JoyNotes

Chapter 9 – Jacksonian America (234-259) Terms: Jacksonian Democracy, “Old Hickory”, “Reign of King Mob”, “Era of the Common Man”, Dorr Rebellion, Second Party System, Spoils System, “Kitchen Cabinet”, Peggy-Eaton Affair, Webster-Hayne Debate, Tariff of Abomination (1828), Force Bill (1830) 4-II: 235-244 I. INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 1) Alexis de Tocqueville  “general equality of condition among the people”  no rigid class distinctions 2) Growth of manufacturing, rise of factory system, increase in industrialism 3) Future of democracy in question with economic, territorial expansionism 4) Jackson and his followers: a. Not egalitarians  did not challenge slavery b. Supervised a harsh assault on American Indians [removal] c. “Democratization” of gov’t over which Andrew Jackson presided  rhetoric of equality, excitement of working people  purpose not to aid farmers and laborers II. THE RISE OF MASS POLITICS 1) Inauguration  thousands of Americans went to D.C. to witness his inauguration. Crowd followed him to White House. 2) Others saw Jackson as bad  e.g. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story (friend of Marshall) called it “The Reign of King Mob” A. THE EXPANDING ELECTORATE 1) Not a large charge in the economy 2) Transformation of American politics – extended the right to vote widely to many groups 3) 1820s  few Americans able to vote; most states restricted it to white propertied men 4) Jackson  changes in voting rights a. universal white male suffrage (esp. in newly created states) b. older states began making concessions as to not lose residents c. every state democratized electorate to some degree 1. NY  cited Declaration of Independence  life, liberty, pursuit of happiness – property qualification abolished 5) resistance provoked  democratic reform fell short of the aims a. Mass legislature  Daniel Webster opposed the democratic changes – couldn’t bring a drastic change but the new constitution required every voter be a tax payer b. Rhode Island  democratization efforts caused instability – RI constitution barred > ½ adult males of state from voting 1. Dorr Rebellion -- activist and lawyer Thomas L. Dorr led a group of his followers and formed a “People’s Party” – held a convention, drafted a new constitution, submitted it to popular vote a) his constitution was rejected – the Dorrites began setting up a new government with a constitution with Dorr as governor and claimed legitimacy b) Dorrites made a brief, ineffectual effort to capture the state arsenal – failed – BUT helped pressure old guard to draft a new constitution 6) South  election laws favored planters, politicians of older counties; limited influence of western areas a. Slaves disfranchised by definition  not citizens, no political or legal rights b. Free blacks could not vote anywhere in the South, hardly anywhere in North 7) women couldn’t vote in any state 8) Written Vote v. Spoken Vote  at the time, a spoken vote was taken 9) However, # of voters increased more rapidly than the population increased 10) Now, the people began choosing the electors and not the state legislatures B. THE LEGITIMIZATION OF PARTY 1) High voter participation a result of the growing interest in politics, strengthening of party organization, and party loyalty 11/14/07 Fletcher 1 Chapter 9 – Jacksonian America (234-259) 2) Acceptance of the idea of a political party was not part of American politics, although they existed 3) 1820s, 1830s  permanent, institutionalized political parties – “essential to democracy” 4) Party idea  New York, Martin Van Buren led a dissident political faction “Bucktails” or “Albany Regency” after the War of 1812 to challenge the political leadership of DeWitt Clinton  the WAY Van Buren posed their challenge was NEW – not the dissident political viewpoint a. Alternative to parties were the “closed elite” of Clinton b. Party idea  ideological commitments would be less important than loyalty to the party of itself – preservation of the party was the principal goal of leadership 1. Competing parties would give each political faction a sense of purpose 2. Force politicians to remain attuned to the will of the people 3. Check and balance each other 5) Second Party System – idea of party spread beyond New York a. Election of 1828 – Jackson  result of a popular movement to stand apart from political elites; these political parties operation at national level, existed as an institution, accepted legitimacy of opposition 1. Anti-Jackson  WHIGS 2. Jackson’s followers  DEMOCRATS 4-II: 235-244 C. “PRESIDENT OF THE COMMON MAN” 1) Jackson was not a democratic philosopher  Democratic Party embraced no clear or uniform ideological opposition 2) Jacksonian Democracy – “equal protection and equal benefits” to all its white male citizens and favor no region or class over another  decrease in aristocracy, effort to extend opportunities to rising classes in West and South, firm commitment subjugating AfricanAmericans, Indians, women 3) Jackson’s targets were officeholders in federal government who had been in office for a generation or more – said offices belonged to the people. “To the victors belong the spoils” a. Spoils System –the right of elected officials to appoint their own followers to public office  established by Jackson administration 4) Jackson’s supporters worked to transform the process by which presidential candidates won their party’s nomination: resented congressional caucus a. President’s followers staged a national party convention to renominate him for the presidency – one year after the Anti-Masons held such a meeting b. Seen as a great triumph for democracy c. Believed power would arise directly from the people – not aristocratic political institutions (caucus) 5) Spoils system, political convention limited the power of two entrenched elites  Permanent officeholders, exclusive party caucus  never really transferred power to the people – appointments went to allies of president and delegates to conventions weren’t the common people III. “OUR FEDERAL UNION” 1) Jackson wanted to reduce the functions of the federal gov’t  strong power in Washington would restrict opportunity to people w/ political correctness 2) Jackson believed a forceful president was needed; wanted to preserve the Union 3) Jackson asserted supremacy of Union in face of a challenge: John C. Calhoun began to champion a constitutional theory -- nullification A. CALHOUN AND NULLIFICATION 1) John C. Calhoun  South Carolinian; protectionist of the Tariff of 1816 but strongly against Tariff of 1828 (Tariff of Abominations) a. South Carolinians believed 1828 Tariff was responsible for the hardships of economy b. Carolinians were ready to secede from the Union 11/14/07 Fletcher 2 Chapter 9 – Jacksonian America (234-259) 4-II: 235-244 th 2) Calhoun’s Response: Theory of Nullification – cited 10 Amendment, VA and KY Resolutions a. since the federal gov’t was a creation of the states, the status – not the courts or Congress – were the final arbiters of the constitutionality of federal laws b. if a state concluded that Congress had passed an unconstitutional law, it could hold a special convention and declare the federal law null and void B. THE RISE OF VAN BUREN 1) Secretary of State – member of Cabinet 2) Member of “Kitchen Cabinet”  president’s unofficial circle of political allies 3) Peggy-Eaton Affair  Rumors circulated in Washington that she and Senator Eaton were having an affair a. Peggy O’Neill’s husband died and she and Eaton got married; Jackson named Eaton secretary of war b. the rest of the administration wives (led by Mrs. Calhoun) refused to receive Peggy (a cabinet wife) c. Jackson was furious, demanded the members of the Cabinet accept her; Calhoun refused d. Van Buren befriended Eatons and became closer to Jackson e. SIGNIFICANCE: Jackson chose Van Buren to succeed him in the White House – ended Calhoun’s dreams of the presidency C. THE WEBSTER-HAYNE DEBATE 1) Debate in US Senate over sectional controversy  senator from CT suggested all land sales and surveys be discontinued a. Robert Hayne (senator from SC) said slowing down the growth of the west was a way for the East to retain its political power  no interest in W. land, hoped his stance would attract support from westerns in Congress for SC’s drive to lower the tariff – South and West victims of tyranny of NE b. Daniel Webster (senator from MA) responded: Whig: attacked Hayne – said their challenge to the integrity of the Union – challenged Hayne to a debate on the issue of states’ rights versus nat’l power c. Hayne and Calhoun responded with the theory of nullification d. Webster’s reply  keep the union together e. Jackson’s POV  the Union must be preserved (against Hayne, Calhoun) D. THE NULLIFICATION CRISIS 1) 1832  controversy over nullification produced a crisis when SC responded angrily to a congressional tariff bill – ordered no relief from Tariff of Abominations 2) Legislature summoned a state convention which voted to nullify tariffs of 1828 and 1832 and to forbid the collection of duties within the state 3) Hayne  governor; Calhoun  senator 4) Jackson said nullification was treason  strengthened forts in SC, etc. 5) 1833 – Jackson’s Force Bill – authorized president to use military to see that acts of Congress were obeyed 6) Henry Clay’s Compromise: a. Calhoun had pretty much no support in the Senate b. Henry Clay averted a crisis: said the tariff would be lowered gradually so that by 1842, it would reach approximately the same level as 1816 c. Compromise and Force Bill passed d. SC  repealed nullification of tariffs, but nullified the Force Act e. Calhoun, followers claimed a victory for nullification 7) Lesson Learned: no state could defy the federal gov’t alone 11/14/07 Fletcher 3 

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Thursday, December 27, 2007

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Outline p.235-244 Jacksonian America

Chapter 9 -- American History: A Survey