006 - The Age of Jackson

Emancipation Podcast Station

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Welcome back to The Emancipation Podcast Station - the place to hear about history researched and retold through the eyes of Middle school and HS students.

Last time on the show...

Election of 1800

Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency

And

Lewis and Clark and their expedition

Today we discuss . Let’s dive in.

Why did the Irish imigrate to America, why did the Germans?

Irish and German immigration

1st Ben- In 1812 to 1870, seven and half million people immigrated, Halfway through the nineteenth century, a third of the Irish population immigrated to America, and one third germans did too, they did so because of the unemployment they faced and the civil unrest in their countries, they did it because of the near impossible hardships before them. The wave of immigration really affected a lot of cities.

2nd ricky approximately 90% of immigration was either german/irish. This is a huge number the reason they immigrated was because of the potato famine [in ireland] were all they had to eat was potatoes which doesn’t sound too bad to me! BTW i am both Irish and German, with a little Cherokee in the mix.

3rd - Ethan - In the time period of 1820-1840, the Irish and Germans were the largest group of immigrants in the US. They were time and time again subjected to prejudice and discrimination. Over time though, they became the most successful groups of immigrants in the US. The US is an immigrant country, so in turn had lots trouble with incorporating new demographics. A million Irish died because of starvation. This was known as the Great Irish Famine.

4th gabe - germans created settlements and every union state from pennsylvania all the way

To Oregon all along the north and midwest. Many germans were farmers with innovative ways

To farm like soil conservation but some settled in metropolitan areas pursuing education.

Even today over 50 MILLION PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE SOME OR ALL GERMAN I have a little german myself

5th- Blake - Y’all have covered basically everything cause y’all think its a race so i’m just going to summarize. During the early to mid 1800s 90% of the immigrants to America were of eastern european origin. The Potato Famine was a big part of the Irish immigration. Of course with mass immigration there is always opposers as Americans began to wonder if these immigrants would take their jobs.

6th Hunter- do not say that i copied and pasted for info because this is the real treaty. (well seems more like a letter-Hunter) ((yo andrew jackson was wack (not in the good way) -ben))

Letter to the London Times from an Irish Immigrant in America, 1850

I am exceedingly well pleased at coming to this land of plenty. On arrival I purchased 120 acres of land at $5 an acre. You must bear in mind that I have purchased the land out, and it is to me and mine an "estate for ever", without a landlord, an agent or tax-gatherer to trouble me. I would advise all my friends to quit Ireland — the country most dear to me; as long as they remain in it they will be in bondage and misery.

What you labour for is sweetened by contentment and happiness; there is no failure in the potato crop, and you can grow every crop you wish, without manuring the land during life. You need not mind feeding pigs, but let them into the woods and they will feed themselves, until you want to make bacon of them.

I shudder when I think that starvation prevails to such an extent in poor Ireland. After supplying the entire population of America, there would still be as much corn and provisions left us would supply the world, for there is no limit to cultivation or end to land. Here the meanest labourer has beef and mutton, with bread, bacon, tea, coffee, sugar and even pies, the whole year round — every day here is as good as Christmas day in Ireland.

7th - Skylar - Americans who lived in the united states before the immigration of german and irish people were not too happy about all this, they did not want these new-comers who didn’t even belong there to take over their country. Everyone has said pretty much everything to be said, but something i think is really cool is how a lot of americans now have either german or irish in them because of all of these people who came to the US nearly 150 years ago.

The 1820s and the Market Revolution

Why was the market revolution so revolutionary? Name one invention that came out of the MR.

1st - skylar- a lot of people think that the market revolution was more revolutionary than the revolutionary war. Which is pretty amazing because how could a something to do with marketing be more revolutionary than a war?!? Thats crazy talk but it truly is. That’s how people made their money, fed their families, and paid their bills. One guy was so obsessed with textile mills they had made it illegal but he know it wasn’t illegal to think about it so he memorized the way the loom worked.?

2nd - Ethan - The Industrial revolution was basically a change in the kind of machinery that was used to make things. In the 1790s - early 1800s was a time when new inventions came to the US. This was the time when people went from farmers to hourly laborers. Towns were placed near rivers to keep an easy to obtain and clean source of H2O. There was a slow introduction to factory working in this time. They made the cotton gin, which while still requiring labor, it made separating the seeds from the cotton a load easier. The work changed, the goods changed, and the common items started to change during the 1840-1860. The way we got from place to place was improved too. We were able to transport things much quicker. They added railroads too.

3rd Ben- Some people really thought it was a negative thing, people today think it marked the beginning change from democracy to capitalism. It improved trade and really made resources moblie.

4th- Blake - the Industrial revolution was a time of when many inventions came to light and helped out the market in all kinds of ways like the cotton gin or the telegraph. ‘Merica.

5th ricky- to add on to what ben said, Charles Grier seller said: “While dissolving deeply rooted patterns of behavior and belief for competitive effort, it mobilized collective resources through government to fuel growth in countless ways, not least by providing the essential legal, financial, and transport infrastructures. Establishing capitalist hegemony over economy, politics, and culture, the market revolution created ourselves and most of the world we know”, I do not agree that capitalism is a negative effect, some people are more lucky then others, and people who think capitalism is a negative effect just don’t get it, YOU EARN WHAT YOU EARN. (unless you get a raise -Ben)

6th Hunter- i have to agree with everyone and Ricky preach it. What you are saying is be happy your even earning anything. And Ben wow just wow. It’s true but wow...

7th - gabe - it was basically the start of trade in America.

The age of Jackson

Knowing Jackson now would you have voted for him? Why or why not?

1st - Skylar - Jacksonian democracy was one of the most influential things in the era of the 19th century to a lot of historians. Jackson had a very strong opinion on indians, slaves, and women. He did not like indians and did not care about women. He thought anyone who was not white and male then they were worthless, but he still served two terms. ?

2nd - Ethan - Although the US is a democracy most of the founders feared the “Tyranny of a Majority”. Voting was based off if you could own land. They thought if you didn’t own property, you couldn’t a good decision about the country. They also tried to make it to where, only 1 part of the population could vote. Since all of the big names in politics were white men, they decided to make it white male landowners.

3rd - Blake - I assure you this part will not be light hearted. Andrew Jackson started his life in the essence of death as his father died shortly before he was born. Of course his life being surrounded by death is no excuse of his hot tempered action toward others. One of his most brutal accomplishments was his racism towards Native Americans after he enacted the indian removal act which made Native Americans walk what is now known today as The Trail of Tears to modern day Oklahoma which caused the deaths of many Native Americans.

4th- Ben- During this time the nullification crisis also happened. The nullification crisis was when there were a lot of tariffs being put in place. (tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods.) John C. Calhoun, (pronounced cal-hoon btw) as current vice president, was mad that Andrew wasn’t confronting the tariff problem. So there was this electricity between the pres and vice pres. Calhoun made a pamphlet that was anonymously published (anonymous at the time, not anymore) inside the pamphlet was the theory of nullification. Which said that in normal law, if there’s a pass, all states must enforce the law. But the theory of nullification said that a state should be able to choose in that law if that law is enforced or not. ( and please, no one compare this to weed in colorado.) The pamphlet made everyone start debating. One of the biggest opposers was John Quincy Adams, former president. Jackson put up all the walls to keep from splitting up the nation. He still compromised, though, he signed a bill that lowered tariffs which kinda made the south happy. But some were stubborn and wanted 0 taxes on imported items. They saw the government as suspicious and they even threatened to secede every time a law was thought to be antagonistic to the south.

5th Hunter- He was an American soldier and statesman who served as the Seventh President of The United States of America like Ricky said he was a bad dude he was really REALLY tough. He is definitely tougher than Dwayne Johnson because i don’t think he can take a bullet inches away from his heart.

6th-Ricky-andrew jackson was ‘BAD dude, he was shot in the the chest inches away from his heart and survived with only minor injuries, and while his actions with the trail of tears were unjustifiable, he had a sense of honor and social integrity, for example Andrew jackson fought 106 duels all for the integrity of his wife.

7th

Jacksonian Democracy - background and introduction

Jacksonian Democracy - the "corrupt bargain" and the election of 1824

Jacksonian Democracy - mudslinging and the election of 1828

Jacksonian Democracy - spoils system, Bank War, and Trail of Tears

What is the Jacksonian Democracy.

1st gabe - the Jacksonian Democracy started and ended a lot of things one of the things

Was that if you were a landowner you could vote so some free black people could vote but that changed very fast making any white person able to vote and removed the land ownership vote way.

2nd Ben- john quincy adams, son of john adams was elected president, some think it was because he was friends with henry clay, well, not really friends, but they both hated jackson. People called it a corrupt bargain. They said that john quincy adams had bribed henry clay by offering a spot of political power in exchange for his deciding vote. The people knew/thought this because after John Quincy Adams was elected, henry clay was made secretary of state.

3rd - Ethan - The Jacksonian Democracy was the birth of American political culture. Many of the big names in politics feared a large government. The Expansion of Democracy, basically made the US political system into a democracy. While other country were slowing into a cerai political place the US just went straight to it. This era was called the Jacksonian Era or the Second Party System.

4th- Blake - The age of which Andrew Jackson was president caused many changes to what we know about democracy. Jackson and his supporters caused major uproar after the election of 1824 after Jackson won the popular vote and John Quincy Adams won the electoral vote but JQC ended up gaining the presidency.

5th-ricky- the trail of tears was a heartbreaking and dangerous trek through the south relocating the cherokee, and other tribes of Georgia, to (at the time) indian territory which today is called oklahoma/arkansas.

6th Hunter- like Blake said him and his supporters did cause a uproar and he did change a lot of things about democracy. With that said all the things he did were probably because of his miserable childhood and that’s where he probably got his racism unless he got his racism from another incident.

7th - skylar - The Jacksonian Democracy was sort of the start up of what today’s political culture is today, In this time like everyone else has said only landowners were aloud to vote but this quickly changed to just white men over the age of 21 really quick after Jackson became the 7th president. Then it was a ‘‘you scratch my back i’ll scratch yours’’ meaning you’ll do this for me i’ll do this for you. This was called the spoils system, anyone who would vote for him he’d give them part of the government. A lot of the people who voted for him didn’t even like him they just wanted a good job.

The presidency of Andrew Jackson

1st gabe - Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the US he was in office from 1829 to 1837. He changed the voting system from only landowners to about everybody. He oversaw

The indian removal act which devastated all native americans and moved ten whole tribes.

2nd Ricky- Andrew jackson was probably the toughest guy in the U.S at the time. He survived a shot to the heart in a duel when a man had a love for his wife [i evaluated this in the last topic] he also was a famous general in the war of 1812.

3rd - Ethan - I’d like to add that the voting system actually went from landowners to basically just white males. The Indian Removal Act was put into effect in 1830. This act allowed us to move the Native Americans away from their homes. Soon, this act tipped over the dominoes and created the Trail of Tears.

4th - skylar - like Ethan said Jackson forced the native americans away from there land through the trail of tears which is just one of the horrible things jackson did, he was a basic white guy back then who didn’t really care about anyone but himself. He did have a pretty good army, and obviously won against the indians in the creek war.

5th- Blake - There's not too much more to say about Andrew Jackson he lived a violent life since birth. He accomplished many things in office but he also wrecked the nation's economy which paved the way for the first economic depression.

6th Hunter- while he was in office it was pretty violent he had a lot of duels caused the trail of tears and is responsible for the death of meny indians. And I am surprised he made it to two terms and was even qualified to even run for president a second time!

7th-Ben- It kind of makes me sad looking back on the political state and how it was so loose that basically anyone could be elected. After his presidency he moved back to Nashville, TN, and eventually died at his home in 1845 at the age of 78, 17 years after he was elected president.

Indian Removal

Name on tribe that was removed 5 people. Why were thry moved and did any resist

1st- Skylar - the indian removal act, later known as the trail of tears. All of the remaining southern indian tribes west of the mississippi would get $500,000 for food, transportation, and such. The indians indured so much during this time. Many died from diseases, malnutrition, and other horrible things. It truly was the worst thing that happened to indians in my opinion. They were forced to move away from all they knew just so more americans could move in.

2nd -gabe -the indian act was probably the worst thing to ever happen to the indians they were Moved out of america so americans would have room for settlement the indians had To leave their land and there traditions and leave everything and move.

3rd - Ethan - The Indian Removal Act was signed in May 1830. It caused the Trail of Tears which, like Skylar said, caused many Native Americans to die. The act effected 5 tribes, the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole. These names were made by people associated with white-European culture. The 1st to leave was the Choctaw. The Chickasaws said they would leave unless given 3 million dollars. The US didn’t decide to do so until 30 years later. The Creek had to give up 20,000 acres of ancestral ground. That was called the Treaty of Fort Jackson. Also, the Seminole wouldn’t leave which caused a war. This was the Second Seminole War. The US won and caused the Seminoles to leave. Then the area west of Mississippi River became Native American territory.

4th - Ricky- the indian Removal policy was something that was created by Andrew Jackson and his supporters. (blake-the native americans didn’t create the USofA now did they ;-), also they own casinos, and oil rigs, and land, and construction (unless thats mexican, IDK) and this is not me trying to be racist. While this was revolutionary for the United States growth, it was extremely disrespectful, and racist and was unjust.(also im about ¼ of me is cherokee).

5th- Blake - *Mutters* Oh boy here we go the Indian Removal Act was created to move the Five Civilized Tribes to modern day Oklahoma so the whites could have Native American land for westward expansion. This plan was extremely racist and disrespectful to Native American tribes WHO WERE THERE FIRST. But all is good nowadays as we own the majority of casinos slowly taking back the money white people stole from us.

6th Hunter- *claps* yes yes indeed they were there first and it was extremely racist and disrespectful.

7th-Ben- (my ancestors were of the cherokee tribe) They really wanted the land the indians had rule over, because you know its land the more the better and in 1828, two years before the act, gold was discovered in the indians land. So thats some sort of motivation i guess? I still dont think the act was justified but they had motive.