Similarities And Differences Between 1820-1840

The social elements between 1820-1840 were greatly affected by the fight for presidency between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, in the election of 1828. Jackson highlighted that he had a humble beginning, a military career, and a support for democratic values (Keene, 234). Jackson’s supporters praised his dedication to democracy and criticized his opponent’s aristocratic background. The people who supported Adams, defended his idea of traditional republicanism and gave warning to supporters of Jackson that he would ultimately undermine the constitutional system of America. The events of the election of 1824 greatly colored the main disputes in this election. When Adams won the election of 1824 there were rumors that he had “stolen” the

This fight mainly involved Georgia and the Cherokee. The Cherokee claimed that they were not subject to the laws of Georgia and that they had the right to govern themselves. They also argued that they had the right to deal with the United States as a sovereign power. Georgia strongly disagreed with these claims. They believed that the idea of an independent Indian state was preposterous and that the Indians were under control of the United States. This issue came under the Supreme Court in two separate cases related to the declarations of the Cherokee nation (Keene, 244). In both cases, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that Indians tribes had the right to govern themselves, as well as other rights typically associated with sovereign nations, but they did not have the right to sue the state of Georgia (Keene, 244). In the case, Worcester v. Georgia, Georgia had imprisoned two protestant missionaries because they were living on Indian land without a license. Chief Justice John Marshall determined that these missionaries were wrongfully imprisoned and that they were qualified for protection from the federal courts. Even more important, the Cherokee received an important triumph when Marshall supported that “the laws of Georgia can have no force” when it comes to Cherokee territory (Keene, 244). The Cherokee nation still

State banks were not very careful when it came to loaning money. As a result, this led to an enlarged amount of credit, which led to a frenzy. In 1836, the sales of land had increased almost tenfold in about five years to $25 million (Keene, 250). Jackson adopted a hard money policy to try and slow down the overheated economy. This new policy required that land purchased from the government should be paid with hard currency, or specie (Keene, 250). Unfortunately, Martin Van Buren became president in 1836, and inherited a weak economy. About a year after becoming president, Van Buren had to deal with the Panic of 1837, an economic disaster that plummeted the nation into an economic depression. Farm foreclosures, business failures, and unemployment rates rose dramatically. Wages dropped by about 50 percent, and a third of the workforce was unemployed in areas such as Philadelphia (Keene, 251). Many people blamed Jackson and his war against the Bank for this economic crisis, but the crisis was mainly foreign. The Bank of England decided to restrict the credit flow to British banks that invested in America and raise their interest rates. As a result, this caused the banks of America to call in many outstanding debts, as well as, restrict their loans. Many businesses and farms ended up defaulting on their loans