American History: Beginnings to 1877: 6. The Age of Jackson and Westward Expansion, Lessons 1–2

During the 1820s, or the early years of the Age of Jackson, more Americans gained suffrage, or the right to vote.

Jackson won the popular vote, but no candidate won a majority, or more than half, of the electoral votes.

Adams perceived that the outcome of the election had angered many Americans.

Both died before Jackson was 15. Consequently, Jackson had to grow up quickly.

One of the biggest effects of Jacksonian politics was the development of the spoils system. Spoils are loot or plunder. The spoils system was the practice of awarding government jobs to friends and supporters.

He claimed that a state had the right to nullify, or cancel, a federal law that the state considered to be unconstitutional. This idea is called nullification.

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court had ruled that the "necessary and proper clause" of the Constitution implicitly gave the federal government the right to create a bank.

Before leaving office, Jackson had been alarmed at wild speculation, or risky investment, in land.

As more and more banks failed, the nation fell into a deep economic depression, a period when the economy shrinks and many people lose their jobs.

In the past, powerful members of each party had held a caucus, or private meeting, to choose their candidate.

In the 1830s, each party began to hold a national nominating convention, where delegates from all the states met to choose the party's candidates for President.

In the 1830s, each party began to hold a national nominating convention, where delegates from all the states met to choose the party's candidates for President.