Whigs and men who belonged to the educated and well-to-do classes. Their Democrats party resembled the earlier Federalists, being composed largely of scholars, professional men, prosperous tradesmen, bankers, manufacturers, and merchants. But the Whig party was not an organization with fixed political principles; it was composed of a number of diverse and conflicting elements, whose only bond of union was a common desire to wrest political power from the Democrats. On the other hand, the Democratic party in 1840 was still true to Jeffersonian doctrines (p. 214); it still professed to stand up for the rights of the States, to construe the Constitution strictly, and to practice economy in public affairs. But the Whig party professed nothing and raised no questions; "it ventured but twice in its history (1848 and 1852) to adopt a platform of principles, and it ventured but once (1844) to nominate a candidate for the Presidency with any avowed political principles." EXERCISES AND REFERENCES I. Jackson's triumph: Stanwood, I, 140-150. 2. President Adams and the opposition: Turner, 265-284. 3. Internal improvements: McDonald, 137-141. 4. The Tariff of Abominations: Wilson, 25-50. 5. Nullification: McDonald, 154-167: Wilson, 59-62. 6. The spoils system: Hart, III, 531-535; Wilson, 30-34. 7. Indian affairs (1825-1837); McDonald, 169-181; McMaster, V, 175-183, 537-540. 8. The bank question: Wilson, 68-84; Dewey, 198-216. 9. The panic of 1837: McMaster, VI, 389-415; Dewey, 224-247. 12. Summarize the political events of the Jacksonian Era. 14. Hints for special reading: J. S. Bassett, The Life of Andrew Jackson; John T. Morse, Jr., John Quincy Adams; Carl Schurz, Henry Clay, James Schouler, History of the United States, Vol. III, IV; Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas H. Benton; Edward M. Shepard, Martin Van Buren. XXVI INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL PROGRESS (1820-40) While statesmen during the Era of Good Feeling and during the Jacksonian Era were struggling with great political problems, business men and toilers far removed from the scene of political struggles were working with all their might to develop the nation's marvelous resources. What was the story of our development between 1820 and 1840? What new territory was opened up to settlement? What industrial and social progress was made? HIGHWAYS, CANALS, AND RAILROADS A striking feature of our material progress between 1820 and 1840 was development in transportation. We saw that by the aid of Congress a great national turnpike was constructed between Cumberland and Wheeling (p. 240). In 1824 plans for Extension extending this road were laid, and by 1840 it had passed through National of the Road Zanesville and Columbus, in Ohio; through Richmond, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute, in Indiana, and had reached its western terminus at Vandalia in Illinois. The great National Road thus traversed the central portion of three large States, forming for many years the principal tie between the East and the West. Traffic on this highway was always heavy; at times the road was so crowded that it resembled a street in a city. The construction of the National Road was brought about largely by the influence of Baltimore merchants who wished The Erie Canal Clinton's The to secure for their city an easy route to the West. But the The opening of the Erie Canal was a signal for canal construction in other States. Pennsylvania promptly began to plan for a system of canals leading from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. In 1826 work on such a system was begun, and nine years later one could travel by a horse-railway from Philadel |