Presidency of Andrew Jackson
Ch.5 Sec.2
Jackson's Childhood
Jackson's Early Life
Orphaned at age 14
Had little formal education
Joined army as a teen, later became a top commander for the US
America's 7th PresidentWinning the Election
Jackson defeated the incumbent John Quincy Adams
The election featured mudslinging between candidates, or attacks on morals & personalities
Won due to the ability of non-property owners being able to vote
Early Presidential ActionsSpoils System
Act of newly-elected presidents hiring people based on party loyalty
Caucus
Party members in Congress elect who will run for President
Jackson replaced this with a convention for all party supporters to pick their candidates
The Nullification CrisisNullification Crisis
SC threatened to secede because of high import tariffs
Jackson's VP betrayed him and spoke out in support of SC
SC attempted to pass a state law that would ignore the federal tariff
Jackson sent warships to SC and they never passed the state law
Jackson did convince Congress to lower tariffs for 20 years to help SC
Other Domestic Matters
Indian Removal Act
Allowed states to relocate Native Americans across the Mississippi
Most famous move was the Cherokee to the West (Trail of Tears)
Some felt Jackson's treatment of Natives stained America's early reputation
Other Domestic Matters
Destroying the National Bank
Jackson felt the bank only supported rich Americans
Also believed it was unconstitutional
Killing the bank was popular among many Americans, but caused major financial issues in years to come.