Timeline of the Jacksonian Era

1816	War Hawks Economic Plan Second Bank of the United States The First Bank charter expired in 1811 with the economy falling into a muddle and state banking exploding without regulation and much fraud. Madison and most younger Democratic Republicans voted for the Second Bank of the US (usually abbreviated to 2^nd BUS) because the embarrassment that the government couldn't float loans nor transfer funds across the country during the war. capitalized at $35,000,000 chartered for 20 years Federal Government owned one fifth of the stock and appointed five of the twenty-five directors of this quasi-governmental institution Internal Improvements Wanted Federal Government to invest in constructing canals and railroads Federal Government constructed National Road Protective Tariff Passed mildly protective tariff in 1816, and increased level of protection in 1824. A protective tariff taxed imported goods in order to protect fledgling American industrialization. Will become extremely important in 1828
1819-1821	Panic of 1819 British demand for US cotton decreased (and thus the price of cotton dropped like a rock) because UK started to import cotton from India Banks get caught flat from overextending credit to buy western lands because the drop in cotton prices affected land prices as well. Banks had to call in loans to pay for demand for cash by depositors. Many banks could not collect their loans quickly enough and therefore went bankrupt, leaving depositors without funds to pay the loans they owed. Became a viscious cycle.
1820	Missouri Compromise Slavery Restricted to Louisiana Territory south of 36° 30' Remember that northern part of Louisiana Territory described as "Great American Desert" by Lewis and Clark Balanced admission of new states into Union to maintain balance of political power between free and slave states in the Senate Missouri entered union as slave state. Maine carved out of northern section of Massachusetts to be the balancing free state. Thomas Jefferson called the compromise, "The death knell of the Union."
1828	Tariff of Abominations Tariffs generally opposed by South and New England, but favored by West and Mid-Atlantic States Andrew Jackson's supporters via a scheme by John C. Calhoun proposed new tariff to raise duties on raw materials so high that all would opose them. Sought to politically join New England manufacturers and merchants to the South, but Northerners actually supported much of the tariff and the bill passed. Calhoun resigned job as Jackson's Vice President and returned to South Carolina to write South Carolina Exposition and Protest which set forth an explicit method by which a state could nullify an act of Congress that the state considered unconstitutional. Calhoun immediately elected to US Senate from SC.
1832-1833	Nullification Crisis Congress reduced tariff during Summer of 1832, but SC claimed only did so in order to convince such an unconstitutional act was not so bad. SC holds Nullification Convention, just like constitutional convention, and passes ordinance of nullification that declares US tariff law null and void within state boundaries. Includes provisions to arrest and imprison anyone collecting these taxes within the state. Jackson re-elected President in landslide victory in November 1832 Jackson's opponent, Henry Clay was member of same party as Jackson Major Campaign issue was whether to re-charter the 2^nd BUS, which was not actually up for recharter until 1836. Jackson wastes his popularity when he issues the Force Proclamation in December 1832, requiring SC to submit to Federal law or suffer invasion by US troops. The perception of "King Andrew" creates the Whig Party as the party in opposition to the absolute monarchy of Andrew Jackson The perception that federal troops could invade SC and kill American citizens over constitutional issues makes everyone realize the depth of the problem, since this could result in real civil war. In January 1833, Henry Clay proposes a "carrot and stick" approach by offering to lower the tariff progressively over the next nine years, but also authorizing the use of force if SC doesn't comply with federal law. By March 1833 SC blinks first, and holds another Nullification Convention to repeal the Nullification Ordinance with regard to the tariff of 1832. The convention then nullifies the force portion of Clay's compromise as a face saving device.
1837	Trail of Tears
1837-1845	Panic of 1837 Depression in England drastically reduced the demand for (and thus the price) of cotton which affects Southern economy. The English depression also reduced British ability to invest in American Improvements. Wheat crop failure prevented balancing payments for foreign goods State plans for internal improvements collapsed Wildcat banks collapsed
1845-1848	Mexican War Americans in Mexican province of "Tejas" declared independence in 1836 because Mexico insisted on enforcing its laws outlawing slavery. The new Republic of Texas claimed, but did not occupy, lands historically not considered part of the province. In fact, its extreme claims included Santa Fe, which was the capital of the province of New Mexico. US avoided annexing Texas throughout 1830s because everyone knew it would cause a war with Mexico President John Taylor submitted annexation treaty with Republic of Texas in early 1840s in order to make it a campaign issue, but could not garner sufficient votes for the constitutional majority needed for a treaty to be ratified in the Senate. James Polk elected President in 1844 on plank requiring "re-annexing" Texas and claiming all of the Oregon Territory up to the southern boundary of Russian America. Polk annexed Texas without a treaty, thus obviating need for a constitutional majority in the Senate. He then sent troops into areas of Mexico claimed by Texas. Mexico fired on the invaders and the US declared war on Mexico for shedding American blood on US soil. US sent troops, mainly from the South, to fight Mexicans. Quickly captured northern third of Mexico, which it claimed as booty. Continued war with Mexico because Mexican government refused to surrender. Sent Ambassador to negotiate end, but nobody would talk to him until after nearly the entire country was captured by the US. Mexicans then quickly signed treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, and agreed to give up only the northern third of their country, although many Southerners called for annexing all of Mexico for use as future slave states since it lay entirely south of 36° 30'. Wilmot Proviso in 1846 said that US would not extend slavery into territories captured from Mexico where slavery was already abolished, which meant that only Texas would have been available as a future slave state. Southerners of both parties join to oppose the proviso, while Northerners generally voted for it. Thus this proviso served to realign national politics from partisan politics (Democrat v. Whig) to sectional politics (North v. South.) The proviso never passed but was voted upon frequently.
1849	Discovery of Gold in California increased population so quickly that it could apply for statehood as a free state the next year.