GUIDED NOTES: Political Changes in America from 1815-1855)

Skills needed: attention, listening for important causes/effects, shortening and summarizing skills

Election of 1824 “corrupt bargain” (Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams)

3 way tie in the Electoral College. Jackson was the most popular, but when the House of Representatives voted to break the “tie”, and picked Quincy Adams instead, then Henry Clay was appointed Sec of State shortly after, citizens suspected a “corrupt bargain”.

Clay’s “American System”. How would it work? What was the purpose?

Expand America, make it wealthier by investing in roads, canals, bridges, railroads. Paid for by more protective tariffs. Guess who hated this?

Tariff of Abominations

The worst protective tariffs yet…will lead to Nullification Crisis

Election of 1828 (Andrew Jackson: what’s he like, what does his election signal and end to?)

Watch video online from 8/5. He’s crazy. Signals an end to the”Era of Good Feelings” due to the rise of his political party, the Democrats.

“spoils system”

Whereby a politician puts his friends in positions of power, regardless of their popularity or experience. Jackson was disliked for this

Nullification Crisis (John C. Calhoun)

Reaction in South Carolina to the Tarriff of Abominations, lead South Carolina to threaten to secede and leave the United States. Didn’t happen.

McCullough vs. Maryland

Supreme Court case: Does Congress have power to create National Bank? Answer: yes, Elastic Clause gives this power. Second question: Can states tax this bank? Answer: No, Supremacy Clause of the Constitution says states are inferior to the federal government

Gibbons vs ogden (1824)

Congress controls interstate commerce

Sectionalism: the idea that the country began to split based on differences caused by tariffs, slavery, etc.

“pet banks”/end of the National Bank (how did Jackson destroy the National Bank?)

Jackson can’t legally close the National Bank, so he gets buddies in Congress to pass laws forcing state banks to remove their money from the National Bank, thereby bankrupting and “destroying” the bank. “Pet banks” was a term for the state banks, which he favored.

Rise of the Whig Party

So many people hated President “King Jackson”, a new political party was formed

Election of 1836/1840

William Henry Harrison (famous in the Battle of Tippecanoe) wins the Presidency, the first Whig President!

Jackson is considered the founder of the Democrat political party. He was President from 1829-1837