Chapter 10: A Democratic Revolution (1800 – 1844)
The Rise of Popular Politics
How/why did many states begin to open up the franchise in the early
1800s?
- In order to give more power to more white male landowners
How/why did the power of the notables begin to decline?
- Since more people got power, it was harder for the notables to gain
more power
What were the new roles/impact of political parties and political
machines?
- The new political parties further split up the United States into two
groups, and political machines sped up this process
How did patronage and the spoils system reinforce power of political
machines?
- Loyal members of a party would get more power once their party
got elected, and machines used this promise to incentivize
members
What was the importance of the caucus?
- Caucuses surveyed candidates and let parties decide which would
be the best
Why did the Federalist Party cease to exist?
- The federalists split up and later turned into other parties
Describe the controversies of the presidential election of 1824
- The house elected a widely less popular candidate, which made
people believe it was due to political corruption
What were John Quincy Adam’s key beliefs/ideals as president?
- Critical of slavery, opposed annexation of Texas, and disliked
Southern democratic leaders
How/why did the implementation of tariffs lead to the greatest political
challenge of the Adams administration
- The tariffs made the South mad and Adams had to compromise with
them
Why did John Quincy Adams struggle in his bid for re-election during
the election of 1828?
- He was becoming unpopular and was unfavored
What was Andrew Jackson’s appeal to many Americans?
- He came from a common household and was so able to relate with
the everyday man.
What was the ultimate result of the election of 1828?
- Andrew Jackson won, very narrowly.
The Jacksonian Presidency
What role did the “Kitchen Cabinet” play in the Jackson administration?
- Supported him with the spoils system and the war on the bank
Why was Jackson so fond of the spoils system?
- He justified it as an anti-corruption measure to replace the previous
guys with his own
Why did Jackson aim to destroy Clay’s American System?
- Jackson saw his system as only benefitting the rich and conflicting
with state’s rights
Why were federal tariffs re-enacted in 1832?
- To reduce competition with foreign countries.
How did South Carolina’s act of nullification almost lead to the state
seceding from the Union?
- South Carolina said that it would secede if they didn’t meet their
demands
How did Jackson respond?
- He forced South Carolina to stay while enforcing federal troops just
in case
Describe the controversy surrounding the Second Bank of the United
States
- Some questioned the constitutionality of the Bank, saying that
Congress couldn’t establish one
How did Jackson respond to this controversy?
- Jackson wanted to get rid of the Second Bank because he thought it
was unconstitutional
How did his response help him win re-election in 1832?
- The common man saw this and saw that Andew Jackson was still on
their side, which made him win
What was the fate of the Second Bank?
- All of the funds were transferred to state banks, and the bank was
shut down
Why did many Americans begin to call for the resettlement of Native
Americans west of the Mississippi River?
- Removal of Native Americans would allow them to continue going
West and govern themselves.
Describe the Indian Removal Act of 1830
- It authorized the president to grant lands to Indian Lands to western
territories past the Mississippi.
What was the Native American reaction to this act?
- Some went peacefully, but most resisted the policy.
How did the Supreme Court rule in regards to Native American
sovereignty?
- They ruled that the US had to treat the tribes with respect and
protect them as nations.
What lead to the Trail of Tears?
- The Indian Removal Act of 1830s, resistance from tribes, and the
forced migration of Native Americans
How did Jackson change the relationship between the office and the
people?
- He extended the scope of presidential authority and showed more
commitment for the people.
How did the Supreme Court support Jackson’s policies and ideas of
government?
- Many of the rulings in Jackson’s term were in favor of Jackson
Why did many Jackson loyalists support the ideas of classic liberalism
and laissez-faire ideologies?
- They allowed for more individual controls and less federal overreach
Class, Culture, and the Second Party System
How did Jackson’s presidency lead to the rise of the Whigs?
- It was created by opposition to Jackson’s presidency
What were the key ideals of the Whigs?
- Favored the American system. Which had a protective tariff,
construction subsidies, and support for a national bank
What differences existed between Northern Whigs and Southern
Whigs?
- Northern whigs were primarily anti-slavery, while southern whigs
were primarily pro-slavery.
How was Martin Van Buren able to defeat the Whigs in the election of
1836?
- He won the state of Pennsylvania by just two points.
What were the causes of the Panic of 1837?
- Popping of the real estate bubble and erratic American banking
policy.
How did the lack of a National Bank make this worse?
- Very little standardization and oversight made it harder to get
money efficiently, as well as the fact that they printed money.
Why did labor unions begin to rise in popularity during this economic
crisis?
- In order to make sure they get paid and not have cut wages.
Why was the presidential election of 1840 known as the great “log
cabin” campaign?
- The whigs painted Van Burne as too good for the common man by
having the candidate William Harrison as a “log cabin” persona.
How did the Whigs boost their political fortunes during this campaign?
- They gathered donations in order to beat the other party.
How did John Tyler become president?
- He rose to power after Harrison died in April of 1841
What political divisions existed between Tyler and the Whigs?
- After clashing with other Whigs over economic issues, he broke
away.
How did these divisions help the Democratic Party?
- They allowed them to overpower the now weaker party.
How/why did the Democrats rely on ethnocultural politics?
- They relied for slave owners to keep voting for them.
What were the negative consequences of this form of politics?
- They could easily change and backfire on the party they usually
vote for.
Despite its drawbacks, how did the US set itself apart politically from
much of the rest of the world?
- It was a big producer and had a flourishing economy