Topic 6, Lesson 1: Jackson Wins the Presidency

Topic 6, Lesson 1: Jackson Wins the Presidency

By Lori Ziemann

Democracy Expands

• Frenc​h author Alexis de Tocqueville travelled around the U.S. and wrote Democracy in America about what he witnessed (workers had more rights and were treated with more dignity in the U.S. vs. Europe-- expected to be treated as equals)

• Increased suffrage: More people could vote in most states because the land owning requirement for being able to vote was ended. However, voting, the ability to serve on a jury, and the ability to own land were denied most people unless they were white adult males.

​	​white men	​white women	​Free African Americans	​Enslaved African Americans	​Native Americans
​could vote	​yes	​no	in a few states	​no	​no
​could serve on juries	​yes	​no	​in a few states	​no	​no
​could own property	​yes	​only if single	​in a few states	​no	​yes

​Rights in the U.S.A. in 1830

Open Ended

According to Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, how was the U.S. different from Europe?

Multiple Choice

What does suffrage mean?

• The right to be treated as an equal

• The right to vote

• The right to suffer

Multiple Choice

Who gained suffrage (the right to vote) in the 1820s-1850s?

• African American men who owned land

• Single white women

• Married white women

• White men who did not own land

Multiple Choice

In the 1830s, which of these things were single white women allowed to do that married white women could not?

• Vote in local elections

• Own property

• Serve on a jury

• Vote in national elections

• Andrew Jackson won the popular vote, but none of the four candidates for president got a majority (over 50%)of the electoral votes.

• The vote for the top three candidates (Jackson, ​Adams, and Crawford) went to the House of Representatives

• Though Henry Clay wasn't in the top 3, he was the Speaker of the House​ and he urged the other members to vote for Adams

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The Election of 1824 leads to a "Corrupt Bargain"

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​Candidate	​Andrew Jackson	​John Quincy Adams	​William Crawford	​Henry Clay
​Home state	​Tennessee	​Massachusetts	​Georgia	​Kentucky
​Main positions	​Presents himself as the champion of the common man	​Supports tariffs and federal spending	​Supports states' rights	​Supports tariffs and federal spending
​Popular vote	​151,271	​113,122	​40,856	​47,531
​Electoral vote	​99	​84	​41	​37
​House vote	​7	​13	​4	​Not on ballot

​The Election of 1824

Multiple Choice

According to this chart, who received the most popular votes?

• Andrew Jackson

• John Quincy Adams

• William Crawford

• Henry Clay

Multiple Choice

According to this chart, who received the most electoral college votes?

• Andrew Jackson

• John Quincy Adams

• William Crawford

• Henry Clay

Multiple Choice

Who received the most votes when the election wound up going to the House of Representatives?

• Andrew Jackson

• John Quincy Adams

• William Crawford

• Henry Clay

Multiple Select

Why did Andrew Jackson and his supporters consider the election of 1824 a "corrupt bargain?" (choose all that apply)

• Because Henry Clay persuaded the House to vote for John Quincy Adams

• Because Henry Clay should have been in the top 3 candidates

• Because William Crawford didn't have much of a political platform

• Because the person who had the majority of the popular vote AND the electoral votes didn't win

Asked Congress for federal money to pay for building of roads and canals.

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Hmm... wanting the federal government to pay for things sounds kind of... FEDERALIST​

Promotes Economic Growth

The Presidency of John Quincy Adams

Open Ended

How was John Quincy Adams more like a Federalist than a Democratic Republican?

New Political Parties

Some text here about the topic of discussion

In 1834, many Democratic Republicans were angry at Jackson. They felt he was acting like a king and not paying attention to what the other branches of govt wanted. They formed the Whig Party.

​Whig Party

In 1828, Jackson ran for President as a Democrat instead of a Democratic Republican. They thought the other party was getting too much like the Federalists, so they wanted to branch off.

​Democratic Party

​	​Democrats	​Whigs
​Where their supporters lived	​Primarily in the South and western territories	​Primarily in the Northeast, and in cities and large towns
​What most of their supporters did to earn money	​Farming and other agriculture, factory work	​Commerce - owning factories, in trade, banking, etc.
​Older political party most like them	​Democratic Republicans / Anti-Federalists	​Federalists

Multiple Choice

Which party is still powerful today in the U.S.?

• The Democratic Republican Party

• The Whig Party

• The Federalist Party

• The Democratic Party

Multiple Choice

If Alexander Hamilton had still been alive in the 1830s, which party would be most likely belong to?

• The Democratic Party

• The Whig Party

Multiple Choice

If Thomas Jefferson had still been alive in the 1830s, which party would be most likely belong to?

• The Democratic Party

• The Whig Party

Andrew Jackson: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

• Quick-tempered and violent; he dueled several men ​as a younger man

• He and the men he led killed thousands of Native Americans in various battles​

• Put his friends in powerful government positions even if they weren't qualified​ (spoils system)

Bad/Ugly:

• Self-made man who was born poor but was able to become a well-respected General

• D​efeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans

• Seen as a new type of leader, one who was a bold individual​

Good:

Jackson's Inauguration

​A record crowd, or a crazy mob?

Thousands of people flocked to Washington D.C. to watch Jackson's inauguration. After he was sworn in, the huge crowd followed the new president to the White House for a reception. One witness stated that Jackson was "almost suffocated and torn to pieces by the people in their eagerness to shake hands."

Open Ended

During his presidency, some people started calling Jackson King Andrew the First because they felt he was taking too much power. Why might using the image of a king cause a strong reaction in Americans?

Multiple Choice

How did changes in suffrage affect the election of Jackson as president?

• Since women could now vote, they chose someone they found handsome.

• Since African Americans could now vote, the chose someone they thought would end slavery.

• Since Native Americans could now vote, they chose someone who was known to care about tribal matters.

• Since white men who didn't own land could now vote, they chose someone down to earth and from a humble background.

Poll

What is your opinion of the spoils system?

• A person with power shouldn't be able to just give jobs to their friends. They should have to choose qualified people.

• The president should be able to pick whoever they want for cabinet positions and other offices.

• It's smart to put people in power who support you completely.

• Putting people in positions they aren't qualified for could cause huge problems for the entire country

Multiple Choice

Why did Andrew Jackson and his supporters oppose economic programs like the national bank and using federal funds to promote infrastructure (roads/canals)?

• They didn't want the U.S. to be successful and powerful.

• They didn't want the federal government to have much power (except for the president, of course)

• They didn't want Americans to settle lands west of the Appalachians.