Andrew Jackson became the seventh President of the United States on March 4, 1829. In an attempt to show his gratitude to the thousands of people that had shown up for his inauguration President Jackson invited the crowd in to the White House for a party. The resulting mob scene caused considerable damage to the White House, and forced President Jackson to flee for his safety.
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
In an effort to escape being removed from their lands, Cherokee Indians in the state of Georgia adopted the ways of the settlers, including the practice of establishing their own government. In 1828 the state of Georgia passed legislation declaring all Cherokee laws null and void. The matter came before the Supreme Court in 1831. Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of the Georgia legislation.
Legislation
Nullification Crisis
In 1832 Congress passed a high tariff on imports. The Southern states opposed the tariff as it protected the northern industry at the expense of southern agriculture, which they predicted would suffer when the other nations of the world imposed retaliatory tariffs. On November 24, 1832 South Carolina passed an ordinance which prohibited the collection of tariff duties after February 1, 1833. Congress responded by simultaneously introducing a reduced tariff and a Force Bill which would enable the President to use the military to enforce the tariff in South Carolina. South Carolina postponed the February first deadline to await the outcome of the debates on the new tariff bill. Congress passed both the new tariff and the Force Bill, and South Carolina repealed the Nullification Ordinance.
Veto of National Bank Charter
Knowing that President Jackson viewed the National Bank as an attempt by the bank's supporters to preserve the rich's monopoly on money, National Republicans lead by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster sought to make the re-chartering of the National Bank a presiding issue in the election of 1832. Though the bank was not due for re-chartering until 1836, Clay and Webster advised Nicholas Biddle, the bank's head, to submit the charter before Congress just prior to the election. The plan back-fired when President Jackson's opposition to the bank actually increased his popularity. President Jackson vetoed the bank's re-charter in July of 1832. President Jackson was reelected to a second term in a landslide victory over opponent Henry Clay.
1833-1837 Second Term
Events
Inauguration
President Andrew Jackson began his second term on March 4, 1833.
Assassination Attempt
On January 30, 1835 Andrew Jackson became the first President targeted for assassination. As he was leaving the Capitol building, a man stepped from the crowd and fired two shots, point blank. The shots misfired. Members of the crowd seized the man, and President Jackson began to retaliate with the raw end of his walking stick. There was no political reason for the attempt, and the man was later committed to an insane asylum.
Panic of 1837
When the Bank charter had been vetoed by President Jackson in 1832, state and local banks found themselves free from the controls of a centralized bank and began to speculate on long-shot investments. Prices and interest rates went up, and there was an abundance of paper money floating around, with no gold or silver in the banks to back it up. Panic set in, and there was a run on the banks. On May 10, 1837 the banks in New York City closed. On May 12 the banks in Philadelphia closed. The country was thrown into a severe depression, worsened by a poor wheat harvest that caused food prices to skyrocket.
Legislation
Specie Circular
In 1836 President Jackson issued the Specie Circular which required that all public lands be paid for with either gold or silver and not bank notes.
