The Age of Jackson

Focus Question:

Identify three changes the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828 brought to the United States.

Andrew Jackson, Man of Conflict

• Violent Individual (“Gentleman Savage”)• Frontiersman• Used to a rough and tumble life• Served in the War for Independence at the age

of 11• Fought a series of duels• Brought up with life as a struggle

• War Hero• Defeated the Creek in 1811• Defeated the British at New Orleans• Defeated the Seminole in 1819

Conflicting Nature

Man of the People Fabulously wealthy

Intensely Loyal to family, friends, and soldiers

Extremely Bigoted

Distrusted the National Government Expanded the National Government’s Power

The Return of the Two-Party System• The Federalist Party Collapsed in 1816• Could not win in national elections• Jeffersonian Republicans adopted many of their

ideas• The time period was called the Era of Good Feelings

Party loyalties now stressed personality

Election of 1824• Four-way race for President

• John Quincy Adams, Massachusetts, Secretary of State

• Andrew Jackson, Tennessee, War Hero• Henry Clay, Kentucky, Speaker of the House• William Crawford, Georgia, Secretary of the

Treasury

Nation Divided on Sectional LinesPOPULAR VOTE ELECTORAL VOTE

JACKSON 153,544 99ADAMS 108,740 84CLAY 47,136 37CRAWFORD 46,618 41

The “Corrupt Bargain”

• The House of Representatives elected Adams president

• Henry Clay was appointed Secretary of State• Jackson’s supporters began campaigning almost

immediately

Election of 1828

Jacksonian Democracy

• Jackson brought a new style to the White House• Designed government to “restore power to the

people”• Saw the government as reflecting the common man• Promoted the “Spoils System”• Government positions given to political supporters

Jackson despised “Eastern Elites”

• Felt that the powerful held too much power• Felt that the “common people” were left out• Despised distinctions based on class

Decentralized Government

• Shift power from Washington to the states• Reduce tariffs• Restrict spending on “internal improvements”• Close the 2nd Bank of the U.S.• Promoted a “rotation in office”

• Age of the Common Man

Mixed Record

1. Role of Political Machines2. The Bank Crisis and the Panic of 18373. The Nullification Crisis4. Indian Removal

Answer in a short, 5-7 sentence paragraph:

Based on class discussion, your understanding of history and the documents, determine the validity of the following statement:

The Jackson Administration was generally positive for Americans.