006 - Chapter 6 - Jacksonian America

Why was it unusual for John C. Calhoun to serve as vice-president to both Jackson and Adams?

After securing his nomination, Adams had to choose a new running mate. But wait - what happened to Vice President John C. Calhoun? He had switched sides and became Jackson's running mate.

Identify which of the following is a profile of a person who could vote for the first time in 1828:

Changes in state constitutions also led to more people being allowed to vote. For example, you no longer had to be a wealthy landowner. You still had to be a white male, however, so no women or non-whites were allowed, but it was progress.

Why was the election of 1824 significant?

For the first time in US history, there was no clear presidential winner after the election. Jackson secured 99 electoral votes, and Adams 84. However, neither captured a majority of the votes.

Why did Jackson veto the bill to recharter the Bank of the United States in 1832?

His reasons for vetoing the bank's charter were simple: it was dangerous. It was a private monopoly. And in his view, that made a few rich and powerful people more rich and more powerful. Furthermore, many of the stockholders were foreigners, and any bank of the U.S. should be a 100% purely American bank.

Which of the following is FALSE regarding John Quincy Adams?

FALSE: He was criticized for seeking the presidency without having government experience. {Explanation - John Quincy Adams served as secretary of state, and thus had government experience.}

Which of the following is FALSE regarding the Van Buren administration?

FALSE: It supported the Bank of the United States by increasing trade tariffs. {Explanation - Van Buren was an opponent of the Bank of the United States, he tried to reform America's financial system by lowering tariffs and promoting free trade.}

Which of the following regarding the 1828 election is FALSE?

FALSE: There was a relatively low voter turnout, with only 30% of eligible voters at the polls. {Explanation - This change in voter qualifications would lead to record-breaking voter participation in the election. Up to 80% of qualified voters voted.}

Which of the following is NOT a way Jackson attempted to protect the rights of the common man?

NOT: By supporting Henry Clay's Maysville Road project. {Explanation - Jackson championed the causes of the common man, including fighting against economic monopolies, changing the political nomination process from one of insider-only caucuses and rejecting pork-barrel politics. Some, like the Maysville Road project, which had long been the pet project of none other than Henry Clay - a long-time rival of Jackson - were cut.}

How did the removal of the Cherokee, which was characterized by a thousand-mile walk westward known as the Trail of Tears, affect the Cherokee tribe?

The Trail of Tears was a torturous journey that killed thousands of Cherokee from exhaustion, exposure, and disease. Weak and old members of the tribe died. The tribe remained intact but did not thrive.

As head of the Bank of the United States, Biddle sought to regulate local banks in order to _____.

control their lending policies {Explanation - Privately owned to be sure, but due to its size and wealth, it could effectively regulate the availability of credit throughout the nation by controlling the lending policies of state and other small banks.}

How did the election of 1828 differ from most elections that preceded it?

It only had 2 candidates of the 2 major parties, the National Republicans and the Democrats. {Explanation - For example, prior to 1828, there were more than two political parties vying for influence, and Congressional caucuses chose candidates for presidents. While that did not always translate into large numbers of politically viable candidates, as was the case in 1824, it certainly created numerous distractions for any campaign.}

What was President Jackson's view of the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi prompting the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

Andrew Jackson had racist views of the Cherokee whom he believed to be savages who could not rule themselves. He also wanted their lands for white settlers especially because gold was found on their lands.

How did President Harrison's view of the presidency differ from that of President Jackson?

Harrison viewed the system as limited, restrained by the separation of powers in the constitution, while Jackson actively used his veto power. {Explanation - Simply put, Harrison believed in the strict separation of powers and had no intention of using the veto in a manner similar to Jackson, essentially giving a Whig-controlled Congress the green light to move forward on their agenda.}

How did John Quincy Adams differ from Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe?

Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe came to be known as the Virginia Dynasty, and were not only presidents but founding fathers of the young American nation.

How were John C. Calhoun and William H. Crawford similar?

John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, a longtime member of Congress and former secretary of war under James Monroe. William H. Crawford of Georgia, seen as an early favorite in the election, was himself a senator, a former ambassador, and secretary of war.

Why did many Americans distrust the Bank of the United States?

Many Americans considered the Bank of the United States to be a monopoly for the wealthy. When Jackson vetoed the re-charter, most of the people agreed with him and allowed him to be easily re-elected.

The Supreme Court case of _____ established the legality of the Bank of the United States.

McCulloch v. Maryland {Explanation - Although the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland had established the legality of the Bank of the United States, the bank itself came under close scrutiny in the early years of Andrew Jackson's first administration.}

Which of the following correctly summarizes the Corrupt Bargain in 1824?

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Henry Clay, helped to secure the majority of the vote for John Quincy Adams in the House if Adams agreed to make Clay secretary of state.

Why did some of the Cherokee choose NOT to fight against their removal?

Some of the Cherokee believed the U.S. was too powerful, removal was a foregone conclusion, and it was a hopeless case to fight.

Which Indian tribe tried to adapt to White ways, but was still forced to move?

The Cherokee had adopted 'white ways', and governed themselves, but Jackson was resolved to force them to leave especially because white settlers wanted their fertile lands and gold was discovered on Cherokee territory.

Which treaty helped Jackson to force Indians off of their land?

The treaty of New Echota, signed in 1835, was brokered with the part of the Cherokee tribe who believed fighting removal to be a lost cause.

The Panic of 1837 was caused by a number of factors, including:

Unhindered bank speculation on American growth. {Explanation - First and foremost, 'killing' the Bank of the United States meant that there was a vacuum to be filled by state banks and other private banks. New banks rapidly sprang up, offering money to finance American expansion on every front. Banks wildly speculated on American growth, hoping for quick and large returns on projects.}

Why did Van Buren win the 1836 election?

Van Buren was also a master at the grassroots campaign, sending out representatives and making use of the press to get his message out to all levels of society, not relying solely on Washington politicians.

Why was Martin Van Buren a unique figure of the 1830s political scene?

Van Buren was the first of our presidents to have been born after the American Revolution, and, as such, represented a new breed.

Why did the Whig Party nominate William Henry Harrison for president in the 1840 election?

What they needed was a decent man, a good man, a war hero at the top of their ticket - someone the masses would respect and accept as tough, uncompromising, and patriotic, embodying all of the American spirit.