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A Changing Nation
Unit 4
Chapter 12: The Age of Jackson
Section 1: Politics of the People
Section 2: Jackson’s Policy Toward Native Americans
We’re up to 1824
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And we need a new President.
Andrew Jackson runs against John Quincy Adams –
and loses.
Adams had a lot of things he wanted to do as president
but Congress defeated most of his proposals (led by
Andrew Jackson supporters).
One thing that happened while
John Quincy Adams was president:
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On July 4th, 1826 both
John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson died (Jefferson 1st)
…50 years - to the day…
This was seen as a “sign
from God” that America
was truly a special place.
Actually for a long while the two
didn’t get along
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Remember – they had
completely different
views on how
government should be
run.
And after George
Washington left office
those two formed the first
American political parties
– and they became bitter
rivals.
Later in their lives (1811)
they became friends and
wrote to each other often
But in 1828 Andrew Jackson does
get elected president.
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People remembered him and
liked him as a General during the
War of 1812 (Remember
The Battle of New Orleans?)
Jackson claimed to represent the
“common man”
Jackson ideas centered around
all the people having political
power (Jefferson’s ideas?)
He does quite a few things and
these changes are known as
Jacksonian Democracy.
Andrew Jackson hard a hard life
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His dad died before Andrew
was born.
Grew up on a frontier farm.
Taken prisoner in the
Revolution (joined at 13).
Had smallpox, but mother
helped him get better and then
she died.
His wife died right after he
became president.
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But he:
Studied law after the
Revolution.
Had a successful legal practice.
Bought and sold land.
Ran for Congress.
Became a General in the War
of 1812 and became a national
war hero.
Called “Old Hickory” because
was as tough as hickory wood.
Jackson promised to reform
government
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And he did make
changes, but not
always good ones.
One good one – while
he was president,
more people gained
the right to vote (but
still only white males)
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One “bad” one
Jackson replaced many
government officials with
his own supporters.
This is now known as
“the spoils system”
Andrew Jackson may have done more
to mistreat Native Americans than
anyone else in American History
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While he was a General
during the War of 1812,
he was asked to make
some treaties with Native
Americans
These treaties were
“forced” on the Native
Americans.
In these treaties, the U.S.
government gained large
areas of land.
At this time in American history…
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People were hoping
Native Americans could
become more “white”
There were some who
tried – they were even
called the “Five Civilized
Tribes”
(Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Creek, and
Seminole)
The Oklahoma State Seal consists of a large five-pointed star containing
the emblems of the Five Civilized Tribes in the points of each ray.
Especially the Cherokee – who agreed to move to
an area where North Carolina is today
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But right after that,
gold was discovered
on some of their land
(in Northern Georgia).
It was decided to take
all Native Americans
east of the Mississippi
and move them to the
west.
Andrew Jackson felt the U.S. government had the
right to decide where Native Americans could live.
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Congress even passed the
“Indian Removal Act” requiring
these natives to move west.
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Most did on their own – to
“Indian Territory” but a group
of Cherokee didn’t want to.
So in 1838, federal troops
went in and forced the
Cherokee to move west. It was
winter – many got sick and
died.
They had to leave everything
behind.
One fourth of the Cherokee
died just on the trip.
This trip became know as
“The Trail of Tears”
There were some other battles over
Native American removals
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One of these was with
the Seminole in
Florida.
Some of them hid out
in the Everglades, and
their descendants are
still in the Florida area
today
Around here…
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Shawnee, Ottawa,
Potawatomi, Sauk,
and Fox were all
forced to move.
But one Sauk chief
came back to fight for
his lands.
(Chief Black Hawk –
but he ended up
losing)
Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
Section 1: Trails West
Would anyone like to know about
Jackson’s “Tariff of Abominations”?
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Or the “crisis of nullification”?
William Henry Harrison’s run for the
presidency against John Tyler?
The rise of the Whig party?
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read about it in your book – we’re not going over it in class
The west was really beginning to
open up in the mid 1800’s
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Some of the first white
people in the west were
“mountain men”
These men were
independent, tough,
adventurous, willing to
take on anything.
Many of them were
trappers – looking for
animal skins to eventually
send east.
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They’d spend their time trapping animals.
They’d agree to meet traders from the east once in a
while.
These meetings were called the “rendezvous” system.
(a rendezvous is a meeting)
They’d then get supplies to last them while they hunted
some more.
The next wave of people went west
because of land
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Land speculators
bought huge areas of
land.
They would divide it
up and smaller pieces
to newcomers in the
west and make a
good profit.
The next group came west as
farmers – good productive land.
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Then came groups of
people like merchants
and manufacturers –
trying to make money
by selling farmers
products.
How would you get west?
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On one of the several
main trails west
The Oregon Trail
The California Trail
The Santa Fe Trail
The Old Spanish Trail
The Mormon Trail
The one you took
depended on the purpose
of your trip
For example: The Santa Fe Trail
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Was for American
businessmen who hoped to
make a profit selling new
products in Mexico – and
some of them became
VERY rich.
When people heard how
much money you could
make, lots more went –
that’s the first time you
hear of the “prairie
schooner.”
From Missouri to Mexico
was about 800 miles and
the trip might take 2-3
months.
One most people have heard
about: The Oregon Trail
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The first white men to
Oregon were
missionaries.
Then came stories
about the rich land
and thousands
decided that Oregon
was the place to go.
Today… if you decide you want to go to
Oregon, you might fly, or at least get in a
car and take a couple of days to drive there.
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But in 1840 it
wasn’t that easy.
Indians?
Animals?
Sickness/disease?
Accidents?
Starvation/no water?
Freeze to death in the
mountains?
Your packet has a
“1st person account” of the Oregon Trail
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Why that might be a
good description of
what happened:
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Why that might be a
bad description of
what happened:
The one group people sometimes talk about
were ”the Donner party”
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They became trapped in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains and were forced to
build a winter camp with little food to
sustain them. When the food ran out,
some survived by eating the corpses of
their companions. It was several weeks
before rescue parties could be sent to
help because of the Mexican War. Even
after the war ended, not everyone
could be rescued at once because of
the harsh weather conditions and
difficult terrain. The last of the
survivors reached Sutter's Fort (now
Sacramento) almost exactly one year
later. Of the 87 members of the
Donner Party, 46 survived.
And… the Mormon Trail
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Mormons are from the “Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints”
Their religion claims Jesus came
to Vermont to Joseph Smith and
told him to start a new Christian
church in the Americas.
Mormons had some ideas that
others didn’t like: such as
polygamy (many wives)
The Mormons were chased out
of New England and moved to
Illinois (Nauvoo).
In Illinois, an anti Mormon mob killed Joseph
Smith and they decided they needed a place to
live where no-one would bother them
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This place was out west –
to the Utah Territory
(their new leader was
Brigham Young).
Utah at that time was
actually part of Mexico.
When they got there,
they settled by the Great
Salt Lake – and they’re
still there today.
Today, Utah is about 6075% Mormon
Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
Section 2: The Texas Revolution
Today we’re going to look at
Mexicans and Americans
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And how one group – especially the immigrants
are causing all kinds of problems.
No one wants these immigrants to be there –
they should go back home to their own country.
They always break laws – they’re all a bunch of
criminals.
They don’t understand how to live in their new
country.
They take advantage of money and tax
situations in their new country.
Around 1800
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There was some Spanish
land near the Louisiana
Territory called Tejas.
Parts of this land had
great forests.
Parts had great farmland.
Parts had huge grazing
land for cattle.
There were some good
rivers leading to the Gulf
of Mexico.
But not many Tejanos lived in Mexico
(Spanish people who lived in Mexico)
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Comanche, Apache,
and other tribes
fought against more
Spanish people
settling in Texas
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The Spanish wanted
more Spanish settlers
to move there – to
help fight the Native
Americans – and keep
out Americans
They just couldn’t find any Spanish
settlers who would move there
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So they started letting some
Americans come – like Moses
Austin and his son Stephen
Austin.
But in 1820: Mexico gained
its Independence from Spain.
Mexico wouldn’t let them
have this land for free like the
Spanish did.
The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is
not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from
mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the
first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.
The American settlers had to agree
to live by certain rules:
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They had to become
Mexican citizens.
The had to become
members of the Catholic
Church.
Stephen Austin even
required that his settler
families were moral,
would work hard, and
would not drink.
But more and more Americans moved into
Texas (The Mexican Territory of Texas)
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It got to the point where
Mexico said there were too
many Americans immigrating
to their land.
Very few of these immigrants
spoke the Mexican language –
and refused to learn.
Mexicans thought the
Americans were difficult to live
with (they always wanted
special treatment).
Americans seemed unwilling to
adapt to Mexican laws.
The Mexican Government decided to crack
down on all these immigrants
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They tried to stop American immigration.
The Mexicans made Texan settlers pay taxes for the first time.
They sent more Mexican troops to Texas to enforce the new rules.
There’s talk of a rebellion
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And eventually there
is one – between
American settlers in
Mexico’s Texas – and
the Mexican
government.
There actually ends
up being a war
between the two
One of the more famous places they fought:
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At an old mission near where
San Antonio is today.
About 200 members of the
Texas army fought against
2000 Mexican forces.
They actually held them off
during a 13 day siege but
eventually ran out of
ammunition and supplies.
The battle cry of this war
became:
“Remember the Alamo”
Surrounding and trying
to capture something
The Alamo - San Antonio, TX
The Alamo Site, History, Pictures,
News, & More
Another famous battle
took place at San Jacinto
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In this battle half the
Mexican army died in
an 18 minute span.
Mexican General
Santa Anna was
forced to sign a peace
treaty – giving Texas
its freedom, and its
independence.
Texas became: The Lone Star Republic
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It was it’s own country (even
though it kept asking the U.S.
if it could be added as a new
state.
The U.S. kept saying no – it
would probably become a
slave state.
That would make one more
slave than free states.
Mexico would probably end up
wanting to go to war with the
United States – and not just
Texas.
So it’s true about
Mexicans and Americans
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And how one group – especially the immigrants
are causing all kinds of problems.
No one wants these immigrants to be there –
they should go back home to their own country.
They always break laws – they’re all a bunch of
criminals.
They don’t understand how to live in their new
country.
They take advantage of money and tax
situations in their new country.
Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
Section 3: The War with Mexico
White Americans saw all the lands west of
the Mississippi as “unoccupied”
(Even though Native Americans, Mexicans, Spanish, and Texan Tejanos lived there)
They felt it was “God’s plan that America grow
and expand and take over all of North America.”
They called this idea Manifest Destiny
In 1845 the United States did admit
Texas to the Union as a slave state
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Mexico saw this as an act
of war – like the United
States stole this land
from them.
Some people call this the
Texas Annexation
The United States tried to
make them happy and
even offered to give
Mexico 25 million dollars
(for Texas, California, and
New Mexico) – but
Mexico said NO!!!
The United States wanted this land
(it was their “destiny” to have it)
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So they kind of set up the
Mexicans.
The U.S. put some troops
near the Rio Grande (in a
disputed area) and the
Mexicans got mad and
attacked them.
Well, to America this was
an act of war – so a war
started between Mexico
and America… so it was
called….
The Mexican – American War
The U.S. army won many battles and soon
took control of New Mexico (without firing a shot),
and then took California. One Mexican officer
even said: “God must be a Yankee.”
An American –
usually one who
lived in a northern
city
Fighting in Mexico against the
Mexicans was a little tougher.
But, eventually (on 2/2/1848) the war ended.
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In the Peace Treaty:
(The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo):
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Mexico recognized Texas was
now a U.S. state.
The Rio Grande was the official
border between U.S. and
Mexico.
Mexico also gave up half it’s
land.
This is called:
the Mexican Cession
The United States agreed to
pay Mexico 15 million dollars.
The U.S. promised to protect
Mexicans who were now living
in U.S. land
This now meant:
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Good for U.S.:
Got a lot more land.
These new people would be
able to add to the culture and
economy of the U.S.
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Bad for Mexico:
Lost half their land – and have
always been more than a little
upset about that.
Lost a lot of places that would
have been good for their
economics (farms, ranches,
mines, rivers, etc.).
Ended up a minority in their
“new “ country
The United States did end up
buying one more part of Mexico
Called the Gadsden Purchase
(10 Million) for railroad land (for the transcontinental railroad)
Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
Section 4: The California Gold Rush
Until 1848 California was populated
by 150,000 Native Americans
And 6000 Californios
(Spanish or Mexican settlers)
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California they didn’t want any
American foreigners there)
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One Swiss immigrant did
move there though –
John Sutter – who
convinced the Mexican
governor to give him
50,000 acres of land
(for a farm)
Sutter was having a sawmill built, and one day his
carpenter found some gold on the ground.
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Well, you know what happens
next – EVERYONE (thousands)
want to come to California to
get rich as part of the
California Gold Rush.
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California was a hard place
to get to (way out west
and over the Rockies) but
people still came (mostly
young men though).
These people are called
49ers because they
started their migration to
California in:
18____
Moving to a new place
1 ounce of gold:
size/weight of one penny today
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Today: worth
about ____ dollars
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In 1849: worth
about ____ dollars
(it would take a
cabinet maker
about 200 hours
work to make that
much money)
Why was gold so
“magical”/special?
In the mid 1800’s: it was an
easy way to get rich - quick
Today’s ways to get rich quick:
Lottery / Gambling
Investments?
Steal
Sell Drugs
People came from all over the world
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About 2/3 were Americans.
Also: Native Americans, free
Blacks, and even some
enslaved African Americans.
Some from Mexico.
Others from Europe, South
America, Australia.
Even China (by 1851 10% of
the miners were Chinese – and
they ended up being some of
the best miners).
Very few women – it just
wasn’t the kind of thing
“ladies” did.
Living there was
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For one thing, you can guess
how men would live if there
were never any women
around.
Miners “camped out” a lot
more than they lived in
“homes.”
Looking for gold was hot,
sweaty and dirty work.
There was great competition
for the best “claims.”
And there were always people
looking to cheat you, or simply
rob you of anything you found.
How to find gold:
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Panning
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Crevicing / Digging
For fun and entertainment:
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Bull and bear fights
Bear and donkey
fights
Wrestling
Boxing
Magic Shows
By 1852…
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The gold rush was
mostly over.
All the easy gold had
been found.
The government put
a tax on foreign
miners – that most of
them couldn’t afford.
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There were other gold
rushes, but California
is the one people
hear about the most.
Montana, Colorado,
Alaska, Central/South
America.
The gold rush had a huge impact
on California – even up to today
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California (and the San
Francisco area became
centers of banking,
manufacturing, shipping,
and trade.
Today – if California was
it’s own country it would
be the sixth richest nation
IN THE WORLD
(because of all it’s
resources and how
they’re used)
But even though some good things happened
for the U.S. –
that doesn’t always mean good things for….
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Native Americans
Of course – again – they
lost a lot of land.
Many died from diseases
brought by the
newcomers.
Miners would even hunt
them down and kill them
sometimes.
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Or the original Spanish
and Mexican settlers.
Many lost all their legal
rights and their heritage.
Many lost all their
property.
Your culture and what you get
from your ancestors
Enough people did move to California
that it could become a state
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A free state
California is home to more
than 10 percent of all
Americans and a central
element in the American
cultural fabric. Although more
than two-thirds of native-born
Americans live in their state of
birth, fewer than half of all
Californians were born in the
state. Rather, California has
been an important destination
for U.S. internal migration in
nearly every decade since
1850.
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And now there was one
more free state than
slave states – and that
would cause more
political turmoil.
(people getting upset)
Chapter 14: A New Spirit of Change
Section 1: The Hopes of Immigrants
Section 3: Reforming American Society
Around the 1850’s –
a lot of immigrants began coming to
America
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An immigrant is:
someone who comes
into a country.
An emigrant is:
someone who leaves
a country.
Coming to America was much
different 150 years ago.
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At that time, about 2/3 of
all immigrants came from
Europe.
They probably came over
on a ship – with the
cheapest passage
possible.
Conditions were filthy and
people were often sick on
the way over here.
When they got here,
many did the “Ellis Island
thing”
There are “push-pull” factors for moving
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Europe had started to become
too crowded.
Many European farmers were
forced off their lands. They
needed a new place to live
and America had places they
might be able to continue to
farm.
Some countries had crop
failures and famines – people
came here rather than starve
(The Irish Potato Famine).
The Industrial Revolution
meant people had to look for
jobs in factories – and there
were more of those jobs in the
U.S.
Many people left Europe for
religious and even political
reasons.
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Freedom – people in the
United States could be / do
anything they wanted.
There were better economic
opportunities in the United
States.
There were millions of acres
of open and unclaimed land –
just waiting for the
opportunity to be settled.
One of the large immigrant groups:
The Scandinavians
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They liked that America had a
lot of land.
They moved to places here
that were very much like their
homeland – farming areas with
lakes, forests, and colder
weather (Minnesota and
Wisconsin)
Another 1800’s immigrant group:
The Germans
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Liked Wisconsin – they
could farm and grow oats
and grains (beer?) (and
for a while the Catholic
Bishop in Milwaukee was
a German).
Many also settled in
Texas.
Many also became
bakers, butchers,
carpenters, printers,
shoemakers, and tailors.
The largest 1800’s immigrant group:
The Irish
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Most were Catholic.
At that time Britain ruled
Ireland and gave the Irish no
rights – they couldn’t vote,
own land, or go to school, so
some came to get away from
that.
But… in 1845 a disease
attacked the Irish potato crop
and destroyed much of the
Irish food supply. Over 1
million Irish starved to death
and almost 2 million more left
and came to America.
The Irish
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In America they stayed in the
cities they sailed to – they had
no money to move anywhere
else.
By 1850 they were ¼ of the
populations of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, and
Baltimore.
They were mostly uneducated
with few skills and little
training.
They had to take the worst
jobs.
Irish immigrants often were
not wanted in America. Ads for
employment often were
followed by "NO IRISH NEED
APPLY."
Immigration laws
With all these immigrants cities became
VERY crowded – especially east coast cities.
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Many cities doubled in size
every 5-10 years.
There often wasn’t enough
housing and many immigrants
would have to share the same
apartments – because of
money too).
It was also a time without
modern plumbing, sewer, and
water systems, garbage pickup,
police and fire departments,
and had overall poor general
sanitation
NYC - 1849
Wall Street - 1850
NYC – 1850 Tenement
There have always been people
who are prejudiced
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A negative opinion that is
not based on facts.
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Some people felt these
immigrants would never
learn American ways.
Some felt they might take
over.
Some felt all the Catholics
might somehow
overthrow our country’s
ideals of democracy.
These people who felt they needed to
eliminate foreigners were called nativists
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People who believed
they were way better
than immigrants
Of course, the only group that is
really “native” to America:
In the early 1800’s Americans began to believe
they could try and make their lives better
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There were several different ways they thought
people could improve their lives.
Temperance Societies:
(not drinking alcohol)
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People drank a lot of alcohol
in the early 1800’s.
Some workers (men) spent
too much money on getting
drunk and their wives got
upset.
Many women joined the
temperance movement.
They were also supported by
business owners who wanted
their workers at work (not
hung over and not drunk).
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Workers Rights
Organized group that protects and
watches out for workers
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Labor unions began to form –
and they demanded better
working conditions.
They’d even go on strike if
they needed to – for shorter
working hours, higher wages,
and better working conditions.
In 1840, President Van Buren
even passed a law –
government employees were
limited to 10 hour working
days.
Improving Education
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Better schools started in
the 1830’s.
Blame Horace Mann – the
first person put in charge
of schools.
Boston – 1821 – 1st public
high school.
Churches and private
groups began to open up
a lot of private colleges.
But…
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Women usually couldn’t
go to college.
Elizabeth Blackwell: 1st
woman with a medical
degree – 1849.
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African-Americans
In the south – illegal to
teach slaves after the Nat
Turner rebellion.
In the north – they
usually were not allowed.
Later on – after the civil
War (1865) – more Black
colleges / universities
opened in the South
Caring for the needy





Dorothea Dix did a lot to help both
women – and women/people in jail.
In those days the mentally ill were
put in jail – and all the jails were
horrible.
They’d put criminals, mentally ill,
and even children all in the same
cells.
They also started looking at the
possibility of rehabilitating
prisoners.
Another was helping the blind
and/or deaf – like Thomas
Gallaudet – who’s school is still the
best school in the country for the
deaf
Newspapers were really starting to grow –
and then everyone could know what was going on
and be better informed.

Papers only cost a penny
and people could hear all
the up to date news.

More magazines started to be
published – even special interest
magazines (Ladies’ Magazine /
Godey’s Lady’s Book)
Chapter 14: A New Spirit of Change
Section 4: Abolition and Women’s Rights
There’s another reform movement that
wasn’t discussed in the last section




The biggest reform
movement of the 1800’s
had to do with improving
the lives of….
Slaves.
People who called for the
abolition of slavery were
called abolitionists.
Abolitionism: doing away
with something (slavery)
Three of the more outspoken abolitionists:
Frederick Douglas


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

Had a black
mother and a
white father.
Had great
courage.
Was a talented
public speaker.
Was a slave
when he was
younger.
Eventually
published an
anti-slavery
newspaper.
Sojourner Truth



Was a slave
when she was
young, but
escaped.
Eventually lived
with the
Quakers, who
set her free.
Huge crowds
would come
listen to her
speak.
Sara and Angelina
Grimke
Sisters who
believed that slavery
was wrong.

At that time
though, women
were not supposed
to speak in public.

Lectured
anyways.
Some things these people did:








Petitioned Congress to pass
laws
Elected sympathetic lawmakers
Lobbied
Held anti-slavery meetings
Wrote anti-slavery newspapers
and books
Bought and freed slaves
Helped slaves escape to
freedom
Some were real fanatics people who are carried away
beyond reason (especially in
politics or religion)
Some slaves would escape on:
the Underground Railroad:



Not: underground
Not: a railroad
It was: a “network” of people who helped hide
and transport slaves – escaping to freedom in
the North, or even into Canada.
The most famous “conductors” – the
abolitionist that most people have heard of:

Harriet Tubman

African-American
abolitionist, humanitarian,
and Union spy during the
U.S. Civil War. After
escaping from captivity,
she made thirteen missions
to rescue over three
hundred slaves using the
network of antislavery
activists and safe houses
known as the Underground
Railroad. She later helped
John Brown recruit men for
his raid on Harpers Ferry,
and in the post-war era
struggled for women's
suffrage.
Remember….


About ¾ of all
southerners did not
own any slaves.
Only 1% of
Southerners owned
large plantations (but
they had most of the
south’s political and
financial power).
A couple of other women who were
famous for helping
Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Fought for women’s
suffrage – even into the
1900’s.

The right to
vote
Lucretia Mott
An abolitionist who
also was a big part of
the women’s rights
movement
And…. Susan B. Anthony

Prominent, independent
and well-educated
American civil rights
leader who played a
pivotal role in the 19th
century women's rights
movement to secure
women's suffrage in the
United States
The Seneca Falls Convention is a
famous time for women’s rights


The Seneca Falls Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York on
July 19 to July 20, 1848, was the first women's rights convention
held in the United States, and for that reason, it is often labeled as
the birthplace of feminism. Prominent at the 1848 convention were
leading reformers, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia
Mott.
Different groups at different times have turned to the founding
documents of the United States to meet their needs and to declare
their entitlement to the promises of the Revolution of 1776. At
Seneca Falls, New York, in the summer of 1848, a group of
American women and men met to discuss the legal limitations
imposed on women during this period. These discussions were
informed by their participation in the anti-slavery movement;
eventually they used the language and structure of the United
States Declaration of Independence to state their claim to the
rights they felt women were entitled to as American citizens in
the Declaration of Sentiments.