Politics(1820-1890)

Politics in the 1800's By Andres Rivas / Alex Villagran :D

Time Line :(﻿ ﻿`

﻿ May 19, 1828 - Congress passed the Tariff of Abominations, which taxed imported manufactured goods in an attempt to protect Northern industry, leading to the Nullification Crisis. South Carolina, upset by the harshness of a tariff that placed a 62 percent tax on over 90 percent of imported goods, claimed a right to nullify federal laws if it deemed them unconstitutional. The state threatened secession if the federal government attempted to enforce the tariff. The state mobilized 25,000 troops and was on the brink of war with the United States before a compromise tariff was passed in early 1833.

March 29, 1830 - A Report of the Senate decided against legislating a national currency. July 10, 1832 - President Jackson vetoed the attempt to renew the charter of the Second Bank of the United States. March 31, 1833 - Harry and Richard White burned the second Treasury Building trying to destroy records proving they committed pension fraud. June 28, 1834 - An Act of Congress redefined the amount of gold in a dollar, making coins minted prior to July 31, 1834 worth 5.2 percent less than their stated value. January 30, 1835 - Richard Lawrence, an unemployed painter who suffered from severe mental illness, attempted to kill President Andrew Jackson in front of the Capitol. Lawrence had two pistols misfire at point blank range before Jackson helped subdue his attacker by beating him with his cane. Had Jackson been killed, the Second Bank of the United States may never have closed. Having a central bank would have decreased the severity of the Panic of 1837. In the 1930s, the Smithsonian test fired the two pistols used by Lawrence and both fired on the first attempt. The odds of both guns misfiring during the attempt were estimated to be 1 in 125,000. March 3, 1835 - An Act of Congress authorized the creation of the Charlotte Mint in North Carolina, the New Orleans Mint in Louisiana and the Dahlonega Mint in Georgia. The Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints closed permanently in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War. The New Orleans Mint closed in 1861 as well, but reopened from 1879 to 1909. June 23, 1836 - An Act of Congress required the Secretary of the Treasury to designate one bank in each state and territory as a “pet bank”. These banks were used for the deposit of government funds and were to take on the former duties of the Second Bank of the United States. July 4, 1836 - Congress authorized the construction of a fireproof Main Treasury Building. The requirement of fireproofing was due to the fact that the two previous buildings had suffered massive fire damage, most famously in the War of 1812 July 6, 1836 - President Jackson made Robert Mills architect of public buildings in Washington, D.C. The position would later become the Office of the Supervising Architect in the Department of the Treasury. May 10, 1837 - The Panic of 1837 began when all the banks in New York City suspended specie payments. The panic was the second worst depression in the history of the United States and lasted until 1843. June 9, 1837 - The Republic of Texas authorized the issue of $500,000 of its own currency. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 4, 1837 - In response to the Panic of 1837, President Van Buren called for a special session of Congress. Van Buren called for Congress to take the final step of President Jackson’s bank divorce policy by establishing an independent treasury, eliminating any connection to state run banks. The independent treasury was established but was eliminated by the Whigs when Van Buren left office in 1841, only to be re-established by President Polk in 1846. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">October 2, 1837 - The payment of the Treasury surplus to the states was suspended by Congress in response to the Panic of 1837. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 28, 1838 - The first coinage bearing a mint mark, gold half-eagle coins, were produced at the Charlotte Mint. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 31, 1839 - The Treasury Building on 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue was ready for partial occupancy. Designed by Robert Mills, the Treasury is one of the finest examples of high Greek Revival architecture in America. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 4, 1841 - The Second Bank of the United States shuts down for the final time, five years after losing its charter. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 16, 1841 - President Tyler vetoed the creation of the Third Bank of the United States, leading to rioting outside the White House by fellow Whig party members. The riot led to the formation of the District of Columbia police force. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 11, 1841 - Most of President Tyler’s cabinet resigned in protest of his veto of the creation of the Third Bank of the United States in a move designed by Henry Clay, who hoped to force Tyler to resign. Only Secretary of State Daniel Webster stayed in his position. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 9, 1842 - The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed in the old State Department building, which was later demolished and replaced by the Treasury Building’s north wing. The treaty defined the border between Maine and New Brunswick and set the border between the United States and Canada west of the Mississippi River at the 49th parallel. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 26, 1842 - Congress established that the fiscal year would begin on July 1 and end on June 30 instead of coinciding with the calendar year. The fiscal year was later changed in 1974 and now begins on October 1 and ends September 30. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">December 3, 1845 - Secretary Robert J. Walker submitted his famous free trade Annual Report. The report is considered one of the best arguments for free trade over protectionism ever written. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 3, 1846 - Nathaniel Hawthorne was appointed as Surveyor of the Port of Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne introduced his famous book, The Scarlet Letter, with a preamble titled “The Custom-House”, in which the narrator claimed to have found evidence about the characters of the story at the customhouse Hawthorne worked at.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 6, 1846 - President Polk signed the Second Independent Treasury Act. The independent treasury prevented the massive inflation and economic booms seen during the War of 1812 and the Civil War from happening during the Mexican-American War. The prevention of inflation and the artificial economic boom also prevented a postwar financial panic, something that occurred following the War of 1812 and the Civil War. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">January 24, 1848 - James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in California. Despite attempts to keep the discovery a secret, word got out and the largest gold rush in the world began within months. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1849 - Congress passed the Gold Coinage Act of 1849, approving the creation of the $1 gold coin and the $20 Double Eagle gold coin. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1849 - Congress approved the creation of the Assistant Secretary position for the Department of the Treasury. The Secretary of the Treasury was given appointment power until March 3, 1857. Since then, the president has held appointment power. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1851 - Congress authorized the creation of the 3 cent coin, the smallest denomination silver coin ever produced. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 3, 1852 - An Act of Congress established a mint in California, authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to choose the location. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1853 - An Act of Congress established an Assay Office in New York City. The office was placed on Wall Street and was where people could deposit raw minerals such as gold and silver in exchange for money. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1855 - Appropriation act provided for expansion of the Treasury Building. The plan of architect Thomas U. Walter was used. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 19, 1857 - An Act of Congress authorized the Flying Eagle design for the one-cent coin and discontinued use of the half-cent coin. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 21, 1857 - An Act of Congress removed the legal tender properties of foreign coins that were established in 1793.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">May 21, 1861 - Confederate troops seized the Charlotte Mint, turning it into a base of operations for the remainder of the war. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 15, 1861 - The Senate confirmed James Pollack as the 10th Director of the United States Mint. Pollack was the first director to serve non-consecutive terms. He was first in office from 1861 to 1866 and became director again from 1869 to 1873. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 17, 1861 - An Act of Congress ordered the issue of currency to help fund the Civil War. Known as greenbacks, they were the first non-interest bearing notes created by the government. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 5, 1861 - The U.S. government levied the first income tax to help pay for the Civil War. All incomes over $800 were taxed three percent until the year 1872, when the tax was repealed. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 29, 1861 - The first United States currency was separated and sealed by hand by two men and four women in the basement of the Treasury. The currency was in the form of $1 and $2 United States Notes. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 13, 1861 - Secretary Chase received a letter from Rev. M.R. Watkinson that was instrumental in adding the motto “In God We Trust” to United State money. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 20, 1861 - Secretary Chase instructed the Director of the Philadelphia Mint to develop an appropriate motto to be used on United States coins. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 17, 1862 - Greenbacks, which have been issued since the start of the Civil War, were officially made legal tender. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 21, 1862 - An Act of Congress authorized the United States Assay Office in Denver, Colorado. The office became the Denver Mint in 1906. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 1, 1862 - The Revenue Act of 1862 established a permanent tax collection agency and the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Income was taxed at a rate of three percent or five percent depending on salary. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 11, 1862 - An Act of Congress empowered the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase equipment and hire employees to engrave and print currency notes in the Department of the Treasury. This later became the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 17, 1862 - An Act of Congress authorized postage stamps as currency for debts under five dollars. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 21, 1862 - Fractional Currency was issued for the first time. The first issue was made up of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent notes. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 25, 1863 - Congress passed the National Banking Act, establishing new national banks to create a uniform national currency and help fund the Civil War. The act also created the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to regulate the national banking system. Senator John Sherman, future Secretary of the Treasury, introduced the bill into the Senate first because it was feared the House would vote down the bill if it didn’t already have Senate approval. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1863 - An Act of Congress established the Carson City Mint in Nevada. It was in operation from 1870 until 1893. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">October 10, 1863 - The second issue of fractional currency was released into circulation. It consisted of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent notes. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">December 9, 1863 - Secretary Chase approved the proposal of the Director of the Philadelphia for the mottoes on United States coins. However, he suggested that “God, Our Trust” be changed to “In God We Trust”. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 17, 1864 - The Confederate States of America authorized the seventh, and final, printing of currency. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 14, 1864 - Congress approved of a second Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. The Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury was established. The Supervising Architect had a great influence on American architectural style and was responsible for the building of many post offices and government buildings. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 3, 1864 - The National Bank Act of 1864 provided a lasting framework for national bank charters, fixing problems that became apparent in the National Bank Act of 1863. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 30, 1864 - An Act of Congress provided for the second issue of fractional currency. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">December 6, 1864 - Former Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by President Lincoln. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">January 30, 1865 - A murder occurred at the Treasury. Mary Harris shot and killed Treasury clerk Adoniram Judson Burroughs as he left his office. She shot him because he had married another woman after being engaged to her. A jury found her not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1865 - An Act of Congress authorized the placement of the motto In God We Trust on any gold or silver coins. The director of the mint was given the power to place the motto at his discretion. However, the Secretary of the Treasury could overrule the director. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 14, 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln approved of Secretary Hugh McCulloch’s plan to create an anti-counterfeiting unit within the Treasury, the United States Secret Service. It was one of Lincoln’s last official acts. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 14, 1865 - John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln at Ford’s Theater. Booth caught his spur on the Treasury Guard flag while jumping off the balcony, causing him to land awkwardly on stage and break his leg. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 15, 1865 - President Andrew Johnson was sworn in and began using the Treasury as his de facto White House, allowing Mrs. Lincoln time to grieve and plan her departure. He used Secretary McCulloch’s reception room as his office until May 24, 1865. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 5, 1865 - The United States Secret Service began operating as an anti-counterfeiting unit within the Department of the Treasury. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 13, 1865 - The first gold certificates were issued. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 7, 1866 - An Act of Congress stated that only a portrait of a deceased person could appear on currency. The Act was caused by an uproar over the actions of the Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Spencer Clark. Clark placed himself on a five cent note and had a large quantity of them printed before it was noticed. Due to Clark’s actions the already prepared 15 cent note featuring Sherman and Grant was never released. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">May 16, 1866 - Congress authorized the creation of the nickel five-cent coin to replace the smaller silver half-dime. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">December 5, 1866 - Herman Melville, famous for writing Moby Dick, was appointed Customs Inspector in New York City. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 30, 1867 - The Alaska Purchase Treaty was signed. The United States agreed to pay Russia 7.2 million dollars. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 17, 1868 - The Bureau of Engraving and Printing became the official title for the currency production bureau. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 19, 1869 - An Act of Congress authorized the United States Assay Office in Boise, Idaho. By 1895 the office received annual deposits of gold, silver, and lead worth over one million dollars. It closed in 1933. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 4, 1869 - The First Inaugural Ball of President Ulysses S. Grant was held in the Treasury's unfinished marble Cash Room. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">September 24, 1869 - An attempt to corner the gold market caused the Black Friday financial panic. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 7, 1872 - An Act of Congress provided, among other things, that Customs Collectors protect seaman at certain ports. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 12, 1873 - Congress passed the Coinage Act, authorizing the Treasury Department to place the motto "In God We Trust" on all United States coins. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 12, 1873 - The Coinage Act established the Bureau of the Mint as a part of the Treasury Department. The act put all mint and assay office activities under the Bureau of the Mint. Prior to the act, the United States Mint was an independent agency. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">January 29, 1874 - The United States Mint was authorized to produce coins for foreign governments. The first foreign coins struck were made for Venezuela. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 18, 1874 - The United States Customs Service was charged with enforcing sections of the Copyright Act. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 20, 1874 - Congress authorized the creation of the Life Saving Medal, an award to be given to those who risked their lives saving others at sea. The Department of the Treasury initially gave the award, but today the United States Coast Guard awards it through the Department of Homeland Security. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 25, 1874 - The Greenback Party was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana. It opposed Treasury policies, advocated the suppression of bank notes and the payment of the national debt in greenbacks. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1875 - An Act of Congress authorized the creation of a 20 cent coin. The coin only circulated for two years. Production ended completely in 1878 because people complained about the coin being too much like a quarter. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">December 9, 1875 - Secretary Benjamin H. Bristow broke the Whiskey Ring, investigating without the knowledge of President Grant or the Attorney General. Businessmen and IRS officials were siphoning off millions of governmental dollars from the whiskey tax for personal purposes. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 15, 1876 - The last fractional currency was issued. Fractional currency was first issued in 1862 because there was a shortage of coins during the Civil War. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">June 19, 1876 - Three brothers, Lucian, Hubbard and A.J. Clemons, were the first recipients of the Life Saving Medal. They rescued two people from a shipwrecked boat in Lake Erie. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 6, 1876 - The Secret Service thwarted an attempt to rob President Lincoln’s grave. The men who attempted to steal the body were planning to use it as a bargaining chip to get a counterfeiter out of prison. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 3, 1877 - The Bureau of Engraving and Printing became the exclusive printer of U.S. currency. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 28, 1878 - Congress passed the Bland-Allison Silver Purchase Act, providing for the issue of silver certificates and the coining of silver dollars. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">May 31, 1878 - An Act of Congress forbade further retirement of U.S. legal tender notes. Previously, the Secretary of the Treasury had been allowed to retire U.S. legal tender notes from circulation.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">February 1, 1881 - An Act of Congress authorized the United States Assay Office in St. Louis, Missouri. The office closed in 1911. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 1, 1881 - The United States Assay Office in St. Louis, Missouri opened. The office closed on June 30, 1911. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">November 10, 1881 - Former Senator Blanche K. Bruce, the first African-American to serve in a high-level Treasury office, issued his first report as Register of the Treasury. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">March 11, 1882 - The Treasury was authorized to purchase the Freedman’s Savings Bank building for use by the U.S. Government. Founded on March 3, 1865, the Bank was closed on June 29, 1874. The Treasury Annex is currently located on the site. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">April 8, 1886 - The House of Representatives voted against the Free Coinage of Silver Bill. The bill would have allowed the depositing of silver in assay offices in exchange for silver dollars in the same way that gold could be deposited in exchange for gold dollars. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">August 2, 1886 - The Oleomargarine Act established the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms laboratory system within the Treasury Department. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 2, 1890 - The Sherman Anti-Trust Act became law. It is the first U.S. law to limit monopolies and is the oldest piece of anti-trust legislation. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">July 14, 1890 - The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was enacted. The act required the government to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion every month with currency that was backed by both gold and silver. This caused people to sell their silver and then demand gold for the notes they received, depleting the U.S. gold reserves.



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">The Lincoln - Douglas Debates

Lincoln and Douglas went through several debates through out the campaign for the Presidency in 1860. Here are some memorable quotes from these debates

Lincoln on abolition : // "I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything. I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. My understanding is that I can just let her alone." //

Douglas on abolition : " // I should like to know, if taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle, and making exceptions to it, where will it stop? If one man says it does not mean a negro, why may not another man say it does not mean another man? If that declaration is not the truth, let us get this statute book in which we find it and tear it out." //



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Election of 1860

//Republican Party Views://

//No interference with slavery where it already existed; Free Soil in all new territories//

//Southern Democrats:// //Supported Taney decision; opposed popular sovereignty; slavery as a "positive good"//

//Northern Democrats:// //Popular sovereignty; not openly pro-slavery//

//Constitutional Union Party:// //Compromise; Constitution & Union most important//



<span style="line-height: 0px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> ** ACTIVITY :3 ** ** Who do you think should have won the presidential debate? Why? **