The presidency of James Monroe is marked as the Era of Good Feelings because of the lack of political opposition, which was largely due to the collapse of the Federalist party. The Jeffersonian-Republicans, however, lose their way. Federalist programs enacted in the name of Republicanism helped bring on the Panic of 1819. The collapse of party discipline allowed the Missouri question to degenerate into a sectional free-for-all. There comes a call for Jeffersonian revival, which includes limited government power and guaranteed southern rights.
Martin Van Buren is the leader of New York's Bucktail Republicans, and he is soon elected to the United States Senate. He was talented with no influential family connections. His political career was based on a commitment to Jeffersonian principles, personal charm and party discipline. He invented the modern political party (not something that's particularly useful...).
Post-1819 America was at a dangerous turning point where disciplined political parties were necessary. Competition and party divisions were inevitable and good. Van Buren built a coalition of northern and southern agrarians, which resulted in the Democratic Party and the National two-party system.
The Election of 1824
The Presidential candidates:
- Republican: William H. Crawford
- New England: John Quincy Adams
- The West: Henry Clay
- The South: John C. Calhoun
- The Wild Card: Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson's popularity was more based on his image as a military hero than a political strategist.
Sixteen states chose presidential electors by popular vote, and six states left the choice to state legislatures.
Popular vote totals:
- Jackson: 153,000
- Adams: 114,000
- Clay: 47,000
- Crawford: 47,000
Jackson's support was more national. Adam's support came from New England, and Clay's came from the Northwest while Crawford's came from the Southeast. (Crawford suffered a crippling stroke during the election)
"The Corrupt Bargain"
Jackson assumed he had won the election (and who can blame him?) because his percent of the popular vote was 42%, and Adam's was 32%. However, he needed 131 electoral college votes to win the Presidency, and he only received 99. Under the U.S. Constitution, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives. The House then chooses from the top three candidates. Henry Clay is eliminated, but he led the election as speaker of the House. He throws the election to Adams by 1 vote. Adams then appoints Clay his Secretary of State (which was basically the step before becoming president). Jackson calls this the "Corrupt Bargain."
The Corrupt Bargain helps nourish a rising democratic movement. The charge of corruption followed Clay for the rest of his life.
Jackson considered the Corrupt Bargain as example of the corruption that the nation had suffered for the past 10 years. Jackson blamed the Panic of 1819 on the Bank of the U.S. He believed the national debt was a source of corruption and must be paid off and never allowed to recur. The federal government was filled with swindlers who were taking power for themselves and scheming against the liberties of the people. There were also suspicions of "King Caucus," which was the selection of a president by backstairs deals rather than by popular election.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1825 made it clear: either the people or the political schemers would rule.
Adams v. Jackson
As Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams was pretty impressive. With the Rush-Bagot Treaty, he helped pacify the northern border, he restored American fishing rights off the coast of Canada, he drew the U.S.-Canada border line, and he turned the border into a peaceful boundary.
With the Adams-Oniz Treaty, Adams pacified the southern border, he procured Florida from Spain, he defined the U.S.-Spanish (later Mexican) border west of the Mississippi, and he helped Americans lay claim to the Pacific Coast.
A little known fact, the Monroe Doctrine was actually written by John Quincy Adams. During this time, the Spanish colonies in the Americas were declaring independence, and the Monroe Doctrine supported them and declared American opposition to any European attempt at colonization in the New World. This doctrine was enforced and backed up by the British Navy.
Nationalism at Home
John Q. Adams went out of his way to isolate himself and to offend popular democracy.
His plan for national development:
- Federal money for roads, canals, and a national university.
- A national astronomical observatory.
Congressional response:
- They could not believe their ears.
- Adams connected with federal public works projects and high taxes, intrusive government, the denial of democratic majorities, and expanded opportunities for corruption, secret deals and special favors.
- Congress never acted on the president's proposals.
The Birth of the Democratic Party
Van Buren switched allegiances to Jackson. He considered Andrew Jackson to the head of a disciplined Democratic Party. They planned to continue the policies of Jeffersonian Republicans. They linked popular democracy with the defense of southern slavery. They proposed to revive the alliance of planters of the South and Republicans of the North.
The Democratic Party was committed to Agrarian programs of states' rights and minimal government. Van Buren feared that there would be an expensive and invasive national state, the isolation of the slaveholding South, and thus, the mortal danger to the republic.
Election of 1828
This turned out to be a gossip/slander match rather than a debate on public issues. Adams and Jackson's henchmen personalized the campaign (dissing each other, each other's wife, each other's family, etc. Anything's fair game). Jacksonians hammered away at the Corrupt Bargain and the dishonesty and weakness of Adams. The Adams forces attacked Jackson's character, his tendency to solve problems with duels and tavern brawls, described Jackson's execution of militiamen, and said Jackson was a bastard and his mother a prostitute. They also accused Jackson's wife, Rachel, of bigamy (multiple marriages).
However, the Adams strategy backfired. In fact, many criticized Adams for making Jackson's personal life a political issue.
On a completely different note...Andrew and Rachel Jackson:
- were models of marital fidelity.
- in romantic love for 40 years.
- were a triumph of what was right and just over what was narrowly legal.
Anyway, when Adams tried to brand Jackson as a lawless man, Jackson's imaged actually got better. He became a melodramatic hero who battled shrewd, unscrupulous, legalistic enemies in the eyes of the people.
And during the election the voters turn out doubled that of 1824. The results were:
- Jackson -Popular vote: 56% and Electoral College vote: 178
- Adams - Popular vote: 44% and Electoral College vote: 83
Adams carried New England, Delaware, and most of Maryland, and part of New York, but Jackson carried every other state.
Jackson-Adams Contrast
- Triumph of democracy over genteel statesmanship
- Limited government over expansive nationalism
- The South and West over New England
- Popular melodrama over cultural gentility
The People's Inauguration
Jackson was deep in mourning for his beloved wife, who had passed away right before this time. In his inaugural address he acknowledged respect for states' rights, equity, caution and compromise regarding the tariff, reform for the civil service, and retirement of the national debt.
The Spoils System
Serving as Jackson's Secretary of State was Martin Van Buren, the rest of Jackson's cabinet were called the "millennium of the Minnows." This was because Van Buren seemed to be the only capable staff on his cabinet. Everyone else was hired because they were close to Jackson, not because they were able and educated.
For example, Samuel Swarthout was made the collector of the Port of New York. His office handles $15 million in tariff revenue; he stole $1.2 million and fled to Europe.
This became known as the spoils system. ("To the victor belongs the spoils.") It was patronage, the dispensing of government jobs--very much like cronyism.
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