History 2301E Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Indian Removal Act, Militia Organizations In The United States, Alexis De Tocqueville
2 May 2018
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October 24th, 2017
Andrew Jackson and the Old West
➢ The Election of 1828
o John Calhoun and the Nullification Crisis
➢ Jackson and Native Americans
o The Indian Removal Act
o The Cherokees
o The Trail of Tears, 1835-1838
➢ Manifest Destiny
➢ Texas
o The Alamo, 1836
o War with Mexico, 1846-1848
➢ California, the Gold Rush and Statehood
Andrew Jackson
- Background
o Born on the frontier regions, a young frontier men
o Came of age as a teenager during the American Revolution
▪ President that is not a founding father
o Captured by the British garrison (13 years old )
▪ Whipped as punishment because he would not bow down and shine the shoes of a
British soldier
▪ Engrained a hatred of authority
o Post the American Revolution tried to be a lawyer, a speculator and an investigator
- Military career
o Nickname: Old Hickory
▪ One of the toughest forms of wood that exists
▪ Jackson was a man that never flinched or bent to anyone else’s will
o Finds his calling in the military
▪ Claim to fame
▪ A key figure in the Tennessee militia movement
The Election of 1828
Jackson furious of being robbed of the presidency in 1824
- Jackson’s popularity
o Average Americans love him
o Believes that the white house is rightfully his
o Opponents know that they cannot go after Jackson himself, untouchable in terms of
popularity
- Personal attacks
o Rachel
▪ Goes after his wife
• a new technique in American politics
▪ she was previously married
• Jackson her 2nd husband
▪ First divorce not legal
• Technically meaning she was still married to first husband
• Neither Rachel or her first husband knew this
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Opponents dug deep to find the paperwork and any legal errors
▪ Opponents played it up that she was a bigamist, a whore
▪ Meant to hurt Jackson
• Too popular, does not affect his president campaign
‘The Age of the Common Man’
- Immense voter turn out
o Jackson received 68% of electoral vote and 56% popular vote
- Rachel dies
- Jackson’s Inauguration, March 1829
o Open house
▪ An open invitation: posted in newspapers across the country
▪ Mostly, anti-authoritarian men who were given free alcohol
• A boisterous party
• One of theirs was in the white house, a man of the people
- “Reign of King Mob”
o critics used this event as an example of why republicanism is dangerous
▪ What happens when the average man controls the political people
• Instead of an elite, smart or wealthy man
o Bank charter ends in 1826, the bank charter dies
▪ Feeds into anti-federalism
John Calhoun and the Nullification Crisis
- VP John Calhoun
o Home state is South Carolina
- South Carolina, 1820s and 1830s
o Cotton their exclusive economic basis
o Caught up in the panic of 1819
▪ American tariff which led to England’s backlash
o South Carolina’s economy collapses in the early 1820s
▪ Huge populations left, a domino effect had taken place
• People lost their homes and money invested in banks
- Adams’ tariff, 1828
o Is he going got follow the federalist focus on tariffs?
▪ Calhoun saying, he has to get rid of it
- The theory of nullification
o Jefferson
▪ Jackson understands that you need to be a pragmatist when governing the entire
United States
o Federal laws
▪ If it hurts the interests of any state, for any reason, states have the right to not
follow federal laws
▪ Not talking about breaking up the union, but that state rights go beyond federal
laws
o furious
▪ VP openly criticises Jackson’s inaction
• Jackson sees this as over stepping political boundaries
▪ A problem in the white house’ political structure
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The election of 1828: john calhoun and the nullification crisis. Jackson and native americans: the indian removal act, the cherokees, the trail of tears, 1835-1838. Texas: the alamo, 1836, war with mexico, 1846-1848. British soldier: engrained a hatred of authority, post the american revolution tried to be a lawyer, a speculator and an investigator. Military career: nickname: old hickory, one of the toughest forms of wood that exists. Jackson was a man that never flinched or bent to anyone else"s will: finds his calling in the military, claim to fame, a key figure in the tennessee militia movement. Jackson furious of being robbed of the presidency in 1824. Jackson"s popularity: average americans love him, believes that the white house is rightfully his, opponents know that they cannot go after jackson himself, untouchable in terms of popularity. Personal attacks: rachel, goes after his wife a new technique in american politics she was previously married.
