Chapter 9 Notes

Electorate
Chapter 9 Notes
Little change in the distribution of wealth and property Right to vote increased, previously only white male property owners/taxpayers Universal suffrage for white males MA was an exception, opposition from Daniel Webster, voters had to be taxpayers Property requirement abolished in NY, citing the Dec. of Independence Unstable reform in RI Thomas Dorr led Dorr Rebellion o Peoples party, new constitution with popular vote approved o Government refused, Dorr tried to capture state arsenal, imprisonments, FAILED o Led to new constitution that expanded suffrage South favored old way, slaves were disenfranchised, women could not vote either Did not practice secret ballot, spoken vote bribery/intimidation Increase in voters, electors chosen by popular vote except in SC. 27% 58% 80%
Parties
Interest in strengthening party organization, party loyalty Originally believed parties to be evil believed parties were desirable part of political process, essential to democracy First at state level Martin Van Buren led the Bucktails/Albany Regency o Challenged aristocratic leadership o Argued only institutionalized party, based on population, could ensure democracy o Ideological commitments not as important as loyalty to party Preservation with favors, rewards, and patronage = ACCEPTED AND PROMOTED MUST have permanent opposition opposition is good o Competing parties give purpose, force politicians to attend to common good, checks and balances Became aspect of democracy Two-party system Anti-Jacksons = Whigs, Jacksonians = Democrats
President of the Common Man

Jackson said democracy should offer equal protection and benefits to white males Favor no class or region, but still didnt like African Americans and Indians Believed the average Joe could fulfill duties/hold any office Removed no more than 1/5 of officeholders due to corruption, spoils system o Elected officials can appoint their followers to office Resented caucus, elite method of presidential nomination national convention o First by the Anti-Masons, represented DEMOCRACY triumph, power from people Limited permanent officeholders and exclusive party caucus, DID NOT SUCCEED o Appointments went to prominent allies, delegates not common men
Calhoun and Nullification

Peeps in SC believed 1828 Tariff of Abominations was no bueno wanted to secede?? Drew from ideas of VA/KY Resolutions and 10th Amendment Theory of Nullification o States had final say in constitutionality of laws o Could nullify federal laws at special convention, applied to new 1828 tariff Main support from SC
Rise of Van Buren

Member of Kitchen Cabinet of Jackson, or unofficial circle of homies Large influence Peggy Eaton Affair o Wife of secretary of war, cabinet wife that was rumored to be a sloot o Other wives like Calhoun didnt accept her socially Jackson mad o Out of the darkness, Van Buren befriended Eaton o Contributed to Van Buren being president, split between Jackson and Calhoun
Webster-Hayne Debate
Sectional fight, Robert Y. Hayne said slowing growth of West was way for East to keep power o Wanted support from westerners in Congress to lower tariff Daniel Webster (Whig) began to wreck shit up, claiming Hayne (and Calhoun) challenged the Union o Changed issue from land and tariff to state vs. national power Hayne/Calhoun defended nullification Websters Second Reply to Hayne was nationalistic Jackson sided with Webster, wanted to keep things together and unified IMPORTANT: division between Calhoun and Jackson
Nullification Crisis
State convention to nullify tariffs of 1828 and 1832, Hayne as governor and Calhoun as senator Jackson said nullification was treason, strengthened forts, ordered warships and revenue ships Proposed a force bill to let POTUS use military action to enforce congressional acts Clay devised compromise in which tariff would be lowered gradually to level in 1816 o SC repealed nullification of tariffs, but nullified force act as a SYMBOLIC ACT
Indians
Went from kind of liking Indians to hating them, uncivilized and uncivilizable Favored removal to avoid violence, wanted new territory Indian tribes = weak and divided, declared dependent nations Battle between Sauk/Fox Indians and whites o Warrior Black Hawk, didnt want to give up land, reoccupied Illinois o Whites tried to fight off, were very vicious fought after surrender. VICIOUS
Five Civilized Tribes

Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw successful economies, culture, language Should they be allowed to keep land? Men gave up hunting and farmed, women were domestic Tried negotiating, passed 1830 Removal Act to give money to help with relocation In GA, Cherokees appealed to Supreme Court! o Cherokee Nation v. Georgia Indians could not sue o Worcester v. Georgia State laws dont apply in Cherokee area o Jackson mad and decision not enforced Cherokee land ceded Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, thousands (1/8) of Indians died Tribes expelled from southern states and had to relocate in territory created by Indian Intercourse Act of 1834 Only Seminoles resisted the pressures to relocate, The Seminole War in Florida o Osceola remained in FL, relocation never finished By 1830s all Indians removed to West, 100 million acres of land, $$$ in return Reservations guarded by forts, alternatives?? Some harmony between whites and Indians Finally believed Indians were subordinate, obstacles, HARSH
National Bank
Against federal Maysville road in KY, which only benefited state Bank in Philly, branches in 29 cities, fed. government deposited funds, owned 1/5 of stock Provided credit, issued bank notes, restrained state banks Nicholas Biddle was president. Soft money vs. hard money opposition (both opposed bank) o Soft money wanted currency, bank notes supported by gold/silver = best. Said national bank restricted state banks from issuing notes wanted growth o Hard money wanted only gold/silver, condemned BUS for its paper money suspicious of growth and expansion Jackson was hard money, had failed business and in debt suspicious of banks/currency Did not want bank, bank charter was set to expire in 1836. Biddle began granting favors (Webster & Clay), tried to pass bill in 1832 to renew bank o Jackson vetoed it LIKE A BOSS (predictably) 1832 campaign about the bank Jackson and Van Buren won, defeated Clay and Biddle Jackson wanted to weaken bank removed deposits. Fired 2 secretaries and decided on Roger B. Taney HOME DOG! o Placed deposits in state banks, aka pet banks Biddle was feisty and called in loans & raised interest rates tried to make recession o Fight of Biddle vs. Jackson, Biddle eventually gave in and LOST o Jackson left with unstable and weak financial system
Taney Court
John Marshall died, Taney new supreme justice. Did not break interpretation, but MODIFIED NATIONALISM of Marshall Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge in 1837 dispute of bridge rights o Charter from state for toll bridge, monopoly. However this was declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL o Taney promoted general happiness over contract rights, monopoly is unjustifiable privilege Democracy = economic opportunity, freedom
Democrats and Whigs

Democrats wanted free opportunities for white males, government should be limited o Protecting economic growth, attacking corrupt privilege o Support from working men of NE, suspicious planters, and westerners Radical Locofocos, democrats that were workingmen and businessmen, attacked monopoly Whigs favored federal government, commercial development, national system o Material progress, feared expansion, wanted banks and corporations o Strongest among merchants and manufacturers of NE, plantations of S, ambitious commercial of the W o Whigs got more ca$h money Wanted to win elections, Whigs attacked Jackson on account of Anti-Masons Irish/German Catholics were Democrats (IMMIGRANTS), Protestants = Whigs Whigs did not unite under single leader, split between Triumvirate of Clay, Webster, Calhoun o Clays American system, Websters connection w/ bank, and Calhouns nullification o Tried to split vote and leave it to House of Reps, Van Buren WON easily
Van Buren and Panic of 1837

Not as popular, but elected during $$$$ BOOM! Canals up, easy credit, more loans, more land o Extra ca$h money, no more debt! Returned surplus to states spent on canals, roads
o Withdrawals hard on pet banks, speculative fever Jacksons specie circular, payment in gold/silver, FAILED and produced panic! o Businesses failed, unemployment, bread riots, prices fell DEPRESSION o Caused by distribution of surplus and specie circular, Europe conditions o Crop failures, democrats blamed Van Burens new financial system: independent treasury or subtreasury no private banks, separated government and banks
Log Cabin Campaign (1840s)

Whigs held first nominating convention William Henry Harrison and John Tyler o Harrison was aristocratic o Democrats dominated Van Buren, no VP Rise of da penny press! Carried news, party competition Whigs presented themselves as party of the common people counterintuitive much? o Portrayed Harrison as a simple man log cabins, hard cider. Accused Van Buren as being aloof? Parties used same appeal of mass voter, simple values
Whig Frustration
Harrison died one month in office therefore Tyler had to succeed o Tyler was actually DEMOCRATIC (haha). Abolished treasury system and raised tariffs, but did not support bank. Vetoed internal improvements o Tyler voted out of the Whig party, Tyler appointed Calhoun in cabinet (now a democrat)
Whig Diplomacy
Great Britain and US conflicts, steamship Caroline burned by British o Americans arrested Canadian in NY eventually acquitted Canada Maine boundary, treaty disputes with lumberjacks Aroostook War American ship Creole sailed and British declared slaves free, Lord Ashburton settled agreement with Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 o Firm boundary, more land to US, trade protected, POPULAR! Treaty with China, Treaty of Wang Hya gave US same rights as British o Rights to extraterritoriality, right to be tried by American officials

Chapter 9 Notes

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Chapter 9 Notes

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Electorate

President of the Common Man

Calhoun and Nullification

Rise of Van Buren

Five Civilized Tribes

Democrats and Whigs

Van Buren and Panic of 1837

Log Cabin Campaign (1840s)

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