Jacksonian Democracy 1824-1860

October 26, 2012

Jacksonian Democracy, 1824-1845

1. Second Great Awakening – Spread throughout the South, targeting mainly women and African Americans: both slaved and enslaved. In the North Charles Finney led the revivalism and promoted the doctrine of perfectibility and iterated against popular belief that evil could be avoided.
2. Election of 1824 – John Quincy Adams, William Crawford, Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson. The House chose the president because no one led in the electoral college, and John Quincy Adams was elected.
3. Election of 1840 – Democrats re-nominated Van Buren. Harrison won but died within a month of his inauguration and Tyler the vice president took his position for the first time in history.
4. Webster-Hayne
Dorothea Dix – was the leader of the penitentiary and asylum reforms as she felt that criminals came from unstable families and wanted to rehabilitate them rather than punish them. She battled against the grant of public mental facilities which eventually won over in majority of the states in 1860.
7. Andrew Jackson – he was the first American president from the West, hero of the Battle of New Orleans, expedition against the Seminoles in Florida, congressman and senator in Tennessee, and first territorial governor of Florida.
8. Democratic Party – reflected the beliefs of the Jeffersonian concept on an agrarian society, didn’t like central government, restore the independence of the individual on an economic level, ending federal banks, use of paper currency, did not support reform because it called for a more active government, no support for public schools which they though undermined individual liberty for freedom of religion and parental responsibility. Didn’t have sympathy for Indians as he was the one who initiated their removal in the trail of tears.
9. Whig Party – the national republican party including those who opposed the Democrats. The name was derived from a British party that opposed a tyrannical ruler who symbolizes Jackson in their
Second Bank of the United States – housed federal funds, provided capital for businesses, circulated bank notes. Had the power to ruin a state bank with ease.
19. 2-Party System – two political parties who competed in every level including that of city, county, state and national.
20. Manifest Destiny – westward and southward expansion inevitability was associated with this term by John O’ Sullivan in 1845.
21. Texas – territory that was desired by Whigs the most and was controversial up to Polk’s inauguration. This was the territory that was considered manifest destiny and was during the time that America’s economy was soaring.
22. Election on 1844 – the election where a nominee had to receive 2/3 of the convention votes, so Henry Clay and Polk went against each other. Polk coupled with his democratic party gained victory.
23. Reform (Moral) Movement – from 1830s and so forth, mainly females attempted to moralize all of the wrongdoings in the nation sparked by religious revivalism. This revivalism promoted that of good deeds as well as self - improvement. Females felt responsible therefore motivating benevolent activities and involvement in the