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== Jacksonian Democracy ==

== Jacksonian Democracy ==

The Democrat Andrew Jackson was the first president to have been born in a log cabin, and he cultivated his image to represent the "common man."  His landslide victory in the presidential election of 1828 was a triumph of democracy -- now called "Jacksonian Democracy" -- because the middle and lower class voters loved Jackson as much as the upper class disliked him.  During his inauguration Jackson welcomed the public into the White House, and the common folk trashed it, with farmers and frontiersmen wearing muddy boots standing on antique White House furniture that once graced figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

The Democrat Andrew Jackson was the first president to have been born in a log cabin, and he cultivated his image to represent the "common man."  His landslide victory in the presidential election of 1828 was a triumph of democracy -- now called "Jacksonian Democracy" -- because the middle and lower class voters loved Jackson as much as the upper class disliked him.  During his inauguration Jackson welcomed the public into the White House, and the common folk trashed it, with farmers and frontiersmen with muddy boots standing on antique White House furniture that once graced figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

There was never a dull moment in the eight years of the Jackson Administration, as he fought with anyone who disagreed with him.  His political opponents began to characterize him as a king or a tyrant, but most voters felt that Jackson was looking out the public against the self-serving government types.  Jackson was a firm supporter of the "spoils system," which means that "to the victor goes the spoils":  the winner gets to fire all the government workers and replace them with his friends and supporters, no matter how competent.   

There was never a dull moment in the eight years of the Jackson Administration, as he fought with anyone who disagreed with him.  His political opponents began to characterize him as a king or a tyrant, but most voters felt that Jackson was looking out the public against the self-serving government types.  Jackson was a firm supporter of the "spoils system," which means that "to the victor goes the spoils":  the winner gets to fire all the government workers and replace them with his friends and supporters, no matter how incompetent.  (Today conservatives tend to prefer a spoils system because the alternative of an entrenched bureaucracy unresponsive to voters is worse.)

Jackson particularly disliked banks, supposedly because a banker refused to give him a loan as a young man.  Jackson vetoed renewal of the national bank, despite the insistence of wealthy bankers (similar to the insistence by Wall Street types today or the $700 billion bailout).  

Jackson particularly disliked banks, supposedly because a banker refused to give him a loan as a young man.  Jackson vetoed renewal of the national bank, despite the insistence of wealthy bankers (similar to the insistence by Wall Street types today for the $700 billion bailout legislation).  

Jackson vetoed federal road projects because he was a strict constitutionalist:  if the power is not expressly in the Constitution, then it did not exist, under this view.  Jackson's most famous veto of a road construction project was his Maysville Road Veto in 1830, which would have sent money to Kentucky, the state of the influential Senator Henry Clay (known as the "Great Compromiser").  Jackson said there was no ''national'' benefit to justify federal funding for the project.  All the of the national roads we see today, and their predecessors, which connect the states were built long after Jackson was president.

Jackson vetoed federal road projects because he was a strict constitutionalist:  if the power is not expressly in the Constitution, then it did not exist, Jackson felt.  Jackson's most famous veto of a road construction project was his Maysville Road Veto in 1830, which would have sent money to Kentucky, the state of the influential Senator Henry Clay (known as the "Great Compromiser").  Jackson said there was no ''national'' benefit to justify federal funding for the project.  Obviously future presidents did authorize interstate highways, because there are so many today.

Jackson disliked others in addition to bankers.  He also hated the Indians, and treated them very harshly.  In 1830, Jackson forcibly evicted Indian tribes as part of the "Indian Removal," which increased Jackson's popularity in the Western frontier states having the most conflicts with Indians.

Jackson disliked others in addition to bankers.  For example, Jackson hated the Indians, and treated them very harshly.  In 1830, Jackson forcibly evicted Indian tribes as part of the "Indian Removal," which increased Jackson's popularity in the Western frontier states having the most conflicts with Indians.

Jackson did not care much for Southerns who talked about nullifying federal law or seceding (leaving) the United States.  Jackson, like President Abraham Lincoln 30 years later, was determined to hold the United States together.

Jackson did not care much for Southerners who talked about nullifying federal law or seceding (leaving) the United States.  Jackson, like President Abraham Lincoln 30 years later, was determined to hold the United States together.

A serious conflict between the North and South began before Jackson was even inaugurated.  In 1828, Congress passed the "Tariff of Abominations," which raised tariffs despite a bitter protest by South Carolina, which was an exporter dependent on the good will of foreign countries in accepting its products.  Raising tariffs on imports often caused other countries to retaliate, and also made it more expensive for businesses in the United States to buy the goods it needed.  The North favored tariffs to reduce competition from foreign goods; the South opposed tariffs and wanted the competition to reduce its costs in producing cotton.  When the North raised the tariffs in 1828, John Calhoun of South Carolina secretly wrote the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest" in 1828, which stated that the:<ref>http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=23</ref>

A serious conflict between the North and South began before Jackson was even inaugurated.  In 1828, Congress passed the "Tariff of Abominations," which raised tariffs despite a bitter protest by South Carolina, which was an exporter dependent on the good will of foreign countries in accepting its products.  Raising tariffs on imports often caused other countries to retaliate, and also made it more expensive for businesses in the United States to buy the goods it needed.  The North favored tariffs to reduce competition from foreign goods; the South opposed tariffs and wanted the competition to reduce its costs in producing cotton.  When the North raised the tariffs in 1828, John Calhoun of South Carolina secretly wrote the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest" in 1828, which stated that the:<ref>http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=23</ref>