Michael Kraft

APUSH Unit IV
Jacksonian Democracy: 1816-1848

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1. "The American Triumvirate"- The triumvirate, or a group of three people sharing public administration, was Calhoun, Clay, and
Webster. These three dominated the new generation of politics during the ‘Era of Good Feelings’.

2. John C. Calhoun- (1782- 1850) - Calhoun came from the South and became a leader of postwar nationalism. He served as
secretary of war under Monroe, and as vice president under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He later fought for
state’s rights and slavery, and spoke out in support of nullification. He feared for the South’s representation, because a shift of
power to Northern states had begun. He contributed to the Civil War by working to help the South politically unite to fight against
the Northern majority, but he also dissuaded extremists in the South from leaving the Union altogether.

3. Henry Clay- The main leader of the new political generation. He originated in the West, and became Speaker of the House of
Representatives. He was the leader of the ‘War Hawks’, who pushed for war with Great Britain. After the War of 1812, Clay
became one of the strongest proponents of an active federal role in national economic development. He advocated an ‘American
System’ of economics. He also helped push the Missouri Compromise through Congress. Despite his best effort, Clay never
became president. After finishing last in a four-man field in 1824, he threw his support as speaker of the House to Adams. He was
subsequently appointed secretary of state in what Andrew Jackson's supporters labeled a "corrupt bargain".

4. Daniel Webster- An influential Northern speaker nicknamed "the Godlike Daniel" for his magnificent speaking style. Webster
argued 168 cases before the Supreme Court. When he entered Congress as a Federalist, he opposed the War of 1812, the
creation of a second national bank, and a protectionist tariff. But later he became a defender of the national bank and high tariffs,
and perhaps the nation's strongest exponent of nationalism and strongest critic of states' rights. He believed that the US was built
around the people and not the states; therefore state’s rights were inconsequential.

5. Rush-Bagot Agreement- (1817) - A resolution met between Britain and America that removed most military ships from the Great
Lakes. Britain granted American fishermen the right to fish in Canadian waters, and agreed to the 49th parallel as the boundary
between the United States and Canada.

6. Tariff of 1816- This provided some limited safeguards on foreign control. It raised a 20-25% tax on foreign imports to prevent
their prices taking over the economy. This strongly protective trend stimulated the appetites of the protected for more protection.

7. Protective tariff- After the War of 1812, Britain was looking to take revenge upon America. The flooded the American market with
cheap goods, sold at prices less than what they were worth. The plan was to make American manufacturers struggle and die off.
This provided a severe threat to the nation's economic independence. To protect the nation, Congress continued the tariffs from
the War of 1812 to protect America's infant industries. Shipping and farming interests opposed the tariff.

8. Internal improvements- During the Era of Good Feelings, Monroe vetoed renovations that the North and South opposed, but the
West needed. ?

9. 2nd Bank of the United States- (1816) - Congress voted to charter a second Bank for 20 years, and allow it to hold government
funds without paying interest. In return, the bank would pay $1.5 million to the federal government and let the president name 5
of the bank's 25 directors. Supporters argued that it provided a safe place to deposit government funds provided means to
transfer money between states, as well promote monetary stability through regulation of private banks. To fight inflation, the
bank would refuse to accept notes issued by over-speculative banks, and ensure that bank notes were readily exchanged for hard
currency. Opposition to the bank came from private bankers and traditional Jeffersonians, who considered a national bank to be
unconstitutional.

10. American System- The system of economics pushed by Henry Clay, where the federal government would create a high protective
tariff to keep out foreign goods. The tariff would lead to the growth of industry, and create an urban market for western and
southern farmers. Tariff revenue, would be used to finance improvements of roads and canals, to stimulate growth in the South
and West.

11. Era of Good Feelings-(1817-election of 1824) - The period of James Monroe's presidency. After the Federalist party collapsed,
there was much less political conflict than before. Reflecting a spirit of unity, the Anti-Federalists adopted many policies of the
Federalist’s, creating a second national bank, protective tariff, a standing army, and improvements in transportation. Many of
these improvements were formed after the realization that inadequate roads, the lack of a national bank, and dependence on
foreign imports had nearly resulted in a British victory in the War of 1812. Feelings of nationalism were strong as well- a series of
Supreme Court decisions established national supremacy over the states, and the US extended its boundaries and protected
trade. While Monroe was president, he worked to eliminate party and sectional rivalries by appointing a representative of each
area to his cabinet, as well as naming former Federalist John Q. Adams (son of President Adams) as secretary of state. This unity
would lead to Monroe’s reelection.

12. Adams-Onis Treaty- (1819) - The Adams-Onís Treaty transferred ownership of Florida from Spain to the United States, and
established the boundary between Spanish-held Mexico and the U.S. territory gained in the Louisiana Purchase. This happened
after Andrew Jackson’s military raid of Florida. President Adams, instead of apologizing for Jackson’s behavior, declared that the
raid was necessary. Adams stated that Spain would have to either closer police Florida, normally a haven for criminals, or give the
land to America. Weakened Spain believed that Florida would be taken one way or another, so they agreed to give it to America in
the Adams- Onis Treaty. In exchange for Florida, America paid $5 million in damage claims to Spain.

13. Panic of 1819- (1819-1823) - The trade growth that followed the War of 1812 ended, Unemployment increased, banks failed,
mortgages were foreclosed, and agricultural prices fell by half. Investment in western lands collapsed. The panic was caused by a
dramatic decline in cotton prices, a contraction of credit by the US Bank designed to curb inflation, a congressional order requiring
hard-currency payments for land purchases, and the closing of factories due to foreign competition. Manufacturers called for
protective tariffs, but many southerners believed that high tariffs were the root of their troubles. Many people wanted a reduction
in government budgets. Others in the South and West blamed the panic on the US Bank and the nation's banks. After the crisis
subsided in 1823, there were heightened hostility toward banks and other "privileged" corporations and monopolies. The panic
also increased tensions within the Republican Party, and aggravated sectional tensions as northerners pressed for higher tariffs
while southerners abandoned their support of nationalistic economic programs. ALSO led to the removal of property as a
requirement to vote.

14. Jefferson’s Firebell in the Night letter- (1820) - A letter written by Jefferson about his fears of slavery and increased sectionalism
ripping the country apart. These fears were created from his observation of the bitter congressional debates over the Missouri
Compromise.

15. Land Act of 1820- After the War of 1812, pioneers flooded new available lands. Congress admitted five new states to the Union:
Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, and Alabama. In 1820, Congress made it easier for farmers to purchase land in the West
through the Land Act of 1820. Normally, Congress would only sell large patches of land to buyers; they changed this policy and
started selling small lots suitable for operation by a family. Congress also lowered the price of land, and the Second Bank liberally
gave loans. The result was a land boom.
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16. Monroe Doctrine- A speech where President Adams declared that the US would not tolerate any further European colonization in
the Western Hemisphere, and that the US wouldn’t interfere in European affairs. This was an isolationist move, but it also
recognized that the world was changing with the formation of new nations in South America, and the crumbling state of Spain.
This treaty also marked the final step in America’s journey to independence.

17. The Missouri Crisis- (1817) - This was ignited by the application of Missouri for statehood as a slave state. East of the Mississippi,
the Mason-Dixon line and the Ohio River formed a boundary between the North and South. States south of this line were slave
states; states north were going to, or already had abolished slavery. Missouri’s location west of the Mississippi, meant that there
was no clear line of whether it was considered slave or free. This conflict was resolved with the Missouri Compromise

18. Tallmadge Amendment- (1819) - James Tallmadge caused this crisis by introducing an amendment to restrict slavery in Missouri
as a condition of statehood. The amendment prohibited the further introduction of slaves into Missouri and provided for
emancipation of all children of slaves. Voting along sectional lines, the House approved the Tallmadge Amendment, only for it to
be defeated in the Senate. Southerners condemned the Tallmadge proposal as part of a northeastern plot to dominate the
government, and talk of civil war began.

19. Missouri Compromise- (1820) - The Senate narrowly voted to admit Missouri as a slave state. To preserve the sectional balance, it
also voted to admit Maine, which had previously been a part of Massachusetts, as a free state, and to prohibit the formation of
any further slave states from the territory of the Louisiana Purchase north of 36º30'.

20. Assigned Marshall Court cases- These were passed while John Marshall was chief justice. Under Marshall, the Court became the
final arbiter of the constitutionality of federal and state laws, and the federal government exercised sovereign power over the
states. As a result of these decisions, it would become increasingly difficult to argue that the union was a creation of the states,
that states could exert an independent check on the federal government, or that Congress's powers were limited to those found in
the Constitution.

a. Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of the Constitution and its power to
declare acts of Congress unconstitutional.

b. Fletcher v. Peck (1810) declared the Court's power to void state laws.

c. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established the constitutionality of the second Bank of the United States and denied
states the right to exert independent checks on federal authority.

d. Dartmouth v. Woodward (1819) the Court promoted business growth by denying states the right to alter or impair
contracts unilaterally

e. Cohens v. Virginia (1821) asserted that the Court possessed the judicial authority to review cases in which individuals
had appealed state rulings that interpreted federal laws.

f. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) broadened federal power over interstate commerce. The Court overturned a New York law
that had awarded a monopoly over steamboat traffic, ruling that the Constitution give Congress the power to regulate
commerce.
g. Worcester v. Georgia (1832) held that Cherokee Native Americans were entitled to federal protection from the actions
of state governments which would infringe on the tribe's sovereignty.

• Jackson and Politics

21. John Q. Adams- The person who defeated Jackson in the 1824 election. The accusation of being part of a ‘Corrupt Bargain’
hindered Adam’s attempts to create internal improvements in trade, national transportation, and the arts and sciences. Congress
opposed his requests for funds for national improvements, thwarted his attempts to deal diplomatically with Latin America, and
was strongly divided over the protectionist tariff of 1828.

22. Andrew Jackson- Prior to becoming president, Jackson was a General in the War of 1812. He was made famous by the Battle of
New Orleans. His presidency was called “Era of the Common Man”. Adopted the sign of the donkey as the Democrat’s symbol.

23. "Corrupt Bargain"- Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House during the election of 1824. When a tie between Jackson and Adams
arose, Clay convinced Congress to select Adams over Jackson. Clay was then appointed the Secretary of State.

24. "Revolution of 1828"- The election of Andrew Jackson. Jackson, a “common man”, was voted for by a large part of the US
population. This sudden increase in voters was caused by the movement for universal male suffrage, privacy in voting, and more
interest in the campaign.

25. Democratic-Republicans- Split into two parts (the Whigs and the Democrats) in the election of 1824. This split was caused by
three things: 1) the financial panic of 1819 and the subsequent depression, where nobody could agree on how to react, 2) the
southern alarm over the slavery debates in Congress in 1819 and 1820, and 3) the selection of presidential candidates- William
Crawford was chosen as candidate, but some disagreed with this choice. Seward was a Democrat, and he arranged the purchase
of Alaska.

26. Democratic Party- Opposed the Whig Party. Had many Anti-Federalist ideals. Supported expanding the suffrage, economic change,
and Western expansion. Jackson reflected the party’s ideals when he opposed efforts to expand the federal government's power
into new areas, such as banking, regulating the economy, and constructing internal improvements (such as roads and canals).
However, he demanded that the federal government's will was supreme within its established sphere of power, as evidenced in his
strong pro-Union stance during the nullification crisis and his insistence that the federal government could remove Native
Americans from their land under the Indian Removal Act (1830). The issue of slavery and territorial expansion divided the party,
but with its strong base of Southern slaveholders, the Democratic Party remained intact longer than the Whig Party. These
divisions would become stronger and stronger as the US approaches the Civil War.

27. Spoils system- The Democrats were suspicious of the federal government, so Jackson would give out public positions to his
political supporters. Many people were put into position by contributions to campaigns or supporters of Jackson.

28. Anti-Masonic Party- A very organized single-issue party built on the dislike Freemasons, with support in the Northeast. They
eventually were absorbed into the Whigs. Jackson was a freemason.

29. Twelfth Amendment- States that if there is a tie between the two presidents, the election is decided by the House of
Representatives. Allowed Quincy Adams to be elected through Clay’s influence, giving Clay the name ‘the Judas of the West’.

• Jackson and the Tariff

30. Tariff of Abominations-(1828) - A protective tariff that was formulated by opponents of Adams. The plan was to make it so
outrageously high that Adams would have to veto it, an action that would make him unpopular with either the north or the south.
The plan backfired, and the tariff actually passed. This made southerners angry, because Britain bought less of their cotton, and
made South Carolina threaten to secede.

31. South Carolina Exposition-(1828) - After Congress passed a high tariff in 1828, which Southerners designated the Tariff of
Abominations, South Carolina drew up an Exposition and Protest. It was secretly authored by John C. Calhoun, who was then
 Michael Kraft
serving as vice president under Andrew Jackson. In the Exposition and Protest, Calhoun laid the groundwork for the doctrine of
nullification.

32. Nullification- Declaring a law to be unconstitutional and refusing to enforce it. South Carolina argued that the Federal
government’s tariff was unconstitutional, thus implying that the Federal government was secondary to the state government.

33. Force Bill- (1833) - Congress gave Andrew Jackson the authority to use the military and navy to enforce tariff laws in any region
of the United States. This was passed after South Carolina had declared the Tariff of Abominations null and void.

34. Tariff of 1833- AKA the Compromise Tariff of 1833, was proposed by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun as a resolution to the
Nullification Crisis. It was adopted to gradually reduce the rates after southerners objected to the protectionism found in the Tariff
of Abominations.

• Jackson and the Bank

35. Specie Circular- An executive order issued by U.S. President Andrew Jackson in 1836 and carried out by President Martin Van
Buren. It required payment for government land to be in gold and silver currency.

36. Bank of the United States- As a Southerner and a strong believer in Jefferson's state-oriented view of government, Jackson was
an outspoken enemy of the bank, although he refrained from meddling in the bank's affairs during his first term. Biddle called for
Congress to renew the charter for the Second Bank of the United States for another 20 years—four years earlier than necessary.
Despite growing national resentment of the bank, Congress approved the renewal but Jackson vetoed it, and made the bank the
major issue of his reelection campaign later that year. Jackson's Bank War, as it came to be called, quickly became an extremely
divisive partisan issue, with Democrats supporting Jackson and Whigs supporting the bank. Many senators supported the bank,
because it would lend them large amounts of their paychecks before they were paid out. Biddle had planned to make Jackson look
bad by making him veto it, but Jackson made it seem his veto was to help the common man. Jackson’s efforts to kill the bank led
to 15% inflation.

37. Nicholas Biddle- President of the Second Bank of the United States, Nicholas Biddle occupied a position of power and responsibility
that propelled him to the forefront of Jacksonian politics in the 1830s. See description above to see what he did.

38. "Pet banks"- Pet Banks is a degrading term for state banks selected by the U.S. Department of Treasury to receive surplus
government funds in 1833, when President Andrew Jackson "killed" the Second Bank of the United States. They were chartered by
individual states and empowered to print their own banknotes and set interest rates, and they were blamed for high inflation and
general economic instability during this period.
• Jackson and the Indians

39. Indian Removal Act- (1832) -Shifted most of the nations of Indian tribes in the eastern United States to what was deemed "Indian
country" in present-day Oklahoma. Led to the Trail of Tears. In the most notorious of the Indian removal efforts, President Andrew
Jackson ordered the Cherokee nation off its land in Georgia, even the tribe fought against the order in the U.S. court system, it
was eventually forced to comply.

40. "Trail of Tears"-(1838) - Cherokee Indians to the forced march from their lands in the southeastern United States to the Indian
Territory. Thousands of people died along the route, and the Trail of Tears has become synonymous with the U.S. government's
harsh treatment of Native Americans. The term is sometimes used to refer to the eviction of other tribes, as well.

41. Seminole Indians- Based in Florida, their resistance to relocation and to white slave-capturing raids led to guerilla warfare. Under
Osceola, Jumper, and other leaders, the Seminoles waged a war against the United States, killing 1,500 Americans and causing
$20 million in damages.

42. Osceola-Leader of the Seminoles. Was captured under a flag of truce, and then died three months later in prison.
43. Black Hawk- A warrior who fought the Americans in the War of 1812 and a foe of American expansion. During the times of Indian
removal, Black Hawk tried to return to his Illinois homelands with his tribe. They were massacred.

44. Martin Van Buren- President Andrew Jackson's campaign manager, political confidant, secretary of state, vice president, and
finally, handpicked successor. In 1830, Jackson and Calhoun clashed over the issue of nullification. Van Buren seized the
opportunity to remind an angry Jackson that Calhoun had also lied about the fact that he had opposed Jackson once before—when
Jackson had invaded Florida in 1818. Van Buren also sided with Jackson (and against Calhoun) in the Peggy Eaton affair. These
conflicts eventually led to Buren being appointed as Jackson’s VP. After Buren became president with the promise of keeping
Jackson’s policies, the Panic of 1837 quickly undermined his popularity. Committed to avoiding increased power for the federal
government, Van Buren's approach to coping with the hard economic times was supporting the gold standard, removing federal
deposits from all private banks (the federal government had lost more than $10 million due to the failure of state banks), and
establishing an independent treasury in the Independent Treasury Act of 1836. He ensured the state banks couldn’t use federal
money to speculate. In the election of 1840, Van Buren was successfully portrayed by the Whig Party as an insensitive aristocrat
(as Adams had been), as opposed to "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" military hero Harrison (portrayed as Jackson had been).

45. Panic of 1837- The Panic of 1837 was a nationwide, financial depression that gripped the country between 1837 and 1843. State
governments had accumulated tremendous debts in the course of financing the construction of railroads, roads, and canals and
the chartering of new banks. In an effort to slow down excessive financial speculation, President Andrew Jackson ordered that all
payments for public lands could only be made with gold, which hindered the land investments that many banks were making. As a
result, many banks halted gold payments to the public, which caused a panic and a general loss of confidence in the banking
system.

46. Divorce Bill/Independent Treasury- (1840) - The Independent Treasury was a system for the retaining of government funds in the
United States Treasury and its subtreasuries, independently of the national banking and financial systems. Public revenues were
retained in the Treasury. The Treasury was to pay out its own funds and be completely independent of the banking and financial
system of the nation. All payments by and to the government, moreover, were to be made in specie. This prevented speculation
with government money.

47. William Henry Harrison- Indian fighter and War of 1812 military hero, William Henry Harrison served as president for only one
month after his election in 1840. His election slogan was "Tippecanoe and Tyler too", and was portrayed as a common man. The
Whig party focused less on the issues, and more on trashing the other candidates; they feared that if they took any strong
stances, they would drive some Whigs away. His death from pneumonia shortly after he assumed office thrust his vice president,
John Tyler, into the presidency and brought turmoil to the Whig Party.

48. John Tyler- John Tyler was the first vice president to become president following the death of the incumbent. He served only for
the remainder of William Henry Harrison's term in the early 1840s because of a fierce battle with political rivals in Congress from
within his own Whig Party. Tyler believed that the federal government derived its power from the states. His party supported the
American System (which involved high tariffs), but Tyler could not bring himself to support Clay's program of its intrusion upon
states rights. Enraged, Clay, who planned to run for president himself in 1844, organized congressional support to force Tyler from
office. After Tyler vetoed two bills authorizing a new Bank of the United States, Clay engineered the resignation of the entire
Cabinet. The Whigs disowned Tyler, and removed them from the party. By the end of his term in office, he had vetoed more bills
than any other president and became the first president ever to have one of his vetoes overridden by Congress. The crowning
achievement of his administration was the annexation of Texas, which he achieved in the last few months of his presidency.
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49. The Whig Party- The Whig Party (AKA National Republicans), formed in 1834 and lasting until 1854, was the major political party
opposing the Democratic Party (definition 26). The Whigs inherited the Federalist Party belief in a strong federal government and
adopted many Federalist and National Republican policy ideas, including federal funding for internal improvements (building roads,
canals, bridges; improving harbors), a central bank, and high tariffs to protect the growth of manufacturing enterprises. A major
part of the party was its commitment to Henry Clay’s American System. The Whig Party emerged in the early 1830s to oppose
President Jackson's domestic policies, mainly his veto of the Maysville Road Bill, and his opposition to the 2nd Bank of the US.
Jackson's veto of the recharter for the bank in 1832 angered many leading members of Congress. Jackson’s ignoring of the
Supreme Court ruling of Worchester v. Georgia made him seem like a tyrant, so they took the name "Whigs" from the opposition
party in England that opposed King George III. Initially, the Whigs were too disorganized to present much of a challenge to the
popular Democratic Party, whose candidate, Martin Van Buren, easily won the presidential election of 1836 as Jackson's successor.
In 1840, however, the Whig Party mounted an effective campaign for the presidency. The Whigs pioneered the modern campaign
technique of image manipulation when they portrayed their candidate William Henry Harrison as a backwoodsman who drank
"hard cider" and lived in a log cabin. Whig propagandists attacked Van Buren ceaselessly. The Whigs ran Harrison on the slogan
"Tippecanoe and Tyler too" (to commemorate Harrison's victory over Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe) and greatly
defeated Van Buren in the election. In the 1840s, the issue of expansion into the Western territories threatened to divide the Whig
Party into Northern antislavery and Southern proslavery factions. On the whole, Whigs tended to be more sympathetic toward
African Americans and Native Americans and less enthusiastic about expansion than were the Democrats. Both parties, however,
were beset by divisions over these issues, and in the 1840s, such divisions threatened to upset the cross-sectional alliances of
both parties. In 1844, the Whig presidential candidate was Henry Clay, the guiding light behind the Whig Party. The centerpiece of
his campaign was called the "American System," which advocated a national bank, a high tariff, and federal support for internal
improvements. He lost to Polk. The Whig Party was first created to combat Jackson; when he left office, the Whig Party had a
limited lifespan.

50. Manifest Destiny- (1820-1860) - The idea that America had a destiny to stretch across the continent motivated many people to
migrate West. Aggressive nationalists invoked the idea to justify Indian removal, war with Mexico, and American expansion into
Cuba and Central America.

51. Texas Revolution- (1835-1836) - American settlement in Texas began with the encouragement of first the Spanish, and then
Mexican, governments. Mexico imposed two conditions on land ownership: settlers had to become Mexican citizens and they had
to convert to Roman Catholicism. By l830 there were l6,000 Americans in Texas. As the Anglo population swelled, Mexican
authorities grew increasingly suspicious of the growing American presence. Mexico feared that the United States planned to use
the Texas colonists to acquire the province by revolution. To reassert its authority over Texas, the Mexican government reaffirmed
its prohibition against slavery, established a chain of military posts, restricted trade with the United States, and decreed an end to
further American immigration. When Santa Anna declared himself dictator of Mexico, American colonists adopted a constitution
and organized a temporary government, but voted overwhelmingly against declaring independence. In the middle of 1835,
scattered local outbursts erupted against Mexican rule. Then, a band of riflemen-who comprised the entire Texas army-captured
Mexico's military headquarters in San Antonio. The Battle of the Alamo, the Massacre of Goliad, and then the victory at San
Jacinto were the major conflicts of the war. The war ended with Santa Anna being captured and forced him to sign the Treaty of
Velasco, granting Texas its independence

52. Sam Houston- While holding out the possibility of compromise, the Texans prepared for war by electing Sam Houston commander
of whatever military forces he could muster. During the War of 1812, he had fought in the Creek War under Andrew Jackson.
Many Americans regarded him as the heir to Jackson. He led the Texan troops in the Texas revolution.

53. Stephen F. Austin- Under contract with the Mexican government, Stephen Austin led hundreds of North American families into
Texas to help colonize the northern Mexican frontier. Austin is considered the founder of Anglo-American Texas. In 1833, Austin
traveled to Mexico City to request that Texas be made a separate Mexican state. His request was denied, and in 1834, Mexican
officials threw Austin in prison under false charges. After the Texas Revolution, Austin partook in a diplomatic mission to the
United States. He ran for president of the Republic of Texas. He lost to military hero Sam Houston but was subsequently appointed
secretary of state.

54. Manifest Destiny- The belief that the vocabulary term Manifest Destiny should move itself down four vocabulary terms, and then
repeat itself.

55. Aroostook War- (1838) - An undeclared and bloodless confrontation between the United States and Great Britain over the
international boundary between Canada and the U.S. The dispute resulted in a mutually accepted border between the state of
Maine and provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec.

56. Webster-Ashburton Treaty- (1842) - This ended disputes over the nature of the American-Canadian border. The treaty awarded
the United States seven-twelfths of the disputed territory in Maine and New Brunswick, and adjusted the Canadian-United States
boundary between Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty left one major border controversy
unresolved: the Canadian-American boundary in the Pacific Northwest.

57. "54* 40 or Fight!"- Manifest destiny inspired a 29-year old Stephen F. Austin to talk of colonizing the Mexican province of Texas
with "North American population, enterprise and intelligence." It led expansionists, united behind the slogan "54° 40' or fight!," to
demand that the United States should own the entire Pacific Northwest all the way to the southern border of Alaska.

58. John Slidell- A Louisiana Democratic Party leader. In 1844, Slidell helped James K. Polk win Louisiana and the presidency. Polk
appointed Slidell commissioner to Mexico. Slidell's mission was to negotiate a settlement over the southern border of the Republic
of Texas and the purchase of New Mexico and California. Fearful of the political consequences of even meeting with Slidell to
discuss such unpopular issues, the Mexican government refused to accept his appointment. The failure of Slidell's mission paved
the way for the U.S. decision to acquire the desired Mexican territory through military conquest and the resulting Mexican-
American War.

59. Zachary Taylor- Leader of the troops that were attacked at the beginning of the Mexican war.
60. James K. Polk- Had four things he wanted to accomplish as president: "one, a reduction of the tariff; another, the independent
treasury; a third, the settlement of the Oregon boundary question; and, lastly, the acquisition of California." He achieved all of his
objectives during his four years in office. He was president during the Mexican war. He announced that gold was discovered in
California in his last annual message to Congress. He did not run for reelection, and died a few months after leaving office.

61. Mexican War-(1846-1848) - This war added half a million square miles of territory to the United States. The cause of the Mexican
War was the movement of Americans onto lands claimed by Mexico. The main reason for the conflict was the annexation of Texas
in 1845. In 1846, a Mexican force crossed the Rio Grande and attacked a small American squadron. The American forces were
there because Polk had ordered them there; the Rio Grande border was a disputed area, and this action was an aggressive one.
Congress responded with a declaration of war. Supporters of the war blamed Mexico for the hostilities, because it had severed
relations with the US, threatened war, refused to receive an American emissary or to pay the damage claims. Opponents
denounced the war as an immoral land grab against a weak nation. Northern provinces and California were quickly captured, and
then the capital. Mexico still refused to surrender. Public support for the war diminished when the horrors of the war became
apparent. Many Southerners, led by John C. Calhoun, called for a withdrawal to the Rio Grande. They opposed annexation of any
of Mexico below the Rio Grande because they did not want to extend American citizenship to Mexicans. Most Democratic Party
leaders, however, wanted to annex at least the one-third of Mexico south and west of the Rio Grande. In February 1848, the
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed, ending the war.

62. "Spot" Resolutions- (1874) - This resolution was offered in the House of Representatives by Abraham Lincoln, Whig
representative from Illinois. The resolutions requested James K. Polk to provide Congress with the exact location (the "spot") upon
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which blood was spilt on American soil, as Polk had claimed in 1846 when asking Congress to declare war on Mexico. Lincoln's
resolutions were a direct challenge to the validity of the president's words, and representative of an ongoing political power
struggle between Whigs and Democrats.

63. Bear Flag Revolt- (1846) - Occurred when American residents of northern California, then a province of Mexico, heard a rumor
that the Mexican government was about to expel all foreigners. The dissident Americans marched on Sonoma and defeated the
town's Mexican garrison, taking as prisoners the family of a Mexican general. They then proclaimed California to be an
independent republic and chose a flag that featured a grizzly bear. Shortly after, their claims to California were given to America.

64. Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo-(1848) - Mexico ceded to the United States the areas that Polk had originally sought to purchase.
Mexico ceded California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming to the United States
for $15 million and the assumption of $3 million in debts owed to Americans by Mexico. The treaty also settled the Texas border
dispute in favor of the United States, placing the Texas-Mexico boundary at the Rio Grande River.

65. Liberty Party- (1840 -1848) The Liberty Party was an influential political party in the 1840s that was entirely devoted to securing
the abolition of slavery. Though short-lived, the Liberty Party drew enough votes in the presidential election of 1844 to swing the
election away from Whig candidate Henry Clay and make Democratic candidate James K. Polk president. The success of the
Liberty Party signaled the growing importance of slavery in national politics. How far the party should go in trying to balance
moral and political rhetoric was disputed, and the party collapsed after failing to select an 1848 candidate.

66. Wilmot Proviso- Congressman David Wilmot, a Democrat, introduced the Wilmot Proviso amendment to a war appropriations bill.
The proviso forbade slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. Although the Wilmot Proviso did not become law, the issue it
raised-the extension of slavery into the western territories continued to contribute to the growth of political factionalism.

67. California Gold Rush- James W. Marshall, a 36-year old carpenter discovers gold. 80,000 people, half of which weren’t even
Americans, rushed to California. These ‘forty-niners’ were unruly, and California was a largely lawless place.

68. Voting rights- Increased from 1820-1840, where 80% of eligible voters vote in the Harrison- Van Buren race. In most states,
property qualifications for voting and office holding were repealed; and voting by voice was largely eliminated. Direct methods of
selecting presidential electors, county officials, state judges, and governors replaced indirect methods.

69. Pan-Americanism- is a movement which, through diplomatic, political, economic and social means, seeks to create, encourage and
organize relationships, associations and cooperation between the states of the Americas in common interests.

70. Abigail Williams- Reminded John Adams to include the option of woman suffrage in the Constitution. Women originally weren’t
allowed to vote under the reasoning that marriage made the two people one, and the man voted for both.

71. Republican Motherhood- Idea that women could raise patriotic men that would reflect some of their ideals.
72. Women in Politics- Women often did back-room deals for their husbands who were in politics. Margaret Smith, the wife of a owner
of a newspaper was a very influential woman who traded favors and job positions. Federalists worked with women, while
Democrat-Republicans generally ignored them. Democrats had a general sense of unity with women, while Whigs had a more
cooperative effort with women in politics. The Democrats teased them for this.

73. Peggy Eaton- Jackson married Rachel Jackson, who died before Jackson made it to office. Jackson met Peggy when he was
president; it is likely that he loved her, but did not want the scandal of marrying her shortly after his wife’s death. Therefore he
worked to get her to marry John Eaton, the Secretary of War. Because she was low in birth, she was snubbed by the Cabinet’s
wives, even after Jackson asked them not to. He saw a parallel between her being bullied and his late wife’s bullying, and he fired
his entire Cabinet as a result.

74. List of Presidents-

• James Monroe (1816-1824)
• John Q. Adams (1824-1828), VP of John C. Calhoun
• Andrew Jackson- (1828-1832), VP of John C. Calhoun (1828-1832). then Martin Van Buren from (1832-1836).
• Martin Van Buren- (1836-1840)
• William Henry Harrison- (March 4 -April 4 1840)
th th

• John Tyler- (1840-1844)

• James Polk- (1844-1848)
Important content-

• DKMAH pages 160-193

• Women in Politics notes- (not included in this review)
• To what extent did the reforms of the Jacksonian Era amount to a victory for "common" Americans?
• Was the re-emergence of the two-party system in the 1820s caused primarily by differences in economic policies,
states' rights, or political personalities?
• To what extent did sectional differences shape American politics in the years before 1848?

• Was the territorial expansion of the United States between 1803 and 1848 motivated primarily by economic, political,
or ideological factors? In what ways did expansion create problems for the U.S.?
• To what extend did U.S. foreign policy shape American economics, politics, and territorial expansion in the 1815-1848
period?
• To what extent did the policies of the U.S. government in the period from 1789 to 1848 lead to the mistreatment of
Native Americans.