1. The Jacksonian Impulse
Jackson was the first president not to come from a prominent colonial family
Symbolized the changing social scene
Fluid new economic environment fostered scramble for material gain and political advantage
Calling the Jacksonian era the “age of the common man” is misleading
Even though political participation increased, common folk remained common
There was never true economic and social equality
Distinctions in society remained
2. Setting the Stage
Jackson’s nickname: Old Hickory
3. Appointments and Rivalries
Jackson replaced fewer than 20 percent of officials
Administration was divided between Van Buren and Calhoun
Calhoun defended Southern interest
Jackson sought Van Buren’s advice
4. The Eaton Affair
Peggy Eaton affair favored Van Buren against Calhoun
Wife of John Eaton, Secretary of War—accused of adultery in the past
Jackson sympathized with her—his cabinet, especially Van Buren, chastised her
Jackson accused Calhoun with a conspiracy against her and drew closer to Van Buren
5. Internal Improvements
Jackson was opposed to federal financing of transportation improvements, but Calhoun supported it
Maysville Road bill: passed by Congress, offered Jackson a happy chance for a dual thrust at rivals Calhoun and
6. Clay. The bill authorized the government to buy stock in a road from Maysville to Lexington.
Part of larger scheme to link with National Road
Jackson vetoed, calling it unconstitutional, on the grounds that it was a purely local undertaking (road
7. was only within Kentucky)
Jackson set important precedent: limiting federal support of internal improvements
Jackson supported interstate projects
8. Nullification
9. Calhoun’s Theory
Calhoun: war-hawk nationalist --> state rights sectionalist
Conditions in South Carolina (his home state) brought about this change
10. Suffering from agricultural depression
11. Blamed protective tariffs—British and French couldn’t afford to buy southern cotton
12. Low cotton prices, exhausted lands
13. North’s criticism of slavery
Denmark Vesey slave insurrection of 1822
Tariff of 1828: (the one Calhoun had schemed earlier and surprisingly was passed)
Prompted his writing of South Carolina Exposition: opposed the tariff, nullification stopped short of
14. cession from the union
He wanted to preserve the Union by protecting the minority rights that the agricultural and slave-holding
15. South claimed
Very similar to Jackson
His concept of interposition—states could nullify federal law—followed the Constitution
16. Interposition would be organized by state convention
17. The Webster-Hayne Debate
The debate sharpened the lines between states’ rights and the Union
Immediate question of the debate was public land
Samuel Foot proposed restriction on sale of western lands
Thomas Benton denounced Foot Resolution as an effort to empower factory labor
Robert Hayne supported Benton and policy of cheap land.
Daniel Webster defended the East.
Lured Hayne into defending states’ rights and upholding the doctrine of nullification instead of pursuing
18. a coalition with the West
Hayne took the bait and argued in support of South Carolina Exposition, Hartford Convention, and that
19. federal government could not be the judge of its own powers
Webster countered by arguing that a state could neither nullify a federal law nor secede from the
20. Union
Webster had the better argument. Union > individual states.
21. The Rift with Calhoun
Jackson opposed interposition. Calhoun was for state rights. The two opposed each other.
P. 393 Jackson removed all Calhoun partisans from cabinet and reappointed one entirely loyal to him. Calhoun’s
22. chances of becoming president at this point were virtually zero.
Van Buren became minister to Great Britain
Jackson accepted protective tariffs but called for a reduction on a few consumer goods to