ANDREW JACKSON

The Election of 1824 and 1828 

Traditionally, presidential candidates were selected at caucuses, and that would be the party's candidate caucus- private meeting of party members The Republican Caucus selected William

Crawford of Georgia as their candidate However, due to sectionalism, other

sections of the countries selected their own candidates

However, due to sectionalism, other sections of the countries selected their own candidates John Quincy Adams in the NE, Andrew

Jackson in the West

When the election was over, no one was the clear winner Jackson had won the most votes, but not a

majority When no candidate wins a majority of the

electoral college vote, the decision belongs to the House of Representatives that selected John Q. Adams

The House based their decision upon advice from Henry Clay Problem: Clay was later named Adams'

Secretary of State "Corrupt bargain?"

Jackson Takes Charge Jackson was a “common man”

Thus he wanted to change how the national gov't functions, it favored the rich and he wanted to make it simple

Did not utilize his cabinet, rather he took advice from his friends

this group of friends became known as the “Kitchen Cabinet”

Spoils System spoils system- process of new

president rewarding supporters with jobs in the gov't

Pres. Jackson was accused of abusing this system

Jackson's argument was that “to the victor, goes the spoils”

Tariff of Abomination South Carolina grew very angry about

the Tariff of 1828 it raised the prices of manufactured

goods the tariff was created to help North

Eastern manufacturing raised the prices of imported goods,

making them more expensive than American Goods

Tariff of Abomination They threatened to secede from the US if

this tariff was not reduced secede-break away The VP, John C. Calhoun (of S.Carolina)

did not want this to happen, so he suggested nullification

nullification- rejection of federal law

The Nullification Crisis Two of the most gifted speakers in

Congress squared off in a debate over the ability for a state to nullify

Hayne argued that the states had created a constitution and therefore had the right to nullify

Webster said the national gov't gets it power from the people, and not from the states

Jackson was able to get Congress to lower the tariff, but S. Carolina was still not happy

In fact, South Carolina readied for war to disunion

Jackson responded by calling disunion “treason”

Jackson got Congress to pass the Force Bill, which gave him the power to use the navy and army to collect the tariff

The combination of the Force Bill, and the signing of a new lower tariff ended the nullification crisis, thus holding the Union together, for now