Rebecca Edwards Eric Hinderaker Robert O Self James
Rebecca Edwards • Eric Hinderaker • Robert O. Self • James A. Henretta America's History Ninth Edition CHAPTER 9 A Democratic Revolution 1800– 1848 Copyright © 2018 by Bedford/St. Martin’s Distributed by Bedford/St. Martin's/Macmillan Higher Education strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
I. The Rise of Popular Politics A. The Decline of the Notables and the Rise of Parties: The Rise of Democracy 1. In late 1810 s, states revised constitutions to allow almost any white male worker or farmer to vote; by mid 1820 s, only a few states required property ownership 2. Expanded territories broaden franchise and elect more “middling” men to local/state office 3. 1818 -21, a few eastern states apportion legislatures based on population and seek to democratize local govt 4. Democracy is double-edged: it attracts ambitious and often corrupt men; speculators and entrepreneurs bribe government to get benefits
I. The Rise of Popular Politics, Cont’d A. The Decline of the Notables and the Rise of Parties: Parties take command 1. As “notables” (family connections) decline in image and power, political parties become an organizing force for govt 2. Parties as political machines that gathered diverse agendas into a coherent legislative program 3. Martin Van Buren advocated political order based on party identity, not traditional connections (he himself was born into elite circumstances) 4. 1817 -21: Van Buren creates the first statewide political machine, and later, the first nationwide political party 5. Success attributed to systematic use of party newspapers to promote platform and drum up votes, as well as patronage… 6. His party made 6 k political appointments in New York; he used “spoils system” to award public jobs and contracts to political supporters after victory 7. Insisted on disciplined voting as determined by party leaders by caucus (meeting) to ensure success of party’s legislative program
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d B. Racial Exclusion and Republican Motherhood 1. Old cultural rules and new laws - women and free black men excluded. Race and gender restrictions were explicitly written into law in many cases 2. Republican motherhood: decline in birthrate meant mothers were less burdened; Christian movement to get women to invest into shaping and educating their sons for civic virtue rather than agitating for public roles like voting, jury service, politics
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d B. Racial Exclusion and Republican Motherhood— cont’d 4. Debates over education: families provided basic moral and intellectual training, but there was a movement to promote republicanism via public education, too 5. Textbook author Caleb Bingham of Boston called for “an equal distribution of knowledge to make us emphatically ‘a republic of letters. ’” 6. Farmers and workers wanted elementary schools to teach children basic reading, writing, math while reformers admired textbooks that promoted honesty, hard work, and clean living
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d B. Slavery and national politics 1. Early on, southerners win as Congress approves Madison’s resolution that “Congress have no authority to interfere in the emancipation of slaves, or in the treatment of them within any of the states. ” 2. Slavery remains a contested issue as northern states end slavery while the south expands its slave-based economy 3. 1808 - Congress ends US participation in Atlantic slave trade, and northerners call for regulation of interstate slave trade
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d B. Slavery and national politics, cont’d 1. Black and white abolitionists call for an end to “relentless tyranny” of slavery; they hope that tobacco production decline will lead to an end of slavery, but the cotton boom ends that hope 2. 1817 - American Colonization Society forms to propose emancipation and resettlement of former slaves in Africa; Black Americans were largely uninterested, but the society settles 6 k African Americans in the new colony of Liberia in W. Africa
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d C. The Missouri Crisis & Compromise, 1819 -1821 1. MO applies for statehood in 1819 2. Congressman Tallmadge (NY) proposes emancipation of MO slaves and a ban of importation of slaves to the territory 3. MO declines, northern states block admission to the Union, southern senators retaliate by blocking Maine statehood 4. Constitutional issues: equality of states, states’ rights, property rights of slaveholders 5. Henry Clay’s MO Compromise: new states enter as pairs (one free and one slave), no slavery north of Lat 36° 30 (except MO), no slavery in most of LA Purchase territory
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d D. The Election of 1824 1. End of the “aristocratic” Federalist Party w/democratization of politics and retirement of “notables” 2. Of five Dem-Republican candidates, William Crawford selected as official Dem-Republican candidate; other candidates stayed in the race and sought voter support 3. Adams campaigned on his success as secretary of state; Clay promoted the American System, an integrated program of national economic development; Crawford advocated adherence to Jeffersonian ideals; and Calhoun withdrew to support Jackson, war hero and self-made man
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d D. The Election of 1824—cont’d 5. House of Representatives chose president bc no EC majority 6. Clay’s coalition of representatives vote for JQA, who then in turn appoints Clay So. S 7. Calhoun lambastes Adams of using patronage and executive power to thwart popular will, and Jackson’s faction condemns Clay for arranging a “corrupt bargain” against the popular vote plurality winner…
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d E. The Last Notable President: John Quincy Adams 1. JQA embraces Clay’s American System: protective tariffs, federally subsidized transportation improvements, and a national bank 2. American System supported by NE business elite and entrepreneurs and commercial farmers in midwest, but it did nothing for southern planters and small farmers who feared big banks and tariff-induced inflation 3. Tariff battles ensue; Tariff of 1828 (“Tariff of Abominations”) costs southern planters $100 m/yr as their options are to either overpay for northern goods or overpay for tariffed British imports 4. Southerners also hated JQA’s Indian Policy, which recognized native land rights and advocated treaty negotiation
I. The Rise of Popular Politics—cont’d F. “The Democracy” and the Election of 1828 1. Andrew Jackson’s campaign benefits from Van Buren’s “professional politician” help 2. Jeffersonian political ideals & “self made” image promoted 3. An egalitarian message: Jacksonian Rs called themselves “Democrats “ and “the Democracy” 4. Jackson’s appeal: equal (states) rights and popular rule 5. Anti-corporate, anti-central bank, restrained tariffs 6. First president from a western state 7. Very different from “notable” JQA, Jackson w/ 178 of 261 EVs. Traditional elites are afraid.
II. Jackson in Power, 1829– 1837 A. Jackson’s Agenda: Rotation and Decentralization 1. “Kitchen Cabinet” - informal group of advisors 2. Spoils system creates a loyal and disciplined national party; he gives government jobs to his friends and to win support for his policies 3. Jackson’s main priority: Destroy Clay’s American System 4. Vetoed internal improvement bills for “constitutional” reasons
II. Jackson in Power, 1829– 1837 —cont’d B. The Tariff and Nullification 1. The Tariff of 1828 kerfuffle got him elected, but he ended up having to protect the tariff 2. The Tariff of Abominations reenacted in 1832 by northern Ms. OC 3. South Carolina and nullification - VP John C. Calhoun claims that state conventions could declare a congressional law null and void if it affected states unequally (if state conventions served to ratify constitution, they can also serve to nullify congressional action? ” 4. Senator Daniel Webster of MA and popular sovereignty the people as a whole and their “general welfare” are what matters; that is Congress’ job.
II. Jackson in Power, 1829– 1837 —cont’d B. The Tariff and Nullification—cont’d 5. Jackson denounced radical states’ rights nullification violates the constitution and threatened the union 6. Force Bill - At Jackson’s request, Congress authorizes use of military to force SC’s obedience 7. Tariffs reverted to modest rates, fixing the crisis for the time being and eliminating another part of Clay’s American System 8. South Carolina rescinded its nullification of the tariff, and Jackson had established the principle that no state could nullify a law of the United States.
II. Jackson in Power, cont’d C. The Bank War continues the assault on national gov’t’s power 1. The Second National Bank kept state banks from issuing too many notes, thereby preventing inflation and high prices 2. Many Americans didn’t understand the vital regulator role of the Second Bank, fearing it would force bank closures and destroying their investments (monopoly - “monster bank”!) 3. Jackson’s opponents pushed early renewal fight, hoped his veto of the Second Bank charter extension would split Democrats before 1832 election (paper $ guys vs. hard metal $ guys), but the plan backfired 4. The veto made him a public hero; he declared that the Second Bank promoted advancement of the few at the expense of the many. He won the election and chose Van Buren - mastermind of the new party system - as his VP. 5. Jackson directed his Secy of the Treasury, Roger B. Taney, to pull govt gold from the Bank well before the charter expired in 1836, without Congressional consent. Got him into a huge fight with the Senate.
II. Jackson in Power, cont’d D. Indian Removal 1. Call for Indian resettlement during western expansion of whites 2. In 1802, GA ceded western land claims to new territories in exchange for federal promise to nullify Indian landholdings inside GA; demanded resettlement of Cherokee landowners 3. Jackson supported GA, declaring states were sovereign within their borders and removing federal troops that protected Indian enclaves 4. The Removal Act of 1830 gave OK and KS lands to Cherokee members for resettlement
II. Jackson in Power, cont’d D. Indian Removal, Cont’d 1. Chief Blackhawk and his followers refuse to move from W. Illinois; federal troops move to expel, result is Bad Axe Massacre of 1832 2. Over 5 years, 70 Indian nations forced to sign treaties and move west of the Mississippi 3. Supreme Court rulings mixed, and federal gov’t practices taking territory rather than protecting Indian land claims 4. 1838 Trail of Tears - Van Buren enforces departure of Cherokees to new Indian Territory 5. Seminoles the only exception as the national government forces the removal of most Indian peoples from the east to the west
II. Jackson in Power, cont’d E. Jackson’s Impact 1. Jackson expanded the authority of the executive office (“popular sovereignty” makes the president the direct representative of the people) while reducing the overall power of the national government 2. His chief justice appointment on the SCOTUS, Roger B. Taney, creates decisions that undermine some Marshall-era interpretations of the Constitution 3. The Taney Court enhances the regulatory role of state governments and restores some state economic powers 4. States revise their constitutions - protecting taxpayers, prohibiting special benefits for corporations, promoting expanded suffrage to most white men 5. Jacksonian “populism” embraces small government, classical liberalism and laissez-faire capitalism, and the power of ordinary people
III. Class, Culture, and the Second Party System A. The creation of a second national party —the Whigs • One branch of R party becomes Democrats • Other branch becomes the Whigs
III. Class, Culture, and the Second Party System—cont’d B. The Whig Worldview 1. Celebration of the entrepreneur, the enterprising individual, and the idea of a “country of self-made men” - a nation without permanent distinctions of class or status among white men 2. Not as elitist as the “notables” element of the Federalists 3. Northern Whigs wanted Clay’s American System; southern Whigs liked economic development but didn’t want the high tariffs and weren’t interested in the social mobility angle 4. Calhoun represents southern Whig view that social equality was detrimental to interests of both slave owners and factory owners 5. Whigs win the House in 1834 in a coalition with evangelical protestants and upwardly-mobile americans in the NE and midwest; they face Dem Van Buren in 1836 presidential and lose against his opposition to American System and his support for individual rights
III. Class, Culture, and the Second Party System—cont’d C. Labor Politics and the Depression of 1837– 1843 1. Working Men’s Parties - urban artisans and workers form their own political parties to protest elitism in politics; often found a natural home with Democrats 2. Campaigns for a more egalitarian society - they join with Jacksonians in demand for equal rights and in attacking monopolistic banks and chartered corporations 3. Some Working Men’s candidates won in cities, but their rhetoric emphasized proprietorship rather than labor unity - this put them at odds with dependent wage earners 4. Panic of 1837 - bank run triggered prolonged economic depression; unemployment rose to 20% in some areas 5. Decline of unions in the face of depression and unemployment; some state courts prohibited strikes and picketing
III. Class, Culture, and the Second Party System—cont’d D. “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!” 1. Whigs blamed Jackson for the Panic of 1837, but Van Buren was blamed too when he couldn’t stop the downturn 2. The “log cabin campaign” of Whig William Henry Harrison (victor at the Battle of Tippecanoe) is successful; he didn’t have much political experience, but could rubber stamp Whig economic agenda (protective tariffs and national bank) 3. Campaign is well-organized, like Van Buren’s, and both compete for loyalties of a mass electorate using public events 4. “Log Cabin” is an egalitarian symbol; Whigs invite women to their events, even. 5. Harrison wins, Whigs have a congressional majority. But when the president suddenly dies of pneumonia a month later, Tyler becomes president and turns against the Whig economic agenda. Opportunity for Democrats!
- Slides: 37