Unit III Notes: Jefferson to Jackson

Unit III Notes: Jeffersonian Era to Jacksonian Democracy

Growth of the Nation 1800-1840 Lecture Notes by Dan Rankin
The Formation of a National Government - Notes from an online history text

Jefferson's Presidency represented a fundamental shift in direction of the federal government
- wanted a nation of independent farmers not an industrial society --> need to have virtuous, enlightened citizens (education is the key) favored nationwide system of public schools
- limited federal power and granted more authority to states... unimportance of the federal government symbolized by the character of Wash D.C.
- appointed people who would be loyal to his ideas and his presidency
US began to free itself culturally from Europe religion, art, and literature --> dreamed of huge cultural accomplishments
Washington Irving (Ichabod Crane, Rip Van Winkle) was the leader of US literary life in the early 18th C.
Jefferson saw Native Americans as "noble savages"
Thomas Jefferson tried to eliminate the aura of majesty surrounding the President and became the leader of his party
Jefferson easily wins second term vs. Charles Pickney - Republicans controlled the executive and legislative but remained suspicious of the judiciary still controlled by the Federalists
1801-1829: Jeffersonian Diplomacy - from the US State Department
Jefferson reversed trends of Washington and Adams
- debt --> reduces the debt by half
- taxes --> abolished internal taxes
- armed forces --> reduced, believed strong navy would promoted overseas commerce (Jefferson was not a pacifist however as he established West Point)

The Second Great Awakening

"Deism" belief that God existed but had withdrawn from the world - religious skepticism also found in universalism and unitarianism
2nd Great Awakening (2GA) traditional religion makes a comeback as conservative theologians fight religious rationalism and revitalize their churches
message of 2GA = individuals must readmit God and Christ into their daily lives
2GA didn't restore religion of the past (predestination, etc.)
2GA combined a more active piety with a belief in a God whose grace could be obtained through faith and good works
lots of women involved in 2GA (especially young women)
- more women then men (turned to religion instead of marriage)
- movement of industrial work out of the home (new social role)
Judith Sargent Murray held that women should have the same educational opportunities as men, were equal to men in intellect and potential, should have a role in society apart from their husbands
Noah Webster thought every American schoolboy should be educated as an American nationalist
revivalism not restricted to white society
- Gabriel Prosser called for a slave rebellion the rebellion never actually happened
- Handsome Lake called for revival of traditional Indian ways

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

US beginning to transform economically
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin --> "King Cotton" becomes the major crop of the South
cotton crop spread inland, slavery on the rise again
New England develops textile industry
improved transportation
the steamboat
"turnpike era"
US cities and the US still not = Europe's largest cities

The Barbary Pirates 1801

US pays protection money to states of North Africa
Tripoli declares war on the US
Jefferson basically fights a war without consent from Congress
1805 ends payment of tribute but must pay ransom for prisoners

Marbury v. Madison 1803

Marbury one of Adam's midnight appointments
His commission was signed and sealed but not delivered by Sec. Of State Madison
Court ruled that Marbury had right to the commission but couldn't force Madison to deliver it
Judiciary Act of 1789 gave the court the power to compel executive officials to act
ruled that section of the act "void" as unconstitutional
established Judicial Review
John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (stud)

Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson had long admired France but was concerned about French intentions in North America
Jefferson sent Robert Livingston to Paris to negotiate the sale of New Orleans
Livingston proposed the sale of the rest of Louisiana on his own
The purchase was contrary to Jefferson's strict interpretation of the constitution but he justified it as part of his "treaty making" powers
Lewis and Clark sent to explore the new territory - organized before the purchase had been completed
Exploring the West from Monticello - the story of Lewis and Clark's exploration
New England Federalists didn't like the purchase because they knew it would lead to a decrease in their power
extreme federalists wanted to succeed
Hamilton refused to support the scheme so federalists turn to Aaron Burr (got milk?)
The famous duel --> Burr had to flee NY and was later part of another secessionist movement

The War of 1812

cause - conflict on the seas and conflict in the West
US had developed a large merchant marine
caught between France and England
believed England was the worst offender on neutral rights
impressment - forcing people to join the navy
Chesapeake-Leopard incident --> C refuses L search, L opens fire on C and drags off 4 US seamen
Embargo Act 1807 forbade US ships from leaving the US for any port in the world this was Jefferson's response to violations of America's neutral rights
- largely evaded
- triggered economic depression
- one of Jefferson's biggest failures, forced to repeal in 1808
Indians looked to England for protection vs. US
William Henry Harrison appointed governor of Indian Territory to administer President's solution to the "Indian Problem"
Jefferson offered Indians a choice: convert into settled farms or move
"the Prophet" charismatic Indian religious leader spoke of superior Indian ways vs. corrupt white world
Tecumseh was the Prophets brother and leader of more secular efforts vs. white society
Battle of Tippecanoe..Harrison attacks the Prophets followers which leader to Indian disillusionment in resistance movement
British encourage Indian raids and Western settlers felt that invading Canada was the only way to stop British agitation
Southerners wanted to add Florida to its possession
War Hawks (Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun) young congressmen who began to press for the US to fight Britain
US declares was on England June 18, 1812 the US entered the war with great enthusiasm and optimism while England was reluctant for war with the US
US began war by invading Canada but soon suffered many defeats which dampened enthusiasm for the war
Andrew Jackson won admiration for his battles vs. the Creek Indians, British, and the Spanish he made a name for himself in battles in Florida and New Orleans
England invades the US, captures Wash. D.C., burns it, proceeds to Baltimore which is guarded by Fort McHenry (Francis Scott Key write the Star Spangled Banner)
Hartford Convention --> reasserted the right of nullification and proposed 7 amendments to the constitution
Treaty of Ghent
- US gave up demand for British renunciation of impressment and for the cession of Canada to the US
- British abandoned call for creation of an Indian buffer state in the Northwest and made minor territorial concessions
The War of 1812 highlighted the need for another national bank (the 1st had gone out of existence) & the weakness in the American financial system. Congress chartered the second Bank of the United States in 1816
The war also stimulated the growth of US manufacturing, produced chaos in US shipping, and exposed the inadequacy of US transportation system
Expansion of industry started during the war was promoted after the war by Congress à passed projectionist tariff laws
National government got involved with road building - National Road (under Jefferson)
James Madison vetoed a bill in which the federal government would pay for internal improvements because he believed that would require a constitutional amendment
Reasons for westward expansion: population pressures (population nearly doubled between 1800-1820) and economic pressures, availability of new lands, and weakening of Indian resistance
Life in the Northwest was often a lonely existence although not entirely solitary. Settlers often stayed a few years sold their land ($$$) and moved west again. (most settlers of the West were already from the West!)
"mountain men" were generally in debt
The rapid growth of the Old Northwest and Southwest resulted in the admission of four new states to the Union: Indiana 1816, Mississippi 1817, Illinois 1818, and Alabama 1819

The "Era of Good Feelings"

reflected a rising spirit of nationalism in the US following the War of 1812
expansion of the economy, growth of white settlement and trade in the West, the creation of new states - all reflected the rising spirit of nationalism in the US
The Virginia Dynasty
End of the first party system (Federalists no longer a challenge to the Republicans)
Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 Spain ceded all of Florida to the US and gave up its claim to all territory north of the 42nd parallel in the Pacific Northwest, in return the US gave up its claims to Texas
The panic of 1819 revived many political dispute that the "era of good feeling" had supposedly settled
Bank of US started calling in loans, tightening credit, and foreclosing on mortgages which resulted in financial panic and many state bank collapses
Congress responded to the panic by raising tariff rates
Six years of depression followed

The Missouri Compromise

preserved an equal # of slave and free states (didn't necessarily preserve = representation in House of Rep.)
slavery already prevalent in Mo. when it applied for statehood but James Tallmadge proposed an amendment to statehood that would prohibit further introduction of slaves to MO.
states had come into Union in pair (in 1819 there were 11 free and 11 slave states) MO. would upset the balance
combined the Missouri State Bill with the Maine state bill into a single bill to remain balanced
Jesse Thomas added an amendment to the bill prohibiting slavery in the rest of Louisiana territory north of the boundary of Missouri
This conflict revealed a strong sectionalism within the US even during this time of powerful nationalism

John Marshall (stud)

Marshall Court molded the development of the Constitution, strengthened the judicial branch at the expense of the states, increased the power of the federal government at the expense of the states, and advanced the interests of the propertied and commercial classes at the expense of agricultural interests
Fletcher v. Peck (1810) held that a land grant was a valid contract and could not be repealed even if corruption was involved (affirmed validity of contracts)
Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1810) ruled that corporation charters were contracts and this inviolable.. placed restrictions on the ability of state governments to control corporations- also implied the right for federal courts to overrule state courts
Cohen v. Virginia (1821) Marshall explicitly affirmed the constitutionality of federal review of state decisions
McCullogh v. Maryland (1819)
case posed two constitutional questions: Could Congress charter a bank? Could individual states ban or tax it?
Daniel Webster argued that the Bank was constitutional under the "necessary and proper" clause and that the right of states to tax the Bank involved the "power to destroy"
Marshall ruled in favor of the Bank and confirmed the "implied powers" of Congress
Upheld the constitutionality of the national bank
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) confirmed the power of the Congress over that of the States --> freed transportation systems from restraints by the states and helped pave the way for capitalist growth
Marshall's ruling in dealing with the Indians continued his ruling for the US - individuals couldn't take or buy land from the Indians only the US government could (Mr. R paraphrasing & editorializing Johnson v. McIntosh)
In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia Marshall ruled that Indian tribes were not foreign nations but rather had special status within the US

The Monroe Doctrine (actually mainly the work of John Quincy Adams)

James Monroe
The US needed to shape a foreign policy toward the new Latin American states as they became independent from Spain
European powers should not colonize the Western Hemisphere
Any country that tried to interfere in the affairs of an American nation would be considered an enemy of the United States.
Also stated that US would not interfere in European affairs
This was an expression of the growing spirit of nationalism in the US à later US governments would us this to justify policies in LA

The "Corrupt Bargain"

was negotiated between Clay and Adams
1824 election between four men Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford
The "American System" called for higher tariffs
Jackson received more popular and electoral votes than any other candidate (electoral votes: Jackson 99 (He won what we call a "plurality" of electoral votes), Adams 84, Crawford 41, Clay 37) .. House of Reps must decide between top 3 electoral vote getters
Clay endorses Adams and Adams wins naming Clay as Secretary of State (the well established stepping stone to Presidency)
Jackson called this a corrupt bargain (he felt the other three had conspired to rob him) and this haunted Adams' Presidency
1828 election marked by nastiness (gambling, wasting tax payers money, coffin handbills, bigamists allegations, etc.)
1828 election saw the emergence of a new two party system
Jackson wins the election and claimed an new "era of the common man"

Jacksonian Democracy

Andrew Jackson was a frontier aristocrat
The Age of the Common Man
Andrew Jackson and his followers were imperfect democrats (slavery, treatment of Indians, economic, social, and gender inequality)
Jackson believed in forceful presidential leadership, and the supremacy of the Federal government over the individual states
Jacksonians were aristocrats but not by birth --> wanted to ensure that others could to prominence on the basis of their talents and energies
Some viewed Jackson's election :"The reign of King 'Mob' seemed triumphant"
Voting rights extended to all white males
The party came to be viewed as a desirable part of the political process (this increasing importance of the party started at the state level and spread to the federal level)--- Jackson's followers were called Democrats and their rivals were called Whigs
Jackson believed in "equal protection and equal benefits" (to all white male citizens and favor no one region of class over another)
Introduced the "spoils system" which he hoped would eliminate professional bureaucrats --> gave jobs in government to his political friends
Introduction of the national convention to nominate Presidential candidates which it was hoped would lead to power in the party coming from the people rather that elite political institutions
Vice President lost Jackson's favor because of his support of nullification and the Eaton affair
Peggy Eaton (wife to John Eaton one of Jackson's friends) was being snubbed Calhoun's wife, not a political dispute but an etiquette dispute
Martin Van Buren became the heir apparent to Jackson
In 1835 when John Marshall dies Jackson appoints new Chief Justice Roger Taney who brings key Jacksonian idea to the Supreme Court: the key to democracy was an expansion of economic opportunity

Succession, Nullification, and Sectional Conflict

Nullification was seen as a moderate alternative to succession
The Webster - Hayne debate showed the sectional rivalry within the US
Northern view (Jackson, Daniel Webster) Webster "Liberty and Union, now and for ever, one and inseparable" Jackson "Our federal Union - It must be preserved"
Southern view (Hayne, Calhoun) Hayne - South and West were victims of tyranny of the Northeast Calhoun "The Union, next to our liberty most dear"
South viewed the 1828 tariff as the "tariff of abominations" and the source of economic problems
Supporters of nullification won victories in 1832 in South Carolina and proceeded to "nullify" the act
Jackson viewed this as treason and ordered warships to Charleston as well as the strengthening of federal forts in SC, Jackson won approval of a force bill authorizing him to use force if necessary
Compromise bill reached that gradually lowered tariffs to 1816 levels
SC legislature revoked nullification of tariffs but nullified the force bill (symbolic gesture only)
The Dorr Rebellion even though it failed, was generally consistent with Jacksonian principles

Indian Removal

white perception of Indians changing from "noble savages" to "savages"
"Five Civilized Tribes" - Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chicksaw, and Choctaw
Jackson ignored the decisions of the Supreme Court regarding the Cherokee Indians - "John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it."
Indians removed from there land and forced to march along the The Trail of Tears to Indian country (present day Oklahoma) - thousands of Indians died, perhaps 25% of those that made the journey
Seminoles staged a relatively successful guerrilla warfare campaign to avoid removal

Jackson and The Bank War (BUS = Bank of the United States)

opposition from the BUS came from two groups the "soft money" and "hard money" factions
soft money = state bankers and their allies, objected because BUS restrained the state banks from issuing notes freely, believed in rapid economic growth and speculation
hard money = believed that coin was the only safe currency, looked with suspicion on expansion and speculation
Nicholas Biddle ran the BUS and gathered allies such as Daniel Webster and Henry Clay
Bank Charter due to expire in 1836 (Jackson would not renew the charter)
Clay & Webster convince Biddle to apply for renewal in 1832, bill gets passed and vetoed by Jackson
Clay made the Bank an issue in the 1832 campaign but it failed to provide him with a winning issue
Jackson could abolish bank before the end of the charter but he weakened it by removing government deposits
two secretaries of treasuries refused to carry out this order
the third SOT began withdrawing the money at putting it in state banks (so called "Pet Banks")
the death of the bank in 1836 left the country with a fragmented unstable banking system

The Second Party System

Democrats (Jackson) vs. Whigs (Clay, Calhoun, and Webster --> the triumvirate)
Democrats wanted to limited the power of the federal government in the economy, were wary of efforts to stimulate growth (bank, etc.), wanted territorial expansion
Whiggery favored expanding the power of the federal government in the economy, encouraging industrial and commercial development, and knitting the country together into a consolidated economic system
Whigs were able to gather power locally but only won the Presidency twice