Notes

The Expansion of Democracy:
The United States faced an economic crisis in 1819.
- Many people lost their homes and farms.
- People wanted to be able to elect politicians who could help them.
- The public demanded an end to property requirements for voting.
- Gradually, all adult white men were given the right to vote.

Andrew Jackson:
- Was born in poverty in a log cabin.
- Fought against American Indians in the Seminole Wars.
- Was a lawyer and politician.
- Wanted the common man to have more say in political matters.
- Was nominated for president of the United States in 1824.

The Election of 1824:
4 men ran for president in 1824.
- Andrew Jackson won greatest percentage of popular and electoral votes.
- He did not win a majority.

The Corrupt Bargain:
The election was sent to the House of Representatives.
1. Henry Clay collected votes for Adams.
2. Adams won the presidency.
3. Adams made Clay secretary of state.

The 1828 Election:
In 1828, Jackson ran for president again against Adams.
- This is the first election where candidates campaigned.
- Jackson appealed to the common people.
- Jackson won the presidency by a landslide.

The Democratic Party:
Jackson had strong beliefs in states rights and a limited government.
- His ideas formed the basis of the Democratic Party.
- His supporters were called Democrats.
- His policies appealed to a large variety of voters, from small farmers to large plantation owners.

The Spoils System:
As president, Jackson created the spoils system.
-The Spoils system allows the winner of an election to reward supporters with jobs.
- He removed political opponents from federal positions and replaced them with his friends and supporters.#

Opponents of the Spoils System:
Some were concerned that the spoils system would lead to corruption and abuse of power.

The Second Bank of the United States:
The Second National Bank was established in 1816 and was given a 20 year charter.

Supporters believed that: It would help pay for national expenses, it would stop the value of money from changing to quickly,
and it would make the nations economy stronger.

Opponents believed that: It would take power away from states and take money from common people and give it to the wealthy.

Elimination of the National Bank:
Jackson wanted to eliminate the national bank.
1. Jackson vetoed the bank's charter.
2. He removed federal funds from the bank and placed them in state banks.
3. He allowed the bank's charter to expire.

The Rise of the Whig Party:
In response to the National Bank controversy, Henry Clay helped organize the Whig Party.
- They believed that Jackson was abusing his power.
- They wanted more investment in infrastructure.

Assimilation:
The Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws, and Seminoles were successful at assimilation.
- The Cherokees invented an alphabet and wrote a constitution.
- Some Cherokees planted cotton and practiced slavery.

Indian Removal Act of 1830:
In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act.
- They wanted to open up land to white settlement.
- In addition, gold had been discovered on Cherokee land.
- The act ordered all American Indians east of the Mississippi to move west to Indian Territory.

American Indian Resistance:
Not all groups complied with the government's orders.
- Some groups resisted removal.
- Others groups went to court to block the removal.
- John Ross was unable to stop the removal of the Cherokees.

Andrew Jackson on Indian Removal:
He supported the Indian removal.
- He believed they should not live among white Americans and should give up their land for American expansion.

The United States Response to Resistors:
When the Cherokees resisted removal, they were forcibly removed.
- In 1838, the US Army began rounding up Cherokee resistors without warning.
- They forced them to march west without food or supplies.
- The march became known as the Trail of Tears.

Trail Of Tears:
Took place during an extremely cold winter.
- The Cherokees were not allowed to take shelter in towns along the way.
- Over 116 days, 15,000 Cherokees marched more than 800 miles.
- About 4,000 Cherokees died on the trail.