Chapter 11
Age of the Common Man period from Jackson’s inauguration as president up to the Civil War is known as the Jacksonian Era or the Era of the Rise of the Common Man. This period constituted great change and issues warranting debate, such as slavery, Indians, westward mobility, and balance of power between the executive and the legislative branches of government. The United States had no strict class system. Most Americans identified themselves into the middle class. The common man now had the right to vote, without the distinction of owning land, nominating candidates to office, and rewarding the politicians that represented the common man’s interests.
Tallmadge Amendment
The Tallmadge Amendment was submitted by James Tallmadge, Jr. in the United States House of Representatives on February 13, 1819, during the debate regarding the admission of Missouri as a state. Tallmadge, an opponent of slavery, sought to impose conditions on Missouri that would extinguish slavery within a generation.
Missouri Compromise n 1820, after angry debate in Congress, Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, and Maine was admitted as a free state to preserve the balance of slave and free states in the Union. Also, slavery was banned from that part of the Louisiana Territory north of 36° 30'.
Land Act of 1820
Enabled Westerners to buy a minimum of 80 acres at $1.25 an acre in cash. Along with the spread of railroad systems built by government aid, westward migration and settlement grew rapidly.
Stephen Austin/Texians
Accordingly, after many delays and frustrations with the Mexican government, Stephen Austin introduced a large number of colonists from the United States. An unassuming man with a kindly presence, he was deeply respected by all, and achieved unparalleled influence over the often unruly settlers in Anglo Texas.
Panic of 1819
Between 1819 and 1823 the United States suffered its first nation-wide economic depression. The