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Jackson got documents that Calhoun, as secretary of war under Monroe, had urged that Jackson be punished for unauthorized raid into Spanish
Florida. Jackson thought Calhoun was trying to destroy him.
Nullification Crisis
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Van Buren made the Independent Treasury Billsaid the government would hold its revenues and keep them away from corporations (instead of using
banks)
There were tons of state banks who lent money. The Whigs blamed the depression on Jacksons Specie Circular (public lands have to be paid in
specie). They kept encouraging state banks. In contrast, the Dems blamed the depression on banks and paper money.
THE ELECTION OF 1840:
Van Buren was renominated, and the Whigs picked William Henry Harrison with John Tyler for VP.
Dems called him a cider-sipping Old Granny, which ended up helping Harrisonthought as a frontiersman war hero. Said Van Buren was a despot.
Van Buren lost horribly, even losing his home state. Harrison was much better at campaigning.
THE SECOND PARTY SYSTEM MATURES:
The number of voters went up 60% between 1836-40 because more men were eligible to vote (55% to 80%)
Depression and log cabin campaign brought voters to polls. The two-party system reached a high plateau in 1840 for over a decade.
THE RISE OF POPULAR RELIGION:
Americans wanted to be in charge of their own destinies. Put aside Calvinist creed (some were meant for salvation, others not) and believed that
everyone could get to heaven. Known as Second Great Awakening.
THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING:
Began in Connecticut in the 1790s and spread. Started as Congregationalists/Presbyterians.
Then went through changes among frontier states, such as camp meetings (huge revivals were lots of people claimed that the Second Coming of
Jesus was near). Most famous camp was at Cane Ridge, Kentucky.
Frontier revivals had exercises where people would roll and jerk their head (YOURE A JERK! I KNOW!) and would bark like animals.
Most successful preachers were normal people.
The Methodists became the largest Protestant denomination. (Religion was in heart, not head)
Revivals disrupted custom, but promoted law, order, and morality on the frontier. Basic unit of discipline was the class, a group of people who met
weekly after camp meetings to encourage morality; didnt want drunkenness, fighting, fornication, gossip, etc.
EASTERN REVIVALS:
2nd Awakening shifted East in 1720s. New Yorkburned-over district had most revivals.
Charles G. Finney was a Presbyterian minister did revivals near the canal in New York
He went to Rochester and started a citywide, interdenominational revival. He pioneered cooperation between everyone.
Came up with speedier conversions, such as the anxious seat (people became objects of prayer) and the protracted meeting (went on for a week).
Was different from previous Revivalists (Jonathan Edwards)Finney thought revivals were human creations, and Edwards though they were Gods.
Finney rejected Calvinism (where humans inclined to sin). He said sin was voluntary and people could even live perfectly.
The need for an emotional conversion appealed to self-made individuals who could make their own choices. This drew in merchants, lawyers, etc.
Female vs. Male converts were 2:1. Women brought their husbands to convert.
CRITICS OF REVIVALS: THE UNITARIANS:
Unitarians doubted that revivals could save souls.
Believed Jesuss total divinity, were very liberal, changed behavior over time instead of a sudden conversion.
Rejected peoples wickedness (Calvinism)
THE RISE OF MORMONISM:
Joseph Smith claimed he had a vision that led him to a book of revelation. Said he used seer stones to translate it and called it the Book of Mormon.
Book tells the story of an ancient Hebrew prophet whose descendants came to America, and that Jesus had appeared and performed miracles in the
New World. The descendants of Lehi, the prophet, had departed from the Lords ways.
Moved to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and built a model city, Nauvoo. Moved closer to Indians to convert them. Haha wow.
Smith said he received another revelation in 1843- started polygamy, though he didnt publicly claim it to be a doctrine.
Gentiles (non-Mormons) were extremely hostile to the religion; persuaded Smith that Mormons should separate themselves from society.
THE SHAKERS:
Founded by Mother Anne Lee
Didnt like materialism or sex or marriage.
To maintain membership, they found converts or orphans to join their communities.
They lived apart from society in prosperous villages
THE AGE OF REFORM:
People tried to improve societyabolition, womens rights, temperance, treatment of criminals/insane, education, and utopias
UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES
The belief that people could live perfectly grew into the development of utopian societies. (Founded by intellectuals!)
Interest came from BritainRobert Owen founded New Harmony in Indiana. He thought if peoples social arrangements could be perfected, people
would be better. People were shaped by their environments.
Others included Hopedale, Fruitlands, and Brook Farm. Brook Farm was transcendentalists, said ordinary people had infinite spiritual capability.
Most controversial: Oneida, NY, established by John Humphrey Noyes. Was communistic and believed everyone was married to one another.
Noyes was seen by critics as crazy, and Southerners cited him as an example of what would happen if slavery ended.
Oneida survived long after other utopias, like Brook Farm, collapsed. (They were shunned by society.)
Utopians clearly exemplified the idealism and hopefulness during the Age of Jackson