The Democratic Party in the first Jackson Administration
Andrew Jackson's victory in 1828 was accompanied by an additional 23 Democratic seats in the
U.S. House. His inaugural address outlined his program: economy of government, state's rights, and a "just
and liberal" Indian policy. He appointed a talented Cabinet, which included several men recommended by Vice
President John C. Calhoun.
Jackson's close advisers comprised his "Kitchen Cabinet."
Jackson's relationship with Calhoun began to falter in 1830. At the annual Jefferson Day dinner in Washington
on 4/13/1830, the President offered this "toast": "Our Federal Union - It must be preserved." The Vice
President offered this "toast": "The Union - Next to our liberty the most dear." The President spent most of
the remainder of the spring and summer of 1830 in the first resettlement of Indians further west and vetoing
acts of Congress to pay for internal improvements. At first, Jackson believed that the federal government
should only pay for projects crossing state lines, but later he came to oppose all internal improvements. The
Democrats suffered slight losses in the midterm elections of 1830-1831, which resulted in a tie in the U.S.
Senate.
Jackson and Calhoun parted ways completely in early 1831. Calhoun's wife refused to be seen in the same room
with Peggy Eaton, the beautiful daughter of a Washington tavern keeper and wife of Secretary of War John H. Eaton. Other cabinet
wives then took sides. John Eaton resigned from the Cabinet on 4/7/1831. Martin Van Buren, the Secretary
of State, concocted a plan which would result in the removal of all Calhoun supporters from the Cabinet; he resigned on 4/11/1831 as SOS, and Jackson requested resignations of the three Calhoun supporters in the
Cabinet (the Attorney General and the Secretaries of the Navy and the Treasury). The breach between the
President and Vice President was complete.
Call of the first Democratic National Convention
On 6/23/1831, the Democratic members of the New Hampshire legislature met as the Democratic State Convention.
After attending to their normal business, the convention issued a call for a national convention of those
"friendly to the reelection of Andrew Jackson," to be held in Baltimore on 5/21/1832. The call stated that the Convention "shall have for its object the adoption of such measures as will best promote the reelection of Andrew Jackson, and the nomination of a candidate to be supported for Vice-President at the same
election." [The entire address is printed in the New Hampshire Patriot, 7/11/1831.] The call for the
National Republican and Anti-Masonic National Conventions had already been issued at that time, but neither had met. A minor footnote to the New Hampshire state convention: one of the delegates was future President Franklin Pierce.
Maneuvering for the vice presidential nomination began immediately. VP Calhoun issued his "Fort Hill Letter," in which he outlined the constitutional basis for a state's ability to nullify an act of Congress. However,
by this time it was clear that he would receive little or no support at the convention. Pennsylvania Democrats, who were among Jackson's earliest supporters in 1824, supported U.S. Senator William Wilkins, and Kentucky
Democrats supported their own Richard M. Johnson, who was
officially placed in contention at their state convention on 12/22/1831 (Eastern Argus, a Maine
newspaper, 1/10/1832).
Support for Jackson's favorite, Van Buren, grew in early 1832 as party regulars were horrified by the actions
of the Senate. Jackson nominated Van Buren to serve as Minister to Great Britain. When the vote in the Senate
ended in a 23-23 tie, VP Calhoun further annoyed the President when he voted against confirmation
(1/25/1832). The opposition press hailed the decision as establishing the independence of the Senate, while
the administration press railed against the Vice President working with the opposition. Throughout the next
two months, newspapers on both sides carried articles in which the speeches of their favorites were quoted.
Calhoun's vote to "kill" the political career of Van Buren in effect made him a martyr to the cause.
The opposition to Van Buren mounted a failing campaign. The Pennsylvania State Convention, held on 3/4/1832,
officially nominated Wilkins on the 10th ballot with 67 votes to 63 for George M. Dallas and only one for Van
Buren. The convention then voted 83-44 not to send delegates to the upcoming national convention. (Eastern
Argus, 3/13/1832). The Richmond Enquirer was the chief supporter of the interests of Philip P. Barbour VA.
The first Democratic National Convention
The first Democratic National Convention was held in the Athenaeum (same venue as the two opposition parties)
on 5/21-23/1832. All states were represented except Missouri, many with more delegates than they had votes in
the convention. Five delegates attended from the District of Columbia.
Temporary and Permanent Chairman: Gov. Robert Lucas, OH
Several decisions were made at this initial convention of the party. On the first day, a committee was
appointed to provide a list of delegates from each state. On the first contested roll call vote in convention
history, the convention voted 126-153 to deprive DC of its voting rights in the convention. The Rules
Committee gave a brief report which established several other customs. Each state was allotted as many votes
as it had Presidential Electors; several states were over-represented, and many under-represented, so this
measure restored the electoral vote proportion of the states. Second, balloting was taken by states and not
by individual delegates. Third, nomination would require two-thirds of the delegate votes, a measure intended
to reduce sectional strife. The fourth rule, which banned nomination speeches, was abandoned in 1836.
Nominations
No roll call vote was taken to nominate Jackson for a second term. Instead, the convention passed a resolution stating that "we most cordially concur in the repeated nominations which he has received in various parts of the union." Martin Van Buren was nominated for vice president on the first ballot, receiving 208 votes to 49 for Phillip P. Barbour and 26 for Richard M. Johnson. Barbour carried VA, SC, and AL, while Johnson carried only KY and IN.
Other business. Afterwards, the convention approved an address to the nation (a proto-platform) and adjourned.
2d Democratic National Convention,
1835
Popular Vote of 1832
Electoral Vote of 1832
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283 (100.00%)