Chapter 11: Securing Democracy,

Transcription

1 Chapter 11: Securing Democracy, Overview The paradoxes of American life in the 1820s are reflected in Americans religious life and philosophy. Two divergent views had America either on the verge of damnation or capable of redemption. Both agreed, however, that American social life should be modeled on the principles of religion -- especially Protestant Christianity. Americans had long associated republican virtue with labor. However the definition of labor changed in the early nineteenth century. The celebration of labor became more democratic but it also became more radical and associated with the gender of its workers. Confidence and mistrust characterized the American national culture of the 1820s and the paradoxical terms also descried Andrew Jackson, who was elected to the presidency in President Jackson advocated fiscal restraint, an end to government patronage, and the appointment of good men. President Jackson announced that his administration would be one of reform. Key Topics The information in chapter 11 introduces your students to the following key topics: The sources of Jacksonian Democracy Optimism and expansionism in Jacksonian America Opposition to special privilege during the Jacksonian era The expansion of white male suffrage Revivalism and the Benevolent Empire Jackson's policies of Indian removal Chapter Outline with review questions Jackson s Election Perfectionism and the Theology of Human Striving Millennialism and Communitarians Urban Revivals Social Reform in the Benevolent Empire The Common Man and the Political Economy of Democracy The Political Economy of Free Labor Suffrage Reform Opposition to Special Privilege and Secret Societies Workingmen s Parties The Democratic Impulse in Presidential Politics Jackson s Rise to National Prominence The Election of 1824 and the Corrupt Bargain The Adams Presidency and the Gathering Forces of Democracy The Election of 1828 President Jackson: Vindicating the Common Man Jacksonian Democrats in office A Policy of Indian Removal The Bank War Feature: Where They Lived and How They Worked: Surviving Removal Conclusion Annotated chapter outline with review questions Jackson s Election: The possibility that Andrew Jackson might be elected President for the United States sent many Americans into a state of fear, others saw Jackson as the nation s savior. Jackson s supporters and his detractors represented two widely divergent views of American politics and Andrew Jackson represented all that was wrong with America or all that was right. Much of the world they hated or embraced came about as the result of the changing political economy of the 1820 s. Americans had long associated republican virtue with labor. 73

2 However the definition of labor changed in the early nineteenth century. The celebration of labor became more democratic but it also became more distinctly gendered and radicalized. Perfectionism and the Theology of Human Striving: The paradoxes of American life in the 1820s is reflected in Americans religious life. Two divergent views had America either on the verge of damnation or capable of redemption. Both agreed, however, that American social life should be modeled on the principles of religion -- especially Protestant Christianity. As Americans prepared for the millennium there was a renewed interest in creating the perfect (or at least a more perfect) society on earth. Although these believers never accounted for more than a minority of the population they influenced the spiritual landscape. Most efforts to create a more perfect society were carried out in communities of believers who lived separate from the world around them. The Shakers, Rappites, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints all sought spiritual salvation and growth within their own communities. For most Americans, separating from the world was not the answer. Instead they carried their energy and message of spiritual rebirth and social reform into their communities. This massive evangelical movement took many forms. Itinerant ministers traveled the back country preaching the evils of industrialization and urbanization; urban ministers and their followers looked at the unchurched west and financed missionaries. Reflecting social and economic changes, Charles Grandison Finney preached personal responsibility and the power of the individual to change society -- and to change his or her own spiritual persona much of the revivalism in the first decades of the nineteenth century focused on the west and on changes in the market economy. Personal salvation was applied to the nation as a whole. Charities and religious associations grew into a network of organizations designed to propagate Protestant Christianity. Larger, national organizations were mirrored in smaller local Bible groups, asylums and humane societies to help the poor, and orphanages all became part of the Benevolent Empire. Reformers concerned themselves with spiritual and social needs and they called on wealthy Americans for help. How did the revivals of the 1820s help to provide a model for organizing political parties? The Common Man and the Political Economy of Democracy: Americans had long associated republican virtue with labor. However the definition of labor changed in the early nineteenth century. The celebration of labor became more democratic but it also became more distinctly radicalized and divided by gender. Changes in the market economy caused changes in the nature and character of work. Instead of Jefferson s yeoman farmer, the virtuous worker was anyone who earned their living from their own energies. Gainful employment was dignified, not just work in one specific area. But expansion brought fears: an old critique of unearned wealth was revived and following the Panic of 1819 Americans were mindful of just how precarious the new economy was. American workers began to suspect that their interests were not being well served by the Republicans and they became more assertive about the value and of their labor. Workers saw slavery as anti-republican and began to distinguish between free labor and unfree or enslaved labor. Another threat was the basic economic demand that women work so the family could survive. Exposed to the consequences of government policies, working men of all professions demanded the right to vote for or against policy matters. Where the market economy could create inequality, workers were demanding political equality. But voter equality would be a fight drawn along racial lines. Any push for male suffrage was soon abandoned and the battle was fought for white males only. White Americans refashioned the vote as an emblem and right of white citizenship. Since its birth, American political rhetoric has focused on the presumed presence of corrupt insiders -- those who have enjoyed opportunities not available to others. The movements for spiritual and political reform coupled with economic inequalities brought this perception into sharp focus. Whether it was corporations, the Masonic movement, or some other special interest institution, such as the Second Bank of the United States, some Americans came to believe that American party politics amounted to a struggle of hard-working common people against the moneyed aristocracy who conspired to stand in their way. The right to vote for white men was not enough for some. That the Working Men s Party acquired followers suggests that workers looked for answers to problems that the traditional political parties were ignoring. The government, they argued, had grown too large and too distant to understand the common 74

3 needs of the people because it was controlled by the greedy commercial classes. The workers linked their work with their civic culture and advocated a variety of public issues such as public education, broadened incorporation laws, an end to imprisonment for debt, and ranking reform. What did Jacksonians mean by special privilege? What economic and social conditions of the 1820s made the charge of special privilege so successful politically? In what respects did the rise of the rhetoric of the common man express Americans experiences in the years after the War of 1812? In what respects did this rhetoric have roots in the founding years of the nation? Identify three potential sources of conflict among Americans who would identify themselves as Jacksonians. The Democratic Impulse in Presidential Politics: Confidence and mistrust characterized the American national culture of the 1820s and the paradoxical terms also descried Andrew Jackson, elected to the presidency in Andrew Jackson embodied the paradoxes of his times. He was confident and expansive as well as defensive and intolerant. In spite of his poor background he had prospered. He had studied the law and made a reputation as a military man fighting against the Indians in the southeast. Jackson came to prominence in a political environment that was changing. The old political guard did not take Jackson seriously; they underestimated his popularity and the attractiveness of his humble beginnings to the American voters. It was precisely Jackson s position as outsider with which so many Americans identified. When the votes were counted neither Jackson nor his fellow candidates had won a majority. True to their beliefs, Jackson and his supporters charged that the election had been stolen in a corrupt bargain brokered by insiders who placed their will above that of the voters. President Adams was hurt by his connections to banking and mercantile interest. He misread the times and underestimated the gulf developing within the American electorate. Adam s actions sent voters to Jackson s camp. Jackson s supporters attempted to further discredit Adams on the issue of the tariff and in 1828 a new tariff bill became law. In 1828, the tariff had come to symbolize an even more vexing problem: the underlying issue was the deep and lasting conflict over the power of the federal government. In what actions could the federal government claim the authority of the American people? And in what actions did it overstep that authority? The campaign of 1828 ushered in a new era of national political campaigning including the candidate visibly working for his own election. Jackson won a clear majority which represented a strong cross-section of voters who saw Andrew Jackson as one of their own. Identify ways in which both the National Republicans and the Jacksonian Democrats were products of the market revolution. In what ways did the two parties share views of market expansion, and in what respects did their views of the market differ? President Jackson: Vindicating the Common Man: President Jackson advocated fiscal restraint, an end to government patronage and the appointment of good men. President Jackson announced that his administration would be one of reform. Jackson supported the notion that political virtue resided in and evolved from the states. Ironically Jackson s presidency saw more and more power gravitate to the executive branch. He faced down challenges from the states, from Congress, and from the Supreme Court. He worked to abolish the National Bank as well as to diminish the presence of Native Americans on American soil. Jackson s experiences with and views on the Indian problem were formed early in his life and were consistent with many Americans. Indians were seen as obstacles to progress and quite simply Jackson believed the Congress should Punish the Barbarians." Western settlers in general and southerners in particular complained that the federal government had never kept its promises to remove the Indians. In Georgia, white settlers complained that the promise had gone unaddressed for almost one quarter of a century. They wanted the land the Indians claimed and Jackson s election emboldened them to go after Cherokee land. In spite of two Supreme Court decisions clarifying the relationship of the federal government, state governments, and Indian tribes, Jackson looked to the Congress to solve the problem. The solution was the Indian Removal Act. Removal was not the simple solution Jackson had hoped for. 75

4 Jackson and his followers turned their displeasure on the Second Bank of the United States. Jackson hated the bank and its power and when the legislation for renewal of its charter reached his desk, Jackson vetoed it. It became a campaign issue in Jackson s bid for re-election, which he won handily. The U.S. Treasury Department passed the Specie Circular, which required that payments for western lands be made in gold and silver. Soon the banks issued loans and printed more money and in 1837 the nation sunk into the worst financial crisis in its history. In what ways did Jackson s views of the republic echo those of Thomas Jefferson? Did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 represent a continuation or a shift in U. S. Indian policy? Feature: Where They Lived and How They Worked: Surviving Removal: Views of land and what it represented had divided American Indians from European Americans from the beginning and the Removal Act of 1830 brought that difference to the fore. For White Americans, land meant opportunity and freedom; for American Indians land was their identity as a people. To be removed from the land was to be removed from one s identity. In 1838, the Cherokees were forced to leave the land of their fathers. The Army escorted the Cherokees from their lands. Known by the Cherokees as the Trail of Tears, removal did not annihilate the Cherokees, but it did inflict deep gashes in the fabric of Cherokee society and identity. Of the 17,000 who left for Indian Territory between 4,000 and 8,000 died. Removal and its consequences took years for the Cherokees to overcome and it took years for Americans to overcome as well. Conclusion: Andrew Jackson symbolized his times: belief in the individual, distrust of unfair privilege, and a commitment to expansionism. Jackson was not without his detractors and the appearance of harmony was misleading. But Jackson presided over changes that brought about an environment in which democracy took roots. Making links to other ideas Using the maps and websites, in addition to your prepared lectures and other assignments, can give you more resources to enable your students to see that history is much more than memorizing names and dates. You will find that the websites are even more comprehensive and adaptable than described and because they have been collected here in one volume you have a world of information no further away than the click of your mouse. If you are new to the web's opportunities, you will be pleasantly surprised at the breadth and depth of the information available in these sites. Map 01: What was the relationship of these religious and social movements and the issue of anti-slavery. What is the correlation of their proximity to one another? Map 02: Changes in the market economy brought about changes in voter requirements and participation. According to the maps, what were the changes in voter qualifications between 1800 and 1830? Were the changes in voter requirements influenced by the economy of the region? Map 03 and Map 04: Compare the voting represented in the election maps. What changes, if any, are evident? Map 05: Based on the map, explain the social, economic, and demographic changes represented in this map. Map 06: According to the map, why was land in the west chosen for the new homelands of the displaced Indians? (Look at Map 05 for assistance.) What was it about the Indians old homelands that white Americans wanted? Were the Indians not using the land in accordance with the beliefs of white Americans? Web connections and resources Consider using these websites to supplement your students reading and analytical skills. The sites were chosen because of their relevance to the material in the chapter -- not just to mirror it but to provide additional materials and perspectives. Questions from the student study guide have been included so that you can use or amend them to your own needs. Your students may find it insightful for you to guide them through the site as you help them develop research strategies. Securing Democracy Who is an American, anyway? From the first United States census in 1790, the American population has been counted every ten years. And every ten years, the population has looked different. Each snapshot of this dynamic population revealed some things were changing-where most people were living, where they used to live, who they lived with, and what they did for a living, for instance. What can the census reveal about American society's composition and values? 76

5 Andrew Jackson and the Bank War Through this site, investigate every aspect of the debate over the power and privileges of the Second Bank of the United States, including key political actors and their points of view. 1. What was the Second Bank of the US? How was it created, how did it operate, who controlled and operated it? Why did President Jackson hate it so? What reasons did he give for his plan to veto the recharter legislation? What role did the bank play in the election of 1832 The Shakers -- Another America This richly detailed article describes the Shaker s beliefs, daily reflections, and rules and ordinances governing their lives. 1. What economic and social forces influenced the development of the Shakers? In what whays does Shaker architecture and the design of furniture reflect their spiritual and philosophical beliefs? Hope of Reclaiming the Abandoned An excerpt from a report of the Female Moral Reform Society of New York, this document stresses that prevention of moral vice was a suitable and desirable role for women reformers of the day. 1. According to the documents what are the five arguments that were key to shaping the moral reform discourse? What was it that these middle-class white women wanted for society? How did they go about attaining their goals? What do these documents tell us about the choices some women made about their lives? Indian Removal and its Aftermath Read Andrew Jackson s messages to Congress that address Native Americans and his policies toward them. Also, this site contains the full text of the Indian Removal Act of Read Jackson s First, Second, and Seventh message to Congress regarding the removal of the Five Civilized Tribes. Summarize Jackson s justifications for removal. His messages tell us a good deal about how white Americans viewed land and progress. What conclusions can we learn from these characterizations? Analytical reading Your students may need more experience analyzing a short reading passage so that he or she can determine its component parts. They may need help identifying primary and supporting information as well as the author s analysis. The analytical reading passages and the questions from the student study guide have been duplicated in the instructor s manual for your use. Your students may need direction and encouragement in using them. One of the earliest of these religious communities was the United Society of Believers in Christ s Second Appearing, a radical branch of Quakerism who often called themselves the Millennial Church. They were soon dubbed Shakers by their critics, for the [d]ancing, singing, leaping, clapping..., groans and sighs that characterized their services. American Shakerism was rooted in the experiences of Ann Lee, a late eighteenth-century English factory worker and charismatic lay preacher who believed that she was the second, female embodiment of the Messiah. Lee preached that believers should return to the simplicity and purity of the early Christian Church, pooling all their worldly resources, withdrawing from the vanities of the society, and observing strict celibacy. The Shakers migrated to North America in 1774 and soon established their first community near Watervliet, New York. Mother Lee died in 1784, but the church flourished. By the turn of the century the Shakers had established a dozen communities in New England. Soon after the turn of the century they began to move west, establishing four more settlements in Ohio and Kentucky. By the 1830s membership approached 4,000 persons living in some sixty separate communities. 1. The members of the Shaker communities shared a similar beliefs as other separatist religious communities. Please list their beliefs. 2. How did the Shakers receive their common name? 77

6 3. What was the role of women in Shaker society? How did it differ from women s roles in the outside world? Writing The questions or writing prompts from the student study guide have been duplicated here for your use. These writing topics make good lecture topics especially if you help your students see the development of the idea in lecture format before they refine the idea in their writing assignments. 1. Discuss the relationship of the inequalities created by the market economy and workers demands for increased access to the ballot box. 2. Who was the common man and what political views and attitudes influenced his thinking? Did President Jackson share those views or did he merely capitalize on them for election? 3. Discuss the events that caused President Jackson to revise his attitude about states rights and reducing the power of the federal government. Was he being two-faced or did events cause him to reevaluate his beliefs? 4. Discuss the differences between the Republican party beliefs and those of the Democrat party. 5. Why did President Jackson and so many Americans believe the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was a humane solution to the Indian problem? Lecture Strategies Ultimately the lecture is where you impart, or profess, your knowledge for the benefit of your students. These strategies were designed around the textbook and if your classroom strategy is to use the organization of the text to organize your course content, these lecture ideas may prove helpful. However, if you lecture around themes please see the section entitled Thematic Lecture Topics. You may find that you are more comfortable with and your students are more responsive to a combination of the two. Consider, too, the projects suggested in the student study guide. If your students complete these before your lecture, their comprehension will surely be enhanced. Two distinct threads are brought together in chapter eleven: the social reform movements of the early/middle decade of the nineteenth century and Andrew Jackson's presidency in which we have the rise of democracy, the bank war, and the Indian Removal Act. (Chapter twelve includes the nullification crisis.) Your students may benefit from seeing the connection between the inequalities created by the market economy and the rise in political equality. The elections of 1824 and 1828 also provide an opportunity for your students to see the temporal continuity of national politics -- that a presidential election is not without its short- and long-term consequences. The Indian Removal Act, the Court's decisions preceding it, and Jackson's actions carrying it to conclusion are compelling topics. That removal will be a significant part of the nation's Indian policy is a discussion that will pay off in future topics as well as this one. Penguin Classics See Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola, editor. Women's Indian Captivity Narratives, edited with an introduction and notes by Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola. New York: Penguin Books, Here are ten captivity narratives written by women between the years 1682 and See especially Mary Jemison's "A Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison," Mary Godfrey, "An Authentic Narrative of the Seminole War; and the Miraculous Escape of Mrs. Mary Godfrey, and Her Four Female Children. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, edited and abridged by Richard D. Heffner, New York: A Mentor Book, Perhaps the first ethnographic account of the early republic, de Tocqueville's study of America and Americans remains prophetic, insightful, and fresh. It offers much for discussion whether you assign written questions or use it to spark classroom discussion George Catlin, North American Indians, edited and with an introduction by Peter Matthiessen, New York: Penguin Books, From 1831 to 1837, George Catlin travels among the Plains Indians. Certainly one of the earliest writes to record what was already a quickly changing landscape. Catlin's work is not only interesting from a historical perspective but also from what Catlin's own perceptions tell us about his world. 78