A School History of the United States Part 36

[Footnote 2: His death was a great shock to the people. Two vice presidents, George Clinton and Elbridge Gerry, had died in office. But n.o.body seems to have thought it likely that a president would die.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: John Tyler]

%354. The Quarrel between Tyler and the Whigs%.--The first thing they did was to repeal the law establishing the Independent Treasury. This Tyler approved. They next attempted to reestablish the Bank of the United States under the name of the "Fiscal Bank of the United States."

Tyler, who was opposed to banks, vetoed the bill, and when the Whigs sent him another to create a "Fiscal Corporation," he vetoed that also.

Then every member of the cabinet save Webster resigned, and at a meeting of the great Whig leaders Tyler was formally "read out of the party."

%355. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty%.--Webster was Secretary of State, and though a Whig, retained his place in order that he might complete a treaty which determined our boundary line from the source of the St.

Croix to the St. Lawrence, thus settling a long dispute between Maine and the British provinces of New Brunswick and Canada. The difficulty arose over the meaning of terms in the treaty of 1783, and though twice submitted to a joint commission, and once to arbitration, seemed further than ever from a peaceful settlement when Webster and Lord Ashburton arranged it in 1842. The treaty ratified, Webster soon resigned.

[Ill.u.s.tration:]

The people meanwhile had recovered from the excitement of the campaign of 1840, and at the congressional election of 1842 they made the House of Representatives Democratic. There were thus a Whig Senate, a Democratic House, and a President who was neither a Whig nor a Democrat.

As a consequence few measures of any importance were pa.s.sed till 1845.

SUMMARY

1. During 1789-1825 a marked change had taken place in the ideas of government, and this led to new state const.i.tutions; to an extension of the right to vote; to the belief that no President should have more than two terms; to the belief that political offices should be given to political workers; and to the introduction of the "gerrymander."

2. The disappearance of issues which divided the Federalists and Republicans; the loss of old leaders; the appearance of a new generation with new political issues, destroyed old party lines.

3. First to disappear were the Federalists. In 1820 there was but one presidential candidate (Monroe), and but one political party (the Republican).

4. During Monroe's second term the new issues began to break up the Republican party, and in the election of 1824 the people of the four great sections of the country presented candidates. For the second time a President (John Quincy Adams) was elected by the House of Representatives.

5. In 1828 the Republicans again supported Jackson, and his opponents under Adams were defeated. In 1827 the antimasonic party arose.

6. The issues now before the people were the tariff, the recharter of the National Bank, and the use of the surplus revenue, and these became the leading questions of Jackson's eight years (1829-1837).

7. The general use of the steamboat, and the good roads, so reduced the cost of transportation that it was possible to introduce a new piece of political machinery--the national convention--to nominate candidates for President and Vice President.

8. In Jackson's second term the antislavery movement began in earnest; the Whig party was organized and named; the national debt was paid off, and the surplus distributed.

9. Jackson was followed by Van Buren, in whose administration the great panic of 1837 occurred. Because of this and hard times a second national debt was started. A new financial measure was the establishment of the Independent Treasury.

10. This the Whigs under Tyler destroyed. They attempted to replace it with a third National Bank, but were prevented from doing so by Tyler's vetoes.

THE INDUSTRIAL, MECHANICAL, AGRICULTURAL, AND SOCIAL PROGRESS OF OUR COUNTRY BETWEEN 1800 AND 1840 LEADS TO

_New political ideas_

Gerrymandering.

Extension of the franchise.

No third term for a President.

No nomination by congressional caucus.

_New political issues_.

Use of public lands.

Tariff.

Internal improvements.

These issues and ideas break up the Republican party into factions led in 1824 by

Crawford and Gallatin, Caucus candidates.

Anti-caucus candidates.

Clay, Calhoun, Adams, Jackson

Elected

Adams by House of Representatives.

Calhoun by electoral college.

Renominated in 1828.

Adams defeated.

Jackson and Calhoun elected.

________________________________ ____________________ 18 32 ______________ _________________________________ Tariff. Of 1824, opposed Clay defeated. Jackson reelected. 1827, Rise of Antimasons.

by the South. Finance Van Buren Vice President 1831, Originate national Of 1828, ________________ nominating convention.

Of 1832, / Nullified ________________ ___________________________________ by South Attack on the Carolina Bank of the Removal of the Surplus. Specie Speculation in 1832. United States. deposits. Cause of Circular ___________ Renewal of Censure of the amount. +--------+ charter vetoed. President. "Deposit" or Payments of the Compromise Censure distribution national dept, of 1833. expunged. among the 1835.

_____________________ states. ____________ Great increase of state banks. ______________________________ __________ _________

Van Buren elected in 1836.

Inaugurated, March, 1837.

Panic of 1837.

_______________________________ __________________ Causes of the panic. Great opposition to the Democratic party.

Suspension of the banks. Union of this opposition in 1840 with the Whigs.

New national debt. ___________________ ______________________________ Suspension of distribution of the revenue. Democrats. Whigs. Antislavery Establishment of Independent Issue their first Issue no platform. party.

Treasury. party platform. Nominate Harrison. Origin of.

Nominate Van Buren. Elect him. Nominates J.

Are defeated. G. Birney.

CHAPTER XXIV

EXPANSION OF THE SLAVE AREA