The Jacksonian Era
Election of 1824
Henry Clary, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and William Crawford
The election of 1824 saw four different candidates from the Democratic-Republican Party attempting to become president. They were Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and William Crawford. No candidate received enough electoral votes to win, although Jackson did receive the most popular votes. As the Constitution states, the election then went to the House of Representatives, where Henry Clay struck a “corrupt bargain” in which he removed himself from the running, allowing Adams to win. Adams then made Henry Clay his Secretary of State.
John Quincy Adams
Sixth president of the United States John Quincy Adams did not receive the most popular votes. Why the House of Representatives chose Adams is truly unknown. View John Quincy Adams – 60-Second Presidents from eMediaVASM to become more familiar with the sixth president of the United States.
Andrew Jackson - The Jacksonian Era
Andrew Jackson’s election to the presidency would start a political movement known as the Jacksonian Era. As president, Jackson challenged the wealthy, while rewarding supporters with public offices. The changes in politics brought about by Jackson and his supporters saw the “common man” achieve more equality in politics, and increased voter participation. In fact, during this era, states instituted universal manhood suffrage, which allowed all white males to vote, as opposed to only those who owned property. Suffrage is defined as the right to vote in a political election. In this interactivity, you will learn about Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian Era. Click the player button to begin.
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Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson achieved a lot in his lifetime. Jackson was a lawyer, landowner, a military general, and president. Jackson can be described as active and tough as nails. He even survived an assassination attempt. View Andrew Jackson – 60-Second Presidents from eMediaVASM to learn how Jackson changed politics forever.
Trail of Tears
As migration westward into the lands of the Louisiana Purchase increased because of improvements in roads, canals, and railroads, this led to some unintended consequences with American Indians. President Jackson believed that the conflicts would cease if the American Indians were moved to land farther west. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Under this law, the government could negotiate treaties with the American Indians, forcing them off their land. The American Indians resisted and many fought through the legal system, but lost. In 1838, American Indians were forced into reservations in Oklahoma. Their long difficult journey was known as the "Trail of Tears." In this interactivity, learn about the "Trail of Tears." Click the player button to begin.
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New Political Parties
President Jackson’s many changes led to the development of new political parties opposed to his Democratic party. The Federalist Party had mostly disappeared since the end of the War of 1812. In its place arose the Whig Party. Another party, called the Know-Nothing Party, split from the Whig Party around 1850. In this interactivity, explore the political views of the Whig and Know-Nothing Parties. Click the player button to begin.
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The Jacksonian Era Review
Now that you have investigated Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian Era, complete this activity to check your knowledge. In this non-graded activity, answer all of the questions by following the directions on each question slide. Click the player button to get started.