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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.

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 incompetent.  (Today conservatives tend to prefer a spoils system because the alternative of an entrenched bureaucracy unresponsive to voters is worse.)

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 for 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 for the $700 billion bailout legislation).  

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, 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 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.  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 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 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.

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 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 farmers in the United States to buy the goods they needed.  The North favored tariffs to reduce competition from foreign goods; the South opposed tariffs and wanted 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>

:"whole system of legislation imposing duties on imports,--not for revenue, but the protection of one branch of industry at the expense of others,--is unconstitutional, unequal, and oppressive, and calculated to corrupt the public virtue and destroy the liberty of the Country...."  

:"whole system of legislation imposing duties on imports,--not for revenue, but the protection of one branch of industry at the expense of others,--is unconstitutional, unequal, and oppressive, and calculated to corrupt the public virtue and destroy the liberty of the Country...."  

This Exposition and Protest embraced the concept of nullification, such that a state, if it decided that a federal law was unconstitutional, could nullify the law and not enforce it within the state.  This Exposition and Protest was then adopted by South Carolina legislature as a formal protest against the federal law, and brought South Carolina a step closer to seceding from (leaving) the United States altogether.  Georgia and Mississippi followed South Carolina in passing resolutions protesting the tariff.

This Exposition and Protest embraced the concept of nullification, such that a State, if it decided that a federal law was unconstitutional, could nullify the law and not enforce it within the State.  This Exposition and Protest was then adopted by South Carolina legislature as a formal protest against the federal law, and brought South Carolina a step closer to seceding from (leaving) the United States altogether.  Georgia and Mississippi followed South Carolina in passing resolutions protesting the tariff.

Calhoun was Jackson's Vice President beginning in 1829, and Jackson was furious at this defiance by a state against federal authority.  At a big political dinner in 1830, Jackson stared down Calhoun with the following toast: "Our Federal Union: It must be Preserved!"<ref name="Toast">http://www.ushistory.org/us/24e.asp</ref>  Calhoun then rose and offered his different view as a toast: "The Union — ''next to our liberty'', the most dear!"<ref name="Toast"/>  Jackson was irritated by this, and by 1832 Jackson would take the unusual step of dropping Calhoun from his ticket and replacing him with a new Vice President when Jackson ran for reelection.

Calhoun was Jackson's Vice President beginning in 1829, and Jackson was furious at this defiance by a State against federal authority.  At a big political dinner in 1830, Jackson stared down Calhoun with the following toast: "Our Federal Union: It must be Preserved!"<ref name="Toast">http://www.ushistory.org/us/24e.asp</ref>  Calhoun then rose and offered his different view as a toast: "The Union — ''next to our liberty'', the most dear!"<ref name="Toast"/>  Jackson was irritated by this, and by 1832 Jackson would take the unusual step of dropping Calhoun from his ticket and replacing him with a new Vice President when Jackson ran for reelection.

In 1831, gossip and social scandal hit the White House, demonstrating that "National Enquirer" or tabloid-style stories were just as big back then as today.  The White House was like a social club, with members of the President's Cabinet of advisers and their wives being the members of this club.  In what  became known as the "Peggy Eaton Affair," gossip about the wife of the Secretary of War caused others in the Cabinet (and particularly the wives of Cabinet members) to turn against Peggy Eaton and her husband-Secretary of War.  Jackson, who still resented gossip about his now-deceased wife which occurred before he was elected president, instinctively defended Peggy Eaton.  Much of the Cabinet then resigned, forcing Jackson to form an entirely new Cabinet.

In 1831, gossip and social scandal hit the White House, demonstrating that "National Enquirer" or tabloid-style stories were just as big back then as today.  The White House was like a social club, with members of the President's Cabinet of advisers and their wives being the members of this club.  In what  became known as the "Peggy Eaton Affair," gossip about the wife of the Secretary of War caused others in the Cabinet (and particularly the wives of Cabinet members) to turn against Peggy Eaton and her husband-Secretary of War.  Jackson, who still resented gossip about his now-deceased wife which occurred before he was elected president, instinctively defended Peggy Eaton.  Much of the Cabinet then resigned, forcing Jackson to form an entirely new Cabinet.

   

   

The North-South conflict boiled over in late 1832.  The South Carolina legislature went one step further and passed the Ordinance of Nullification prohibiting the collection of federal duties and declaring that the use of force by the federal government would be justification for South Carolina to secede from the Union.  Jackson issued a proclamation that "disunion by armed force is treason."  But South Carolina remained defiant.  Jackson was furious, declaring that "if a single drop of blood is shed there in opposition to the laws of the United States, then I will hang the first person I can lay my hand on, upon the first tree I can reach."<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=_34AAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA363&lpg=PA363&dq=%22Andrew+Jackson%22+tree+hang+Calhoun&source=web&ots=Q_px3n4woz&sig=44JZJpNJNxKrQjFAbYlVCj0nv_4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result "A Students' History of the United States," By Edward Channing]</ref>  In running for reelection, Jackson replaced Calhoun with Martin Van Buren as his Vice President.

The North-South conflict boiled over in late 1832.  The South Carolina legislature went one step further and passed the Ordinance of Nullification, prohibiting the collection of federal duties and declaring that the use of force by the federal government would be justification for South Carolina to secede from the Union.  Jackson issued a proclamation that "disunion by armed force is treason."  But South Carolina remained defiant.  Jackson was furious, declaring that "if a single drop of blood is shed there in opposition to the laws of the United States, then I will hang the first person I can lay my hand on, upon the first tree I can reach."<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=_34AAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA363&lpg=PA363&dq=%22Andrew+Jackson%22+tree+hang+Calhoun&source=web&ots=Q_px3n4woz&sig=44JZJpNJNxKrQjFAbYlVCj0nv_4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result "A Students' History of the United States," By Edward Channing]</ref>  In running for reelection, Jackson replaced Calhoun with Martin Van Buren as his Vice President.

In early 1833, Jackson requested the Force Bill in order to authorize federal troops to enforce the revenue laws, but Jackson also approved lowering the tariff to appease South Carolina.  South Carolina then suspended its ordinance of nullification and the conflict was defused.

In early 1833, Jackson requested the Force Bill in order to authorize federal troops to enforce the revenue laws, but Jackson also approved lowering the tariff to appease South Carolina.  South Carolina then suspended its ordinance of nullification and the conflict was defused.