He Brought the People with Him: Our Federal Union: The Clash Between National Sovereignty and States Rights Advocates
South Carolina's nullification challenge and a controversy over the disposition of Western lands provoke a series of debates on the floor of Congress between South Carolina Senator Robert Haynes and the venerable Whig from Massachusetts Senator Dani...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Andrew Jackson Versus the Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States under the leadership of Nicholas Biddle is a very profitable enterprise. In the election of 1832, Henry Clay seizes upon the early reauthorization of the bank's charter as a campaign issue against Andrew Jackson. Jackso...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Andrew Jackson's Indian Policy
Andrew Jackson's entrance into the political arena is largely built on his reputation as an Indian fighter, first against the tribes in Tennessee, and later in connection with the War of 1812. At the end of the conflict Indians in the Southeast are ...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Martin Van Buren as President
Jackson decides to step down after two terms in office. His hand-picked choice for the Democratic nomination is Martin Van Buren. The Whigs nominate three regional candidates hoping that they will get enough votes to deny Van Buren the majority, but...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Emergence of the Whig Party
Andrew Jackson's forceful, some would claim tyrannical, tactics create deep political divisions and spawn the emergence of a new political party, the Whigs. The Whigs and the Democrats differ from one another in terms of constituencies, the characte...
Pressures from Within: Population Surge West of Appalachians
Once the War of 1812 diminishes the threat of Indian uprisings, there is a dramatic surge in population west of the Appalachians, particularly in the region known as the "Old Northwest." Indians who had moved to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys when t...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Native Americans and the Forced Removal
President Andrew Jackson wants the tribes to move west beyond the Mississippi, out of the way of expanding white settlements. In 1830 Congress passes a Removal Act which appropriates money to finance federal negotiations with southern tribes, adding...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: Whigs Successful Election Challenge
The remarkable thing about the election of 1840 is that it shows that the Whigs have learned to use the weapons of their enemies, moving from a party of elites to one with mass popular appeal The Whigs hold a convention and create an election campai...
Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler: New Political Alignments in the 1840s
Harrison wins the presidency by a comfortable margin but does not live long enough to leave a lasting impression. When he dies of pneumonia only a month after taking office Vice President John Tyler of Virginia is elevated to the top spot. He is a f...
He Brought the People with Him: Jackson Splits With Vice-President Calhoun over Tariffs
Shortly after he takes office, Jackson finds himself embroiled in a controversy with his vice-president John C. Calhoun. As a South Carolinian, Calhoun's future political hopes may well depend on how effectively he can negotiate relief from the tari...