Chapter 8 Section 5

Abby Kaiser, Alex Gold, Allie Lunney, Steve Volovar & Emily McVittie

Introduction

• Americans were not sure about Andrew Jackson

• He campaigned to get rid of corruption in government

• Daniel Webster was not sure about Jackson and said…

• “…he will bring a breeze with him. Which way it will blow, I cannot tell.”

After Oath

• Though many people were not sure about Jackson, cheering crowds rushed to him after oath was made

• Many fans followed him to the White House• Had a tidal wave of popular support• His presidency indicated the start of the new

era in American democracy & signaled the growing power of the West

Jacksonian Democracy

• A lot of his support was from first time voters• Voting was new to some states• The Jacksonian era saw a great increase of

respect and power for the common man

The Spoils System

• Patronage- when an elected official gave government jobs to friends/supports

• Jackson used patronage • He dismissed office holders & replaced them

with Jacksonian Democrats

The Spoils System Continued

• Critics called Jackson’s patronage the spoils system

• Refers to taking jobs away from people of the other party and give them to people who supported Jackson

• Jackson often said “rotation in office” was necessary so that a small group of wealthy people could not control the government

Limited Government

• Jackson feared the power of the federal government

• He got rid of politicians he considered bad • Also got rid of laws he thought were not

necessary • Used his veto power to restrict federal activity

as much as possible

Limited Government Continued

• Rejected more acts of Congress than the 6 previous presidents combined

• Increased power of presidency• Since he vetoed so much, Jackson got the

nickname “King Andrew I”

Black Hawk War-Indian Uprisings

• People were driven off their lands• Indian Black Hawk led 1,000 Indians to reclaim their land• The clashes that followed became known as the Black Hawk War• Weakened by hunger/illnesses, they retreated to

Wisconsin Territory and most of Indians were chased down & killed

Second Seminole War

• Took place in Florida• A group of white settlers demanded the

Seminoles to abandon their lands• The Seminoles refused

Second Seminole War Continued • In 1835 a group of Seminoles under Osceola (a chief) began the Second Seminole War • The war lasted for seven years• Ended after Osceola got captured• A few hundred of the Seminoles remained & lived hidden in the

swamps of the Everglades.

The Bank War

• Jackson believed the Bank of America was a “monster” that was controlled by a small group of wealthy Easterners

• Vetoed the bank charter in 1832, which doomed the bank , to protect the rights of ordinary citizens

• As bank supporters underestimated Jackson, he was reelected in 1832

The Tariff Crisis

• Passed before Jackson’s presidency

• Meant to boost American Manufacturing

• Benefited northern states while southern states suffered inflated prices

• Referred to as “Tariff of Abomination”

The Indian Crisis

• Jackson wanted a non violent resolution to the Indian problem

• Indian removal acted signed in 1830

• Supported more by Southerners

Trail of Tears• Jackson negotiated the

treaty of New Echota with a faction of the Cherokees

• The faction was considered illegitimate on a petition signed by 15,000 Cherokees, which the Supreme Court ignored

• Jackson's successor Van Buren enforced the treaty ultimately killing 3,000 Cherokee Indians

The Bank War

• Opposed the national bank• Hekd it responsible for

Panic of 1819• Vetoed bill to recharter

national bank, which was to close in 1836

• The decision was believed to hurt Jackson's chances in the next election, yet he still won by a large margin

Jackson's Successors

• Poor health caused him not to run for a third term

• Van Buren won the next election

• Economic struggle ensued as a result of Jackson's actions