cc

AMERICAN HISTORY

CLASS

Week three

Andrew Jackson was nicknamed “Old Hickory.” He was a “self taught” man who a hero in the war of 1812.

He was the first president from a state that was not the original 13.

Original 13

He was from Tennessee

He was the first President who was not the son of well to do cultured parents of Either Massachusetts or Virginia.

Jefferson’s Home

Washington’s Home

His Homes

During the early years, the United States, like England, had been governed by its wealthy citizens. No man who did not own a certain amount of land was allowed to vote. Now, however, in many old states and all the new western ones, every man over twenty-one had the right to vote, and they elected Andrew Jackson.

He was considered a man of the people.

When he was inaugurated, the people thronged to Washington to see him. They were invited into the White House and it became a mob scene as they scrambled to see the President.

They ruined a lot of items and furniture in the White House.

The wealthy, cultured people of the East were horrified by their actions.

Andrew Jackson made sure that he rewarded those who voted for him. Out went hundreds of postmasters, deputies and clerks, whether they had been faithful or not in their jobs. Into their jobs went Jackson’s men!

Jackson encouraged his supporters by giving them federal jobs after he was elected, a practice followed to this day. “To the victor goes the spoils”.

Many in congress were upset when Andrew Jackson started vetoing their bills. His opponents formed a new political party: The Whigs.

He used the Presidential veto more than any other previous President to control legislation he opposed.

In spite of his sympathies with the West and South, Jackson believed in a strong union.

This was evidenced when John C. Calhoun encouraged South Carolina to secede from the Union. South Carolina said the taxes were too high for them and didn’t like it that the profits were going to Northern factories.

Northerners felt like they had no right to choose which laws they would follow. Andrew Jackson, even though he was a Southerner, sided with the Union. He threatened to use force against South Carolina if they chose not be part of the United States. In 1830, they settled for a compromise. 30 years later---they would secede and a Civil War would begin.

Cherokee Trail of Tears

Congress passed the Indian removal Act of 1830 requiring all Indian tribes to move west.

The Cherokees refused to go at first and remained in Georgia even after being offered $5.7 million to move.

Some of the Cherokee had become successful farmers and adopted much of the White Man’s style of life. They sent men to plead their case with the Supreme Court---which supported them keeping their homeland

In 1938 they were forced to go the Oklahoma territory, which required months of hard travel. Many died of hunger and cold as they trudged across the hundreds of miles to the Mississippi River and across to a designated Indian Territory.

The discovery of gold on their land resulted in many people wanting their land.

They were forced to go the Oklahoma territory, which required months of hard travel.

18,000 Cherokee left---4,000 of them died along the way. This event was called the “trail of Tears”.