Abraham Lincoln

AndrewJohnson

AndrewJackson

James K. Polk

Andrew Jackson thought that the Bank of the United States had too muchpower. He believed that there should only be State Banks. Jacksonset out to destroy the National Bank.

Jackson instituted tariffs against foreign producers of goods. The Southerners called it “the Tariff of Abominations”. The South was especially hurt by this tariff, because the Southerners sold their cotton to Britain and bought items from that country.

Because of the Tariff the South was very angry and passed the Nullification Act. John C. Calhoun, Vice President at the time. He said that he considered the tariff to be unconstitutional. Calhoun was a big believer of State’s Rights. He was against a very strong Federal Government that hurt people in certain states, namely the South. South Carolina threatened to break away or, secede, from the Union and start its own country.

Does a state have a right to nullify, or cancel, a federal law?

Jackson fired many of the government employees. He replaced them with his ownsupporters. Since then many of the President’s have done the same thing. It has become know as the spoils system.

An accomplished Indian fighter himself, Jackson orders Indians to Reservations. In 1830 Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. It forced Native Americans west of the Mississippi River.

15,000 Cherokee Indians, were marched hundreds of miles. Thousands perished in the march, and became known as the Trail ofTears.

Voting became much easier during this era. In the West, they passedlaws that any white man over the age of 21 could vote.

The voter turnout used to be 28 percent. In 1828, it rose to 40 percent turnout. By 1840 the voter turnout was 80 percent. Today 2002 aboutonly 35-40 percent vote.

Mexican War1846-48

Our annexation of Texas made the Mexicans very uncomfortable. How far would we come? What other land might we want. A dispute was provoked when Polk ordered General Taylor into disputed land between Mexican and American territory

Mexican War1846-48

Result of War:

1. We gain entire Mexican Cession

2. We fulfill our “Manifest Destiny”

Gold Rush1849

More than 80,000 people rush to California in search of gold

CA becomes a state in 1850

By 1852, CA had 100,000 residents

With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the Republicans established their platform: no slavery in the territories of the West.

The first shots were fired in April of 1861. The North (Union) and South (Confederates) fought the next four years over several issues: slavery, states rights, and economics.

To dedicate the new cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Abraham Lincoln gave a short3-minute speech dedicating the cemetery to the brave men that lay there.

Abraham Lincoln

The Emancipation Proclamation wentinto affect in 1863. It was written and signed by Lincoln, and it said that all the slaves in the Confederate States were “now and forever free.”

He wrote this for two reasons. First, to give the Union (north) something to fight for, namely the freedom of the slaves. Second, it was written to keep Great Britain from helping out the South (Confederates) during the war.

End of Slavery-Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Voting Rights “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--”

Rights of All Citizens-All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

After the Civil War was finished everyone had a different idea on how to “punish” the south. AbrahamLincoln said that we should treat the southern peoplewith a “velvet glove”, or gently. Others said that they were traitorsand should be punished. This era after the Civil War became known as the “Reconstruction” The Argument centered on the factthat the South needed to be “Rebuilt or Reconstruction” but how?President Andrew Johnson was at the center of the discuss, and wanted to be more gentle with the south. The Republicans in the Congress thought differently.

The greatest historical event in transportation on the continent occurred at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869, as the Union Pacific Railroad (From East) tracks joined those of the Central Pacific Railroad (From West).