Jackson Era
Supreme Court Case
McCulloch v. Maryland
Summary: In this case, the state of Maryland wanted to tax a national bank because they didn’t think it was fair for the bank to operate without paying taxes. The Supreme Court decided that Maryland couldn’t tax the bank because the bank was created by the federal government, and states can’t tax federal institutions.
Why was this case important? This case was important because it showed that the federal government had more power than the states. It helped establish that the federal government could create banks and do things needed for the country, even if states didn’t agree.
Gibbons v. Ogden
Summary: This case was about a dispute between two steamboat operators, Gibbons and Ogden. Ogden had a state license to run boats in New York, but Gibbons had a federal license to operate his boats. The Supreme Court ruled that Gibbons could operate because federal laws were more powerful than state laws when it comes to interstate trade.
Why was this case important? This case was important because it helped define how the government could regulate trade between states. It emphasized that the federal government had control over interstate commerce, which meant that states couldn’t interfere with trade between different states.
Event
Nullification Crisis
Description: The Nullification Crisis happened when South Carolina decided they didn’t want to follow some federal tax laws that they thought were unfair. They believed they could “nullify” the laws, meaning ignore them. President Andrew Jackson didn’t like this, and he threatened to use the army to make South Carolina obey the laws.
Why was this event important? This event was important because it showed a big conflict between state and federal power. It brought up the question of how much power states should have and how far they could go in resisting federal laws. Jackson's strong response showed that the federal government would not let states just ignore its laws.
Event
National Bank Veto
Description: During his presidency, Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill to renew the charter of the Second Bank of the United States. He believed that the bank was too powerful and only helped the rich, so he didn’t want it to continue.
Why was this event important? This event was important because it changed the way banking worked in America. By shutting down the national bank, Jackson made it harder for the federal government to control the economy. This led to more state banks, but it also caused financial problems later on, showing that his decision had a long-lasting impact on the economy.