I. Politics for the People: an Age of Demagoguery

I.  Politics for the people: An age of demagoguery

a.  The New Democracy-Underpinnings

i. Democracy, Federalism, and Washington politics had lost appeal due to Panic of 1819, Federalist/Democratic-Republican intrigue, and mudslinging

ii.  White settlers in West, frontier, and South were increasingly restless and disenfranchised

1.  Became the new voice in politics

2.  Influence of rustic

3.  Forced issue of stable currency, local security against Indian raids, suffrage, and slavery

iii.  End of “Revolutionary Generation” and the leaders of the Constitutional Convention

1.  Replaced by generals from Indian wars and War of 1812

2.  Anybody who reflected rustic, unpretentious charm: Davy Crockett was simple, direct, and great with a rifle.

3.  Appeal of “log cabin campaigns”

b.  Political reforms

i. Candidates emerged through national conventions instead of state legislatures

1.  Eligible voter turnout raises 4X by 1824

2.  Conventions offer BBQs, badges, slogans, and free alcohol to swing votes

ii.  Electoral college broadens

1.  Includes directly nominated electors

2.  More in-tune with electorate

II.  Testing New Democracy

a.  A corrupt bargain—The failure of J.Q. Adams

i. Top three candidates, if tied, is chosen by the H. of R.

ii.  Clay, as Speaker of the House threw winning vote to JQA, securing the presidency

b.  A Yankee misfit

i. JQA was screwed over by the jilted Jackson and his cronies—particularly within the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and in Congress

ii.  Refused to fire inefficient officials

iii.  Proposed expensive public works projects which would have required an expensive tariff, burdened by the South

iv.  Tariff of 1828 (proposed to) raised general tariff 14%, which would have affected New England poorly

1.  South had no exporting tariffs=loss of $$/revenue

2.  South had to pay importing tariffs=loss of $$/revenue

v. South Carolina threatens nullification, delayed only by the election of Jackson

III.  The Revolution of 1828

a.  Jackson elected because of mudslinging, slander, and an appeal to the common white folk of the frontier and South.

i. Indicated the West as the new political powerhouse

ii.  Accused JQA excessive spending (an accidentally audited billiard table)

iii.  Jackson an adulterer—an inconclusive divorce

b.  The Jackson appeal

i. Old Hickory—survived nearly 100 duels, a shot in the lung, dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, stabbings, two marriages, incessant warfare against the Indians, and a narrowly lost election (1824)

ii.  Elected from Tennessee, an owner of slaves and much property, military experience, and a deep loyalty to the army=popularity in the West and South

c.  Innovations—Why its revolutionary

i. Removed property qualifications for voting

1.  Property qualifications obsolete with expanding frontier and free land

2.  Expanded suffrage to include all white men

3.  Made politics more accessible and corruptible through popular politics—having to appeal to a new voting bloc

ii.  First time since 1800 election that a new party was elected (Democrats having split from Democratic-Republicans)

1.  Shows viability of political parties and appealing to popularity/demagoguery

2.  Conventions and campaign slogans—modern, messy politics

iii.  The Spoils System

1.  “To the victor, go the spoils” Rewards go to those who helped

2.  Political back-scratching and gift-giving

3.  Informal advisors, Jackson’s inner circle=Kitchen Cabinet

4.  Often led to corruption, a lack of public disclosure of information, and not the most talented individual in a position of wealth, power, and prestige

d.  The Eaton Affair

i. Van Buren, Sec. of State, “supports” a lady of ill repute (Peggy Eaton) who had been scorned by all the female elite

ii.  Jackson supported Van Buren and Peggy Eaton, to the dismay of V.P. Calhoun

iii.  Resulted in a break with Calhoun

1.  Calhoun was a fervent Southerner and sectionalist

2.  Created enemies not only within White House, but also within the party and regionally.

e.  Jackson—A surprising Nationalist

i. Supported New England in tariff debate, scoffed S.C. attempt at nullification

ii.  Supported Webster’s appeal to ideological federalism

1.  The Union must be preserved at all costs

2.  The People, not the States, created and ratified the Constitution

IV.  The Age of the Common Man…and Compromise

a.  Henry Clay—The Great Compromiser

i. Attempted to mediate tariff issues between Jackson and the South

ii.  Sought to reduce Tariff of 1828 to appease the “Nullies” of South Carolina

iii.  Forced the Tariff of 1833 through Congress, which narrowly passed

iv.  Effects

1.  A divided Congress regarding tariff issues, illustrating the degree of regional hostility

2.  Congress passed the Force Bill which authorized executive military enforcement

3.  South Carolina gained reputation for hard-line state’s rights, anti-federalism, and turd disruption (particularly on the eve of the Civil War

4.  A firm policy of appeasement—do whatever necessary to preserve the Union

b.  A federal economic crisis—The Bank of the United States falters

i. Financial restructuring spurred by Clay and Nicholas Biddle (Biddle’s Banks)

ii.  Attempted to solidify loans and currency, particularly in western “wildcat banks”

1.  Wildcat banks—printed unstable currency and provided high interest loans to land speculators

2.  Loans rarely paid back

3.  A wide variety of currencies—no solid, federally backed, currency (pre gold standard)

4.  Individual states responsible for contracts with the BUS

V.  The Creation of a Two-Party System

a.  The evolution of the Jeffersonian Democratic Republicans

i. Jacksonians dropped “Republican” out of party name

ii.  Developed, by 1824, as the Democratic Party

1.  Nominated by national conventions

2.  Appealed to the common man--demagoguery

iii.  Favored many of the policies of JDRs

1.  Small farmers

2.  Support from South and west

3.  Criticized for not being true to ideology—still believed in a strong federal government

b.  Opposition coalesced in formation of Whig party

i. Led by Henry Clay, and advocate of state’s rights and John C. Calhoun (Jackson’s former V.P.)

ii.  Unable to elect a powerful nationally appealing candidate

c.  Result of Two Party system

i. Jacksonian Democrats retained control of presidency

ii.  Nominated/Rigged the vote for Van Buren

d.  Van Buren’s presidency, Dem. (1836-40)

i. United Democratic party

ii.  Preserved Jackson’s legacy of strong presidency

iii.  Killed BUS, causing national financial panic

e.  Nomination of Wm. H. Harrison, Whig (1840-44)

i. Didn’t run with any platform

ii.  Famous general from War of 1812, provided the authority to run as pres.

iii.  Continued tradition of “log cabin’ campaigns—who came from the poorest family, illustrated best rags-to-popularity story

f.  Party Platforms

i. Democrats

1.  Liberty of the individual

2.  States’ rights and federal restraint (with many notable exceptions)

3.  Claimed a more humble, backwoods upbringing

ii.  Whigs

1.  Claimed social and community harmony

2.  Criticized leaders who illustrated self interest (and the spoils system)

3.  Favored a strong national bank, protective tariffs, infrastructure, public schools, and moralism

4.  Mostly aristocratic