The Age of Jackson

1824 - 1837

 Population shift and West becomes

politically powerful
Jackson appealed to the Common Man
because he was one.

1790
Qualifications to vote in
most states
21 yrs. Old White Male.
educated and property
owner.

voting

Most qualifications are

dropped. Majority of White
men can now vote

Jacksonian Democracy.
European visitors to the U.S. like Alex de
Tocqueville in the 1830s were amazed by
the informal manners and democratic
attitudes of Americans
The hero of the age was the self-made
man
The idea of spreading political power to all
men and having majority rule became
known as Jacksonian Democracy.

New Democracy

NEW DEMOCRACY

JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACY
People should be governed as little possible

JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY
Whatever governing needed to be done, it
should be done by the common man.
Government by the majority of people
(Majority Rule) instead of a government
run by the upper class was introduced
during Jacksons Presidency.
All men are created equal Declaration
of Independence

JACKSON THE MAN

Born March 15, 1767, on North
Carolina/South Carolina border
Orphaned at 13, self-educated and
no formal education. Killed a man
in a duel.
Lawyer, Judge, senator, military
general and finally President
Defeated the Creeks at Horseshoe
Bend, the British at New Orleans,
took Florida and claimed it for the
US in 1819. Loved by his soldiers
called him Old Hickory
Many considered him dangerous.
They viewed him as a potential
American Napoleon

Jacksons First Presidential Run

Opponents in 1824

Henry Clay John Quincy Adams John C. Calhoun

[MA]
[KY]
[SC]

Jackson would go on to hate all of these men

The Election of 1824

261
electoral
votes and
131
needed to
win.

ADAMS VS. JACKSON

Jackson won
the popular
vote, but did
not win the 131
electoral votes
to win the
electoral vote
and the
election.
The election
would be
decided in the
House of
Representatives

ADAMS VS JACKSON

corrupt

The Corrupt Bargain

Henry Clay gives his support to John Q. Adams and the
House of Representatives chooses Adams as the
President.
Two weeks later, Adams appoints Henry Clay as his
Secretary of State.
Jackson cries out corruption and calls this the Corrupt
Bargain.
Jackson promises he would run again for the Presidency
in 1828 and would smash Adams.

corrupt1

The Corrupt Bargain

Suspicions of a corrupt bargain have been
strengthened by entries in the diary of John Q. Adams.
On January 1, 1825, after a public dinner, he wrote,
He (Clay) told me (in a whisper) that he should be glad to
have with me soon some confidential conversation upon
public affairs. I said I should be happy to have it whenever it
might suit his convenience.
In the diary entry for January 9, reads in part,
Mr. Clay came at six and spent the evening with me in a
long conversation explanatory of the past and prospective of
the future.
Exactly a month later, with Clays backing, Adams was
elected. This happened because Clay was Speaker of the
House..They both disliked Andrew Jackson...

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was born into wealth
and privilege as the son of President John
Adams.
During the Revolution and early Republic
he served his country as a young man if
various European countries as an American
Ambassador
College educated, he was extremely
intelligent and served as a professor at
Harvard University.
Served as Sec. of State and negotiated
many treaties including the Adams-Onis
Treaty.

Read constantly and in many languages. Kept

a diary for almost 70 years that comprise 50
volumes.

John Quincy Adams

POSTIVES
One of the ablest men, hardest workers, and
finest intellectuals ever in the White House.
Tried to promote not only manufacturing and
agriculture, but also the arts, literature, and
science.
Paid down the national debt and continued the
American System of internal improvements.

NEGATIVES
He was not a Common Man and like his
father distrusted what he called Mob Rule
Most found him cold and tactless.
Could not build any popular support for his
programs.

JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY
After the election of 1824 the DemocraticRepublican party split in to two new parties.
1.
2.
3.

4.

NATIONAL REPUBLICANS
Adams and Clay
Strong national govt.
Favored business, tariffs,
internal improvements,
industry, public schools
and moral reforms such
as prohibition of liquor
and abolition of slavery.
Best/privileged run the
govt.

1.
2.

3.

4.

DEMOCRATS
Jackson
Believed in states rights
and federal restraint in
economic and social
affairs.
Favored the liberty of the
individual and was
against the power of the
privileged (rich) in the
government.
Protected the common
man.

The election of 1828

REMATCH! ADAMS VS JACKSON
The issues
End corruption in Washington.
Reform and eliminate the National debt
The People vs. the Elite
Rachel Jackson vs His Fraudulency

Election of 1828
An American Tragedy

Election of 1828

Jackson and J. Q. Adams ran

against each other for the
presidency
One anti-Jackson newspaper declared,
General Jacksons mother was a common
prostitute, brought to this country by the
British soldiers! She, afterwards married a
mulatto man with whom she had several
children, of which one was Andrew Jackson.

Anti-Adams
Anti-Adams people
people accused
accused
him
him of
of hiring
hiring aa servant
servant girl
girl
for
for aa visiting
visiting Russian
Russian
ambassadorand
ambassadorand the
the
Corrupt
Corrupt Bargain
Bargain making
making
him
him aa fraud.
fraud.

One of the worst elections in US History for its mudslinging.

As a result of this, Jacksons wife Rachel, died of a heart attack
just before he became PresidentHe blamed Adams and Clay and
never forgave them..

The Election of 1828

261 total
electoral votes
and 131
electoral votes
to win

ADAMS VS. JACKSON

Why such a
difference between
the election of 1824
and 1828?
Population shifts to
Western States and
South which gives
the Common Man
more political power
More men voting in
1828----why?
Property restrictions
and education
dropped.
Jackson appealed to
common man
because he was one.

The Election of 1824

Election
of 1824,
355,817
voted.

The Election of 1828

Election
1828,
1,155,350
voted.

KING MOB

Jacksons Inaugural was a victory for the Common Man.

Thousands of commoners came to Washington, D.C. to
see Jackson inaugurated and there was a riot at the
White House!
Inaugural

Common man cluster

Land easy to
obtain in the
West
Education
not as
important

Jackson brought
democracy to the
Common man

Rise of the Common

Man and The New
Democracy

Other Common
Men of the time: expand participation
of the common man
Davy Crockett
in democracy.
Sam Houston

Examples
Blacksmith
Farmers
Carpenters
The Working
Class
Jackson
represented
the common
man

Which one is John Quincy Adams and which one is

Andrew Jackson? Why?

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