Chapter 13 - The Rise of Mass Democracy (1824 – 1830)

Learning Objectives – After reading this chapter you should be able to:

1. …describe and explain the growth of the "New Democracy" in the 1820s.

2. …indicate how the "corrupt bargain" of 1824 weakened Adams and set the stage for Jackson's election in 1828.

3. …describe the ''Tariff of Abominations" and explain why it aroused such furor in the South.

4. …analyze the significance of Jackson's victory in 1828 as a triumph of the "New Democracy."

5. …describe the "spoils system" and indicate its consequences for American politics.

6. …trace the increasing sectionalism that appeared in the 1820s and show how it was reflected in the Hayne-Webster debate.

Identify and/or State the Historical Significance of the following

  1. Andrew Jackson
  2. John C. Calhoun
  3. Henry Clay
  4. Martin Van Buren
  5. William Crawford
  6. Peggy Eaton
  7. John Quincy Adams
  8. Daniel Webster
  9. Denmark Vesey
  10. Robert Hayne
  11. Nicholas Biddle
  12. Osceola
  13. Martin Van Buren
  14. Andrew Jackson
  15. Stephen Austin
  16. William Harrison
  17. Henry Clay
  18. Sam Houston
  19. John Tyler
  20. John C. Calhoun
  21. Santa Anna
  22. Black Hawk
  23. William Travis

Define, and/or State the Historical Significance of the following

  1. common man
  2. New Democracy
  3. nullification
  4. spoils system
  5. rotation in office
  6. nullification
  7. annexation
  8. antislavery
  9. “favorite son”

Describe and/or State the Historical Significance of the following

  1. “King Caucus”
  2. Democratic-Republicans
  3. Anti-Masonic party
  4. “Revolution of 1828”
  5. Twelfth Amendment
  6. “King Mob”
  7. “corrupt bargain”
  8. Kitchen Cabinet
  9. Tariff of Abominations
  10. Eaton Affair
  11. “South Carolina Exposition”
  12. Maysville Road
  13. Tariff of 1832
  14. Specie Circular
  15. “slavocracy”
  16. Tariff of 1833
  17. “Trail of Tears”
  18. Panic of 1837
  19. Force Bill
  20. Seminole Indians
  21. Divorce Bill
  22. Bank of the United States
  23. Lone Star (Republic)
  24. independent treasury
  25. Anti-Masonic Party
  26. Democratic Party
  27. “pet” banks
  28. Whig Party

Glossary: To build your social science vocabulary, familiarize yourself with the following terms.

1. constituents - the body of voters or supporters in a district, regarded as a group

2. divine right - the belief that government or rulers are directly established by God

3. hard money - coins, as distinguished from paper money

4. deference - the yielding of opinion to the judgment of someone else

5. subversive - tending to corrupt, overthrow, or destroy something established

6. clique - a small, exclusive, and snobbish circle of people

7. puritanical - extremely or excessively strict in matters of morals or religion

8. usurpation - the act of seizing, occupying, or enjoying the place, power, or functions of some­ one without right

9. political plums - choice, desirable offices or favors

10. mudslinging - malicious, unscrupulous attacks against an opponent

11. bare-knuckle - hard, unrestrained, brutal

12. machine - a political organization, often controlled through patronage or spoils

13. spoils - public offices given as a reward for political support

14. henchmen - political supporters or followers

15. incumbent - the person currently holding an office

  1. impost - a tax, particularly a tariff or duty on imported goods
  1. appeasement - the policy of giving in to demands of a hostile or dangerous power in hopes of avoiding conflict
  1. plutocratic - concerning an extremely wealthy ruling class
  1. prejudice - unreasonable suspicion, bias, or hatred directed at members of a group
  1. ritual - a set form or system of ceremonies, often but not necessarily religious.
  1. evangelical - concerning religious belief, commonly Protestant, which emphasizes personal salvation, individual and voluntary religious commitment, and the authority of Scripture
  1. anathema - something or someone cursed or expelled from a group
  1. platform - a statement of the principles or positions of a political party
  1. mandate - something authoritatively commanded or required.
  1. denominations - in American religion, the major branches of Christianity, organized into separate national church structures, e.g., Presbyterians, Baptists, Disciples of Christ
  1. trammel - something that confines, restrains, or shackles
  1. prolific - producing abundant young
  1. temperance - moderation, or sometimes total abstinence, as regards drinking liquor
  1. crusader - a person who pursues a cause, religious or otherwise, with extreme enthusiasm and earnestness
  1. favorite sons - in American politics, presidential candidates who are nominated by their own state, primarily out of local loyalty