The Jacksonian Era &

the Rise of

Sectionalism

(c. 1820s – c. 1840s)

Georgia Standards

• SSUSH7 Students will explain the process of economic growth, its regional and national impact in the first half of the 19th century, and the different responses to it.

• a. Explain the impact of the Industrial Revolution as seen in Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin and his development of interchangeable parts for muskets.

• b. Describe the westward growth of the United States; include the emerging concept of Manifest Destiny.

• c. Describe reform movements, specifically temperance, abolitionism, and public school.

• d. Explain women’s efforts to gain suffrage; include Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Seneca Falls Conference.

• e. Explain Jacksonian Democracy, expanding suffrage, the rise of popular political culture, and the development of American nationalism.

• SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south divisions and westward expansion.

• c. Describe the Nullification Crisis and the emergence of states’ rights ideology; include the role of John C. Calhoun and development of sectionalism.

The Industrial Revolution

• Early 1800s industrial advances

drove national economy

• Eli Whitney –

• Developed cotton gin to make

the cotton production method

faster and use less slave labor

(the opposite effect happens)

• Developed the process of

making interchangeable parts

for firearms

Reform Movements of the

1800s

Temperance Movement

• Alcohol became a dominant drink in American society due to its use as an anesthetic and as a dilution for salted meats being sold in market. Alcohol was also more regulated and typically safer (cleaner) to drink than water

• The 2nd Great Awakening brought about a return to religious precedents in American society

• Many preachers and a growing women’s movement spoke out against the evils of alcohol in American society.

• Beginning in the 1830s there was a large movement that intended to make alcohol illegal in the United States

Public School Reform

• In the early 1800s no form of public education existed in the United States

• Children were generally educated at home by their parents, older siblings, private schools, or in rare cases professional tutors

• Education was thought important in order to maintain freedom in America (freedom through education/knowledge was originally proposed by Ben Franklin)

• Horace Mann led education reform in America and pushed for curriculum reforms, more money for public education, and teacher training programs

Women’s Rights

• The movement for women’s suffrage rose directly out of the temperance movement

• Suffrage – the right to vote

• Two outspoken women’s rights supporters, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott, organized the Seneca Falls Convention to discuss the issue of women’s rights in America and push for reform

• Because of the Convention the U.S. approved all the rights pushed for women except for one, the right to vote

The Development of the

American Identity and

Manifest Destiny

The Era Of Good Feelings

• After the War of 1812, the United States was

determined not to be dragged into partisan

political fights again.

• This time period became known as the “Era of

Good Feelings” and was dominated by one

political party, the Democratic Republicans,

and one man, James Monroe (the last

Founding Father to hold the Presidency).

• The goal of the Era of Good Feelings (1817-

1825) was to promote and strengthen the

United States by focusing on internal

improvements.

Election of 1820Election of 1816

Democratic Republican: James Monroe

Federalist: Rufus King

Democratic Republican: James Monroe

Independent: John Quincy Adams

The Rise of Popular

Political Culture

An End to the Era of Good Feelings

• The disputed election of 1824 would bring an end to the “Era of Good Feelings”.

• Democrat Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but not a majority (51%) of the electoral vote.

• The election was then sent to the House of Representatives where each state was given one vote.

• In the end, John Quincy Adams became President despite not winning the popular or electoral vote.

ELECTION OF 1824

John Q. Adams

Andrew Jackson

William Crawford

Henry Clay

RUN-OFF ELECTION IN CONGRESS (1825)

The Corrupt Bargain

• Adams’ victory in Congress was known as the “Corrupt

Bargain” because of the methods he used to rally support

for him.

• As a result of this scheming, the two-party system re-

emerged.

• When Jackson ran for President again in 1828, the

campaign was full of “mud-slinging” and false

accusations from both sides.

• Voter turn out increased dramatically after Jackson was

“robbed” of the Presidency in 1824.

PERCENTAGE OF VOTER TURN-OUT IN THE U.S. (1824-2008)

Andrew Jackson

• Military hero from War of 1812 (this background gained him much support, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans)

• Member of the “NEW” Democratic Party

• Wealthy slave owner from Tennessee

PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON - #7

ELECTION OF 1828

Democrat: Andrew Jackson

National Republican: John Q. Adams

Jacksonian Democracy

• In “Jacksonian

Democracy”, the right

to vote was granted to

more people.

• Now, regardless of

whether or not one

owned land, ALL

white males were

allowed to vote.

Jacksonian Democracy

• Jackson began using a system of rewarding his friends and political supporters with government jobs.

• This practice was known as the “spoils system”.• “To the victor go the spoils”

• Jackson wanted to get as many of his supporters in positions of authority in order to increase his own power and authority

Jacksonian Democracy

• Jackson, being a supporter of states’ rights, distrusted the power of the National Bank.

• He felt that the National Bank’s first priority was profit not public service.

• Jackson used the power of Presidential veto to strike down the Bank’s recharter in 1832 declaring the Bank unconstitutional.

• Even though the Supreme Court declared the Bank of the United States constitutional in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Jackson regarded the Executive Branch as superior to Judicial Branch

• This veto drastically increased the power of the President.

Jacksonian Democracy

• As a firm believer in “Manifest Destiny” Jackson used his power as President to secure more land for American settlers.

• Manifest Destiny – the idea that the U.S. was destined to occupy all the land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (from “sea to shining sea”)

• The Indian Removal Act forced many Native American tribes in the South and Midwest off their land and onto reservations in the Great Plains.

• The path they were forced to walk was known as the “Trail of Tears” and has become a dark moment in US History.

THE TRAIL OF TEARS ROUTE

Jacksonian Democracy

• Chief Justice John Marshall

ruled the Indian Removal Act

unconstitutional.

• In response, Jackson is said to

have replied: “You’ve made

your decision Mr. Marshall,

now ENFORCE IT!”

• What did this comment show

about Jackson’s feelings of

Presidential power?

• Nullify:

• 1. make something invalid

• 2. cancel something out

• Nullification – the process of a state

declaring a federal law unconstitutional

within that state

The Nullification Crisis

• Jackson’s Vice

President

• From South

Carolina

• Staunch supporter

of states’ rights

The Nullification Crisis

JOHN C. CALHOUN

• The issue of state’s rights had been at the center

of American politics since the Constitutional

Convention (remember the Bill of Rights).

• Remember that under the Constitution, the

federal and state governments share power.

• But, the Federal government has supremacy. A

state MUST follow a federal law.

• Still many believed that an individual state had

the right to nullify a federal law.

The Nullification Crisis

• In 1828, Congress passed a tariff (tax on imported goods) to protect American interests from cheaper British goods.

• Many leaders in the Southern states believed that the adoption of the tariff should be left up to the states.

• As a result, South Carolina chose to nullify the federal tariff. (Known to them as the “Tariff of Abominations”) and even threatened secession (breaking away) from the Union.

• Calhoun, in support of his home state, resigned as Vice-President out of protest.

• Calhoun’s loyalty to his region (South) showed how divided or sectionalized the nation had become.

The Nullification Crisis

• In response to South Carolina’s nullification of the tariff

and talk of secession, Jackson threatened military

intervention to enforce the tariff in South Carolina.

• Jackson even threatened to have Calhoun captured and

put to death for treason.

• In the end, a compromise was reached on lowering the

tariff and South Carolina ceased secession talks.

The Nullification Crisis

• The Nullification Crisis only served to strengthen the

divide between North and South.

• Calhoun (Jackson’s Vice-President) and other states’

rights supporters continued to advocate (support) the

power of individual states.

• The crisis also left many Southern wondering what else

the federal government might decide to enforce by federal

law?

The Nullification Crisis

Sectionalism

North

• Industrial

• More formally educated

• Unitarians &

Presbyterians dominate

• Large urban areas

• Larger population

South

• Agricultural

• More privately educated

• Baptists & Methodists dominate

• Mostly rural

• Smaller population

Political Cartoon Interpretation