Page 264 - American Stories, A History of the United States

Read the Document Andrew Jackson, First Annual Message to Congress (1829) 10.1

Election of 1828
Electoral Vote by State Popular Vote 10.2
DEMOCRATIC
Andrew Jackson 178 647,286 10.3
NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN 83 508,064
John Q. Adams
261 1,155,350 10.4

1
8
OREGON 7 8
COUNTRY 20
MICH. TERR. 16 15
UNORGANIZED 28 8 4
TERR. 16 8
3 5 3
24
3 14 NR 6
15 D 5
11
PART OF MEXICO ARK. 11
TERR. 9
3 5
5 FLA. TERR.

Future Boundary

MAP 10.1 eleCtIoN of 1828

Jackson’s presidency commenced with his open endorsement of the rotation of
officeholders, or what critics called “the spoils system.” Although he did not actually
replace many more federal officeholders with his supporters than his predecessors had,
he was the first president to defend this practice openly as a legitimate democratic
doctrine.
Midway through his first administration, however, Jackson did replace almost all of
his original cabinet appointees. At the root of this upheaval was a feud between Jackson
and Vice President Calhoun, but the Peggy Eaton affair in 1831 brought it to a head. Peggy
O’Neale Eaton, the daughter of a Washington tavern owner, married Secretary of War
John Eaton in 1829. Because of gossip about her moral character, other cabinet wives, led
by Mrs. Calhoun, refused to receive her socially. Jackson became her fervent champion,
partly because he found the charges against her reminiscent of the slanders against his late Quick Check
wife, who had died in 1828. When he raised the issue of Mrs. Eaton’s social status at a cabi- What lessons do his sweeping
net meeting, only Secretary of State Van Buren, a widower, supported his stand. This seem- electoral victory and his handling
ingly trivial incident led to the resignation of all but one of the cabinet members (including of The Peggy Eaton affair teach us
Eaton), so the president could begin again with a fresh slate. Although Van Buren resigned about Andrew Jackson? What other
with the rest to allow a thorough reorganization, Jackson rewarded his loyalty by appoint- political developments of the era
ing him minister to Britain and then choosing him as his vice president in 1832. helped him win election?

indian Removal

The first major policy question facing the Jackson administration concerned the fate of
Native Americans. Jackson had long favored removing eastern Indians to lands beyond
the Mississippi. In his military service on the southern frontier, he had already per-
suaded and coerced tribal groups to emigrate. Jackson’s support of removal was no
different from the policy of previous administrations. The only real issues were how 231