Jacksonian Democracy at Flood Tide, 1830-1840

The vain threats of resistance by those who (in South Carolina) have raised the standard of rebellion shew their madness and folly….In forty days, I can have

within the limits of So. Carolina fifty thousand men….The union will be preserved. Andrew Jackson,

1832

“Nullies” in South Carolina• The “abominable” Tariff of

1828 angered the Southerners. If the federal government could restrict the economy by raising such a high tariff, could it not also restrict or abolish slavery?

• Congress passed a new Tariff of 1832 which lowered the tariff from 45% to 35%. This was still too high for the Southerners.

• Nullifiers (those who wanted to nullify the Tariff) and Unionists (those who wanted to support the union) clashed in the South Carolina state election of 1832.

• The state legislature of South Carolina met in Columbia and declared:– The existing tariff to be null and

void. – The assembly also called upon

the state legislature to undertake any necessary military preparations.

– If necessary South Carolina would leave the Union

• Jackson, hating Calhoun (Peggy Eaton affair) pledged to uphold the Union at all costs.

• Henry Clay of Kentucky (also a foe of Jackson-”the Corrupt Bargain”) proposed a compromise:– Reduce the tariff by 10% now

down to 20%• New England and the middle

states (mid-Atlantic) opposed the tariff decrease.

• Calhoun and the South favored the compromise

• Jackson did not have to use force but Congress did pass the Force Bill or as South Carolina called it, the “Bloody Bill.” The bill authorized the president to use the army and navy if necessary to collect funds.

• A pro Unionist minority within South Carolina had been gathering guns in support of the Union.

• South Carolina did nullify the unnecessary Force Act though nothing ever came of this act.

A Victory for Both Union and Nullification

• South Carolina emerged as the winner of this conflict. It had caused the federal government to back down and lower the tariffs.

• Celebrations emerged through South Carolina. Charleston- “the Cradle of Secession.”

• Unfortunately, nullification eventually gave way to succession.

• Later generations, looking back, have condemned the “appeasement” of South Carolina in 1833 as sheer folly. In 1860 it was the first to secede. If Jackson had reacted harshly, there might not have been a Civil War.

• However, violence breeds violence. Armed invasion might have aroused other southern states and started a civil war. “Force is a confession that statesmanship has failed.”

• Compromise was in the American tradition, and in 1833 any other course of action seemed unwise.

The Bank as a Political Football• President Jackson did not hate all

banks, he disliked those with enormous influence and power as did he dislike overly large and powerful businesses. He especially disliked the Bank of the United States (BUS)-(established by Hamilton using the Necessary and Proper Clause). He felt that the Bank hurt the economy by its “wild-cat” banks in the West and forcing the foreclosure of many western farms.

• Henry Clay, a National Republican (a more conservative side of the Republican Party who favored stronger national government and less sectionalism among states) proposed an extension on the bank four years early.

• Clay was seeking to trap Jackson. If Jackson vetoes the bill he would alienate the Eastern votes; if he accepted the bank bill, he would alienate the Western states.

• Seeing what Clay was doing, Jackson vetoed the extension of the bank declaring it to be unconstitutional but overstepping the constitutionality of the bank declared by John Marshall of the Supreme Court (McCulloch v. Maryland). Jackson also with one stroke did what it would take Congress ¾ to do-override a veto. It appeared that Jackson regarded the Executive branch to be superior to the Judicial branch.

• Jackson, not only declared the bank as anti-western but anti-American. A large majority of its stockholders were foreigners, chiefly Britons.

• The West seemed to be against the east; the log cabin against the business office; the debtor against the creditor; the American against the foreigner, the states’ righter against the centralizer (unionist).

• Jackson’s veto greatly strengthened the power of the presidency.

• The Bank issue was now center stage for the 1832 election.

Brickbats and Bouquets for the Bank

• The bank was undeniably anti-western in its strong hostility to the “wildcat banks” that provided financial help for western expansion. The bank had foreclosed on many western farms and had aided eastern businesses.

• The bank was Plutocratic (run by an elite aristocracy) headed by Nicholas Biddle (Czar Nicholas I). The bank was in some degree autocratic (ruled by one) and tyrannical (absolute power).

• Biddle lent funds where they would make influential friends. In 1831 59 members of Congress borrowed sums from “Biddle’s Bank.”

• Biddle’s loans to newspaper editors ensured a “good press.”

• There was good in the bank:– It made a financially sound

organization with some restraint on fly-by-night banks.

– Reduced bank failure– Promoted economic expansion

by making credit and sound currency reasonably abundant

– Safe depository for the funds of the Washington government

• The bank though, seemed against the egalitarian (equality in government, economy, and under the law) credo of American democracy.

“Old Hickory” Wallops Clay in 1832• The election of 1832 saw Jackson as

a Democrat and Clay as a National Republican.

• In 1832 a new party, the Anti-Masonic party, entered the presidential race. It was opposed to the fearsome secrecy of the Masonic order. It grew in New York and the middle Atlantic and New England states. Since Jackson was a Mason, the party was also an anti-Jackson party.

• Many religious groups seeking to use political power to effect moral and religious reforms, such as prohibiting mail deliveries on Sunday and keeping the Sabbath holy. Jackson was generally opposed to all government meddling in social and economic life.

• The Anti-Masons and the National Republicans called for a national nominating convention to name candidates. They also added a formal platform, publicizing their positions on issues.

• Clay had the Bank of the United States (Biddle’s Bank), Daniel Webster, and newspaper editors on his side.

• Jackson won with the West and South, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England. The poor was on his side (1824, 1828, and 1832)

Transplanting the Tribes• The American population rose to

nearly 13 million by 1830, three times that of 1790. Most of the states east of the Mississippi had been admitted, leaving islands of Indians surrounded by hungry land buyers.

• More than 120,000 Native Americans lived east of the Mississippi in the 1820’s. Federal policy varied: – The Washington government

recognized the tribes as separate nations and agreed to acquire land through formal treaties

– During the late 1700’s a great movement went out to “civilize” and “Christianize” the Indians.

– In 1793 Congress appropriated $20,000 to promote literacy, agricultural and vocational instruction

• The Cherokees of Georgia made remarkable efforts to learn the was of the whites. They adopted a system of settled agriculture and a notion of private property. Missionaries opened schools. They adopted a written constitution that provided for executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Some became prosperous cotton planters and slaver holders.

• The Five “Civilized Tribes” of the Southeast were: the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles

• The Georgia legislature in 1828 declared the Cherokee tribal council illegal. They appealed to the Supreme Court which upheld their rights. Jackson who wanted to open Indian lands to white settlement, refused to recognize the Court’s decisions. He said, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”

• Jackson proposed a removal of the eastern tribes beyond the Mississippi to Oklahoma. Many died along the way. This was called “The Trail of Tears”.

• The bureau of Indian Affairs was established in 1836. Oklahoma was to be the Indian’s land. It only lasted about 15 years.

• Sauk and Fox braves from Illinois and Wisconsin led by Black Hawk resisted eviction. They were crushed in 1832 by Lieutenant Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and by volunteers including Captain Abraham Lincoln of Illinois.

• The Seminole Indians, joined by run-away black slaves, retreated to the swampy Everglades of Florida. From 1835-1842, they waged a guerrilla war that took the lives of some fifteen hundred soldiers and proved to be the costliest Indian conflict in American experience.

• Americans wanted Texas which they had abandoned to Spain when acquiring Florida in 1819. Mexico won its independence before Spain was able to populate the area.

• In 1823 the Mexican government gave a huge tract of land to Stephen Austin under the condition that:– He would bring into Texas three

hundred American families– Immigrants were to be Roman

Catholic– The Immigrants would become

Mexican citizens– Could not bring slaves into

Texas• The immigrants did not obey the

rules. About 30,000 Americans came into Texas. Most of the people were God-fearing but some were just ahead of the sheriff (“G.T.T.”-gone to Texas).

• Davy Crockett and James Bowie also came. Sam Houston, ex-governor of Tennessee also came to Texas.

• Tensions mounted between the immigrants and Mexican authorities over slavery, immigration, and local rights. Mexico had emancipated its slaves in 1830 and prohibited their further importation into Texas. Dictator General Santa Anna imprisoned Stephen Austin in Mexico City in 1833. In 1835 Santa Anna wiped out all local rights and started to raise an army to suppress the Texans.

• In 1836 the Texans declared their independence and unfurled their Lone Star flag with Sam Houston as commander in chief. Santa Anna brought 6,000 men against 200 Texans at the Alamo in San Antonia and killed all of them after a 13 day siege. More Texans were killed at Goliad.

• “Remember the Alamo” became the war cry of those in the United States.

• On April 21, 1836, Sam Houston routed the Mexican army and captured Santa Anna. He signed two treaties:– Withdraw Mexican troops– Recognize the Rio Grande as

the extreme southwestern boundary of Texas.

• When released, he repudiated the whole agreement as illegal because it was extorted under duress.

Texas: An International Derelict

• Americans had aided the war. Mexico claimed that the Washington government had violated international law of neutrality. Though the federal government did not collectively act, the citizens did.

• Jackson did not want to recognize Texas since it would set off the slavery issue. Wanting Martin Van Buren elected, Jackson did not recognize Texas until after the election of 1837. Jackson recognized Texas on the day before he left office in 1837.

• Texas did not want just recognition of their independence, but union with the United States.

• Anti-slavery crusaders in the North were opposed to annexation.

• Texas went to Britain and France for support against Santa Anna. This could have violated the Monroe Doctrine

The Birth of the Whigs and the Election of 1836

• As early as 1828, the Democratic-Republicans of Jackson had adopted the name of “Democrats.” Jackson’s opponents condemned him as “King Andrew I” and adopted the name of “Whigs” from the British who opposed the monarchy in the Revolutionary War.

• The Whigs emerged in the Senate where Clay and Calhoun joined forces in 1834 censuring Jackson for the removal of federal deposits from the Bank of the United States (BUS).

• The Whigs encompassed those groups opposed to Jackson. They included:– Supporters of Clay’s American

System– Southern states’ righters offended by

Jackson’s stand on nullification– The larger northern industrialists and

merchants– Evangelical Protestants associated

with the Anti-Masonic party.• The Whigs strategy in 1836 was to run

several prominent “favorite son” candidates (those who supported the Whig party) in order to rob Jackson of 51%. If the vote went into the House of Representatives, the Whigs could win the vote. Henry Harrison, the hero of Ohio at the Battle of Tippecanoe, became the leading “favorite son.”

• Jackson supported Van Buren “Little Van,”

Jackson’s Legacy

• Jackson’s Legacy-(Good attributes):– Bolstered the power of the

executive branch– Signaled the political

coming-of-age of the West– Led the common people

into national politics– United the common people

into the Democratic party– Proved that the people

could be trusted with the vote

• Jackson’s Legacy-(Negative attributes):– Encouragement of the spoils

system (rewarding government jobs for votes)

– Damage of the nation’s financial system by weakening the BUS. The nation was deprived of a sound central bank just s it was entering an era of rapid industrialization

– The banking system was composed of thousands of local banks, many poorly managed.

– The banking system was “democratized” in the sense that no bank held a monopoly on financial power. This though led to thousands of bank failures.

Big Woes for the “Little Magician”• Martin Van Buren was the first

president to be born under the American flag.

• Many Democrats resented him being pushed into office by Jackson. Van Buren inherited many of Jackson’s political enemies.

• Worst of all, Van Buren inherited a searing depression from Jackson.

Depression Doldrums and the Independent Treasury

• The panic of 1837 resulted from speculation prompted by a get-rich-quickism. Western land speculators borrowed capital from “wildcat banks.” The speculation craze spread to canals, roads, railroads, and slaves.

• The “Bank War” and the Specie Circular also gave an additional jolt to the poor economy.

• Failures of wheat crops caused grain prices to go high. Mobs in New York City stormed warehouses and broke open flour barrels three weeks before Van Buren took office.

• Two prominent British banks failed in 1836 while Jackson was still president.

• Banks crashed including “pet banks” (banks that Jackson channeled money into that would have gone to the BUS).

• Factories closed an unemployed workers milled in the streets.

• The Whigs wanted government intervention to help with the crisis. Van Buren, following Jackson’s lead of keeping government out of the economy rejected the ideas.

• Van Buren devised the “Divorce Bill” which created an independent Federal Bank with branches in several major cities. This bank would not be tied to private banks. This established government bank eventually led to the Federal Reserve System which was enacted in the early 20th century and still used in America.

“Tippecanoe” Versus “Little Van”• Martin Van Buren was

renominated by the Democrats in 1840 and General William Henry Harrison was nominated as the Whig candidate. Harrison was nominated, not so much for excellence, but that his views were not known and he had no political enemies.

• The Wigs kept their platform hidden so as not to create waves. A Democratic newspaper editor gave Harrison a political boost by insulting him as an impoverished old farmer who lived in a log cabin and a barrel of hard cider. The Whigs took the theme and ran with it, portraying Harrison as being from the West.

• The real Harrison was from one of the FFVs (“First Families of Virginia”). He was not poverty-stricken; he did not live in a log cabin; and he did not drink hard cider.

• The Whigs portrayed Van Buren as an aristocrat who ate French food with golden teaspoons from golden plates. Ban Buren had actually been raised in poverty.

The Log Cabins and Hard Cider of 1840

• The Whigs marched miles for Harrison, making miniature log cabins. Whigs cried, “Tippecanoe, and Tyler too…Van is a used-up man.”

• The election of 1840 reached an intellectual low in 1840.

• Harrison won the election. However, the Democratic party was soon to emerge as a powerful force.

The Two-Party System Emerges• Political parties had been

thought to be injurious to the health of the country. However, the American political world changed dramatically I the era of the New Democracy. Jackson had given formation of a vigorous and durable two-party system, which had fully come of age by 1840.

• Both parties, the Democrats as well as the Whigs, grew out of the Jeffersonian republican party. Each laid claims to different aspects of the republican inheritance.

• Jacksonian Democrats promoted the liberty of the individual and were against the privileged in government.

• Whigs promoted the natural harmony of society and the value of community, and were willing to use government to achieve their objectives.

• Democrats clung to states’ rights and federal restraint in social and economic affairs.

• Whigs tended to favor nationalism; a renewed national bank; protective tariffs; internal improvements; public schools; and increasingly, moral reforms such as the prohibition of liquor and eventually the abolition of slavery.

• The two parties also had much in common:– Both were mass-based, “catchall”

parties that tried to mobilize as many voters as possible for their cause. Democrats tended to be more for the common folk while Whigs served the more prosperous. However, in actuality, both parties had loyalties of all kinds of Americans from all social classes and in all sections.

• The social diversity of the two parties had very important implications. It fostered compromises within each party that prevented either from assuming extreme or radical positions.

• The geographical diversity within the two parties kept the union from becoming split into purely sectional lines.