II. Populist Jacksonian Cycle (1825-1841)

 Populist Jacksonian Cycle:

[4 Terms]

Major Parties: Democrats, National Republicans, Whigs

Major 3rd Parties: Anti-Masons

Presidents: (NR) John Quincy Adams, (D) Andrew Jackson, Marin Van Buren

Vice Presidents: (D) John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, Richard Johnson

Dominant Issue: National Bank and Nullification

The Cycle began and ended the same--with a major 5 way race. It was characterized by Jackson's economic populist introducing class warfare into the national political discourse.

Events: National Bank Controversy, Trail of Tears, Kitchen Cabinet,
the "Corrupt Bargain", Aroostook War, Panic of 1837, "Tariff of Abominations", The American System, Erie Canal, First Rail Roads, Spoliations Crises with France

--National Republican Party (founded by John Q. Adams, son of Federalist  John Adams) was a Party Adams formed at the Presidential level after winning as a Democratic-Republican. It was supportive of of the National Bank Charter being renewed.

--Democrat Party was the Democratic-Republican Party that dropped the name "Republican" when J.Q. Adams formed his Party.

Jackson

Until the formation of the Whigs, there was only this party down ballot and people aligned as either anti or pro administration.

Factions: The old guard Jeffersonians became known as Quids while the new faction that emerged were called Neo-Federalists who blended Federalist ideas of a more powerful federal government but focused on building, roads, bridges and canals to open up the west--called the American System.

--Whig Party was formed by the merger of the National Republican Party, Anti-Masonic Party and the anti-administration (Neo-Federalist anti-Jackson) Democrats. 

3rd Party: Anti-Masonic Party founded to oppose secret societies and Jesuit infiltration of America. (Jesuits had been kicked out of European nations for meddling by infiltrating government agencies to impact policy making and finally disbanded by the Pope---brought back in the late 19th century). The Anti-Masons had seats in Congress from the the north east and produced the first major 3rd party movement as they got 7% of the national vote and won a state-Vermont. 

Van Buren

End of Cycle: Ended with the Financial Panic, a major recession that ushered in a Whig and a new cycle as Jackson's economic populist policy took the blame. The south fell into an actual depression due to Britain which began to grow cotton in India. Cotton sales crashed up to 90% in the midst of plantations having gone into debt to expand  during the post War of 1812 economic boom--now southern banks went bust. The east fell into a recession and the west (modern great lakes region) was barely touched. As for Jackson's part he was blamed for his banking policy and forcing people to pay for land in gold rather than cash.

Tickets for President:

1824:

Democratic-Republican Ticket: Southern Faction: Crawford/Macon Northern Faction: Quincy Adams/Calhoun Western Faction: Clay/Sanford  General Consensus Faction: Jackson/Calhoun.

* There was only one party which nominated a southern ticket of U.S.  Treasury Secretary William Crawford (Georgia) and U.S.

Clay

Senator Nathaniel Macon (North Carolina) both of whom were pro-slavery and for nullification. 

Many in Congress from the north broke off and nominated another northern ticket of U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts) and U.S. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun (South Carolina) who were opposite ends as for slavery. 

Another western ticket formed nominated speaker of the U.S. House Henry Clay (Kentucky) and Chancellor of New York John Sanford (New York) who were both advocates for what was to become known as the American System to expand the west. 

The old grey hairs in Congress felt the nation was already busting apart along regional lines so decided to nominate a general consensus ticket for the nation to rally around consisting of war here Andrew Jackson (Tennessee) and U.S. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun (South Carolina).

All four rickets got double digits in popular votes and won stares. The election was thrown into Congress and Quincy Adams and Calhoun.

Quincy Adams would then create his own Party called the National Republican Party so the Democratic-Republicans dropped "Republican" becoming the Democrats and Vice President Calhoun remained a Democrat.

1828:

Democrat Ticket: Jackson/Calhoun

President: Former General Andrew Jackson (Tennessee) Vice

Quincy Adams

President: Vice President John C. Calhoun (South Carolina)

National Republican Ticket: Quincy Adams/Rush

President: President John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts) Vice President: U.S. Treasury Secretary Richard Rush (Pennsylvania)

* Vice President Calhoun would resign under Jackson over differences on  nullification. Jackson opposed it while Calhoun was the most fierce defender of it. The office remained vacant for rest of the term.

1832:

Democrat Convention: Back East in Baltimore (Maryland)

Democrat Ticket: Jackson/Van Buren

President: President Andrew Jackson (Tennessee) Vice President: U.S. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren (New York)

National Republican Convention: Back East in Baltimore (Maryland)

National Republican Ticket: Clay/Sergeant

President: U.S. Senator Henry Clay (Kentucky) Vice President: U.S.

Wirt / Ellmaker

Congressman John Sergeant (New York)

Anti-Mason Convention: Back East in Baltimore (Maryland)

Anti-Mason Ticket: Wirt/Ellmaker

President: Former U.S. Attorney General William Wirt (Maryland) Vice President: Former Pennsylvania state Attorney General Amos Ellmaker (Pennsulvania)

1836:

Democrat Convention: Back East in Baltimore (Maryland)

Democrat Ticket: Van Buren/Johnson

President: Vice President Martin Van Buren (New York) Vice President: U.S. Congressman Richard Johnson (Kentucky)

White

Whig Ticket: Harrison/Granger Webster/Granger White/Tyler

Whigs ran 3 separate tickets in different states. In the north and Kentucky. President: Former Army General William Henry Harrison (Ohio) Vice President: U.S. Congressman Francis Granger (New York). Down South President: U.S. Senator Hugh White (Tennessee) Vice President: U.S. Senator John Tyler (Virginia). In Massachusetts President: U.S. Senator Daniel Webster (Massachusetts) Vice President: U.S. Congressman Francis Granger (New York)

Hotly Contested Election of the Cycle

1824:

Some states above are not colored because the state legislature awarded the electoral votes rather than by popular vote. Counties for Jackson are in Blueish, Quincy Adams in Reddish, Clay in Orangeish, and Crawford in Greenish.

This 4 way race of the Democratic Republican Party --which was

thrown into Congress to decide--laid the foundation for the emergence of the next political parties to form in America. For example, Clay's Western Faction would fine tune their issues of federal involvement in building roads, bridges and canals into his American System and be a bedrock of Whig policy. It was a sort of morphing the Clintonian wing of the Democratic Republicans with the former Federalists. 

This would be welded with Quincy Adams formation of his National Republican Party that would be allied with bankers and business interests. 

The rift between Jackson and Crawford was over Slave issues--both men supported Slavery remaining legal -- but Crawford supported nullification while Jackson strongly opposed it. 

This would cause Crawford supporters in Congress to pick Quincy Adams over Jackson because they viewed someone who supported Slavery but opposed nullification as a traitor to the Slave cause. Whereas with Quincy Adams they knew they would have a solid opponent for 4 years in the White House. They thought they would just beat him for renomination in the next election---not knowing there would be more parties by then. As for Jackson, he was a war hero and if he got into office would be harder to beat as an incumbent

This was also the first election with a known election "scandal" that erupted as it was discovered that Clay had cut a secret to have his people support Quincy Adams in Congress for President in return for Secretary of State (this became known as the "Corrupt Bargain").

-Note of Interest--

John Quincy Adams later in life, after leaving the Presidency, would
represent pro-bono, a ship full of African Slaves who had mutinied at sea against Spain--the Amistad. It had been taken when it landed on the coast of Connecticut. Quincy Adams convinced the U.S. Supreme Court, after arguing before them for 9 hours, to let them go back home to Africa rather than turn them over to Spain for punishment.