Era of Good Feeling & the Age of Jackson

U.S. History until 1877

Era of Good Feeling

§ Demise of Federalists

§ James Monroe, 1817-25

§ Foreign policy success

§  Good British relations

§  1818 treaty draws the Canadian border

§  Demilitarized
§  49th parallel favors US

§  Joint occupation of Oregon Territory

§  Florida: Jackson & the
Adams-Onís Treaty, 1819

 

 

Monroe Doctrine, 1823

§ Revolutions in Spanish colonies

§ No new colonies

§ No European forms of government

§ Existing colonies accepted

§ No interference in Europe

Good Feeling and Bad

§ Sectional tensions

§  Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, 1793

Cotton gin

Good Feeling and Bad

§ The Missouri crisis, 1819

§  Tallmadge Amendment

§  Henry Clay’s compromise

§  Parity in Senate: Missouri & Maine

§  36°30´ limit to slavery

§  Denmark Vesey conspiracy, Charleston, SC, 1822

§  Southern slavery debate chilled

ElectionS of 1824 AND 1828

§ William Crawford vs. John Quincy Adams
vs. Henry Clay vs. Andrew Jackson

§ “Corrupt bargain”

§ Election of 1828: Rematch

§  John Quincy Adams vs. Andrew Jackson

Election of 1828

Democratization
of Politics

§ Universal manhood suffrage

§ Direct election of electoral college

 

“All Creation Going to the White House”

Jacksonian Democracy

§ National movement

§  Equality & opportunity; born in a log cabin

§  No monopolies or privilege; anti-elite

§  “Spoils system”: federal jobs need no training

§ Negative side of democracy

§  Catered to mediocrity; anti-intellectual

§  Incompetence & corruption in government

§  Political life uncomfortable for gentlemen

§  Excluded blacks, women, Indians

The Jacksonian Era

§ An age of heroes

§ Jackson and the era

§  Democratic Presidents are all Jacksonians up to 1861

§  James K. Polk: “Young Hickory”

§  Whig Pres. William Henry Harrison a Jackson type

 

Jackson and the Presidency

§ New type of Presidential personality

§ New type of Presidential power

§  President leads Congress

§  New use of veto

§  Ignores Marshall’s ruling for the Cherokees

§  Spurs creation of a new party system

The Second Party System

§ Jackson’s supporters organize the Democratic Party

§  Martin Van Buren

§  Party organization at precinct, county, state, & national levels

§  National convention

§  “Factions”? Parties as the “watchdogs of liberty”

§ Jackson’s opponents organize the Whig Party (against “King Andrew”)

§  Congress above the President

§  Internal improvements: federal transportation network

§  Tariffs and banking to protect and stimulate economic progress

§  Moral progress

The Nullification Crisis

§ 1828 “Tariff of Abominations”

§ Calhoun: South Carolina Exposition and Protest

§  Daniel Webster’s response to Hayne

§  “Liberty & Union, now & forever, one & inseparable”

§ Tariff of 1832 & Nullification

§ Henry Clay: Compromise Tariff & the Force Bill

§ Significance: Dress rehearsal for Civil War

§  Doctrines of secession & union formulated

§  Southern state got its way by threat to secede

§  Precedent: President acts forcefully against secession

The Bank War

§ The Bank of the United States

§  Chartered in 1816 for 20 years

§  President Nicholas Biddle

§ Plan to embarrass Jackson, 1832: early renewal

§  Veto for democracy

§ Economic chaos

§  “Pet banks”: federal money in state banks

§  1836 Specie Circular

§  1837 Panic & Depression