Politics Develops Politically1824-1840

Election of 1824

• There were 4 “Republican” candidates– Andrew Jackson --John Quincy Adams– William Crawford --Henry Clay

• No one won a majority so the House of Representatives chose the winner.

• Henry Clay was Speaker of the House, arranged for JQ Adams to be Prez., Clay became VP.

• Jackson had received the most votes, his supporters claimed a Corrupt Bargain had taken Prez away from him.

John Quincy Adams

• 1st President who was son of a president.

• Went to Harvard, Diplomat, Secretary of State.

• As President tried to bring sections of country together with a network of highways and canals.

• After serving as president, he served in the House of Representatives.

Jackson in 1828• Election

– Andrew Jackson beats John Quincy Adams

• Supporters of Adams called Jackson a Jackass. He was a Democrat. So Democrats are Donkeys.

• Republicans as Elephants came after the Civil War.

Jackson takes over

• Jacksons was the 1st “Frontier President”• Because he was such a hero of the

common man, 15,000 people came to his inauguration. The party got out of control at the White House, Jackson had to run away to a hotel to sleep.

• Spoils System=When Jackson took over he replaced many Govt. workers with his supporters.– Problem was many were incompetent.

The Tariff of 1828

• Very high, Southerners were unhappy because tariffs protected industry at the expense of exports.

• VP John C. Calhoun wrote a denunciation of the tariff. He called for Nullification. States declaring the tariff null and void within their borders.

The Trail of Tears• 1830 Indian Removal Act:

Forced Native Americans East of the Mississippi to move to Oklahoma.

• Why Oklahoma? Because it sucks.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs was set up to deal with Native Americans for the govt.

• Countless Native Americans died on forced marches to the West.

The Bank War

• Andrew Jackson hated the Bank of the United States because he felt it had too much power.

• Henry Clay wanted to recharter the Bank in 1832 to make it an issue in the Presidential Election of 1832.

• Jackson vetoed the recharter bill. Common people loved him.

Nicholas Biddle

• Child Genius, Graduated from Princeton at 15.

• Was a diplomat in France during Napoleonic Wars.

• Was a state senator before becoming Director of Bank of the United States.

Presidential Election of 1832• Andrew Jackson kicked Clays butt.

• AJ dropped John C. Calhoun for supporting nullification.

• Replaced him with Martin Van Buren

Presidential Election of 1836

• Martin Van Buren (Jackson’s Successor) v. William Henry Harrison (Tippecanoe)

• MVB won.

• He had been Secretary of State 1829-1831 then Jacksons VP 1833-1837.

• He was first Prez born a U.S. citizen.

Panic of 1837

• Prompted by get rich quick schemes involving land speculation. Also Jacksons veto of the National Bank.

• Two British Banks failed, causing investors to call in American loans. Chain reaction collapsed many American banks.

Texas and Rebellion

• Mexico gave land to Stephen Austin to bring Catholic families into Texas. They were supposed to become Mexican.

• They didn’t. Texas declared Independence in 1836. Didn’t become a state until ten years later because adding it to Union would mean adding a slave state.

Presidential Election of 1840

• Martin Van Buren v. William Henry Harrison again.

• This time “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” won. They were Whigs.

• MVB was very unpopular because of the Panic of 1837.

William Henry Harrison

• Won Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, than General in War of 1812, Governor of Indiana territory, Representative and Senator from Ohio.

• 68 When elected Prez. Oldest until Reagan.

• Harrison died 31 days after being inaugurated.

• What to do?

Politics for the People

• Politicians who were too uppity, too intellectual didn’t win elections.

• People voted for men like themselves.

Two Party System

• Democrats and Whigs

• Democrats= Jackson, supported individual liberty

• Whigs= WHH, favored National Bank, Protective Tariffs, Prohibition of Liquor and Abolition of Slavery

• Basically Libertarians v. Big Government