his Presidency

THE ECONOMIES OF THE NORTH THE ECONOMIES OF THE NORTH AND SOUTHAND SOUTH

• Economy of the North

– Fishing, shipbuilding industry and naval supplies, trade and port cities

– Skilled craftsmen, shopkeepers, manufacturing (textiles, tools,

metals, building materials, etc.)

• Economy of the South

– Large farms/plantations, cash crops

(tobacco, indigo, rice, cotton), wood

products, small farms

– Slavery

THE DEBATE OVER TARIFFSTHE DEBATE OVER TARIFFS

• Tariffs are taxes that the government puts on imported goods (Goods brought in from other countries).

18281828

• Congress passes a controversial high protective tariff

• Who do you predict will support this new law, and who will oppose this tariff?

The Debate over TariffsThe Debate over Tariffs

Pro: If you were a craftsman or manufacturer in the United States, you would like tariffs because your products would not have that additional tax, therefore your products are cheaper than foreign products. People will be more likely to buy your products.

Con: If your business is agriculture, you need to sell your food and raw materials and buy manufactured goods. You may depend on foreign nations to buy your goods and in return you buy their manufactured goods. You are afraid that tariffs will make foreign goods more expensive. You worry that if you don’t buy their goods, then they won’t buy your farm goods and your economy will suffer.

JOHN C. CALHOUNJOHN C. CALHOUN

• Vice President under Andrew Jackson

• Believed the Tariff of 1828 was unconstitutional since it favored the North

• Insisted that states had a right to refuse to follow a law if the state felt it violated its rights– States could declare a federal law null and void– This is called nullification, a rejection of the law– He and many other Southerners called the 1828 tariff a

“Tariff of Abominations”

ANDREW JACKSONANDREW JACKSON

• 7th President of the United States

• Believed in preserving the Union and fought nullification

• Recommended to Congress to reduce the Tariff of 1828, so they passed a lower tariff in 1832

NULLIFICATION ORDINANCENULLIFICATION ORDINANCE

• South Carolina was not pleased with the new tariff either. They said it was oppressive, so the state passed the Nullification Ordinance in 1832.

• Declared the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void

• Stated they would secede if the federal government used force to make them comply.

JACKSON’S RESPONSEJACKSON’S RESPONSE

• Claimed secession would be considered treason.

• Defended the federal government’s power to impose tariffs and chastised South Carolina for violating federal law because a state had no right to declare any national law null and void.

FORCE BILLFORCE BILL

• Jackson asked Congress to grant him the ability to use military force to compel South Carolina to accept and follow the law -- The Force Bill

• Meanwhile Henry Clay proposed another tariff in Congress that would reduce tariffs significantly over the next ten years – Compromise Tariff

• Both of these passed in 1833, and South Carolina repealed its ordinance.

Tariff of Abominations clip

End of lesson

Indian Removal ActIndian Removal Act• President Jackson pushes

Congress to force Indians to move west of the Mississippi

• Congress established Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) as the new Indian homeland

• US government creates Bureau of Indian Affairs

Cherokee Sue For LandCherokee Sue For Land

• Cherokee sued the government of Georgia for taking their land

• Worcester vs. Georgia - Supreme Court rules Georgia’s actions are illegal and that the Cherokee can stay

President Andrew JacksonPresident Andrew Jackson

“Chief Justice John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”

1) What is the job of the Supreme Court?

2) What is the job of the President?

3) What should happen if a government official refuses to do his job?

Trail of TearsTrail of Tears

• US troops move 18,000 Cherokee at gunpoint 800 miles from 1838-1839

• 25% of Cherokee died (Over 4000) - most elderly and children

• US troops steal things, rape women, and beat Cherokee’s that resist.

Trail of Tears Video Clip

Political CartoonsPolitical Cartoons

• Here are some illustrations and cartoons about Andrew Jackson

• What events do they show? What opinion do they communicate?

Who is the person in this picture?

What are some of the symbols used in this cartoon?

What do you think the artist was trying to say with this cartoon?

Homework: P. 9 & 10 in packet

End Lesson