7th Grade A Changing Nation Notes

Part III

Important Events During the Age of Jackson

  1. 1824

·  Presidential Election: Andrew Jackson, John Q. Adams, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford

·  Jackson Won the electoral vote

·  The problem was that Jackson did not receive a majority of the electoral votes

·  The election was decided by a vote in the House of Representatives

·  Adams was ultimately elected

  1. 1824 - 1828

·  John Quincy Adam’s Presidency was burdened by charges of a secret deal to win the election

·  Had ambitious plans but accomplished little

·  Lacked the people skills to push his programs through Congress

  1. 1828

·  Presidential Election: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams

·  Andrew Jackson won

·  This election revealed growing sectional and class divisions

  1. 1832

·  Presidential Election: Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson

·  Andrew Jackson won again

Key Political Changes During the Age of Jackson

  1. Suffrage

·  Up until this time, most states had required men to own property before they could vote.

·  It changed to almost all white males were allowed to vote and hold office.

  1. Choosing the electoral college

·  At that time, the state legislatures chose the state’s electors

·  It changed in that most states, voters chose their electors

  1. Choosing political candidates

·  At that time, a party’s members of Congress held a caucus (a closed meeting of people from one political party), to select candidates

·  It changed so that the Whigs and Democrats began holding large nominating conventions to chose party candidates

  1. Ideas about who should participate in political life

·  Up until this time, only those with money and power should vote and run for office

·  It changed to the thought that ordinary people should vote and hold public office