Period 4 Possible LEQs
Compare and contrast the Jacksonian Democratic Party and the Whig Party of the 1830s and 1840s. Focus on TWO of the following. · Social reform · The role of the federal government in the economy · Westward expansion
During the 1830s and 1840s The Jacksonian Democratic party and the Whig party had both agreeing and opposing views on the issues of the role of the federal government in the economy and on westward expansion. Prior to this time period, America began going through a Market Revolution. The Market Revolution consisted of the industrial revolution in the North and the formation of an agriculture based cash crop economy in the South. It continued into the 1830s and 1840s and assisted in the formation of two different political parties: The Jacksonian Democrats and the Whigs. Both parties wanted the Nation to be somewhat controlled by the federal government but the Jacksonian Democrats hoped for minimal involvement of the government in the lives of each individual while the Whigs believed that more government power would help to protect the union. The Jacksonian Democrats believed in giving power to the common man and ruling in the favor of the majority as opposed to the minority. The Whigs believed in the representation of the more intellectual upper class in the government. This caused dispute because they both could agree that they wanted representatives in the office but the Democrats wanted someone that could relate to them and the Whigs believed that someone of a higher stature would be better suited for the job. Regarding westward expansion, it was not so much a matter of disagreement between the political parties but more of a disagreement between the North and the South. Northern Democrats and Whigs were against slavery in the newly acquired western territories while Southern Democrats and Whigs supported the idea of slavery in these territories. So basically Whigs were disagreeing and agreeing with both whigs and democrats and the Jacksonian Democrats were disagreeing and agreeing with both whigs and democrats.
Evaluate the extent to which the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked a turning point in the debate over slavery in the United States (look into the first part of Period 5 for this, too).
The Mexican American War did not mark a very significant turning point in the debate over slavery in the United States because although the attempts to settle the disagreement between the North and South were more organized, the issue still remained just as it did before the war. Since the beginning of the nation, Americans believed in the idea of Manifest Destiny which was their God-given right to expand their territory into the west.Following the election of President Polk in the election of 1844, the Mexicans attacked U.S. troops on what they believed was their soil. The two armies battled for land in the Battle of Buena Vista and it ended up being an American Victory. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which rightfully gave Texas over to America and yielded the area stretching westward to Oregon and the ocean, including California, for a cost of $15 million. Southerners opposed this treaty because Mexico was anti-slavery. Prior to the war, Henry Clay solved the issue of whether Missouri should be admitted as a free state or slave state with the Missouri Compromise. In order to keep the balance of slave and free states, Maine was admitted as a free state and Missouri was admitted as a slave state. After the land acquired by the Mexican cession was given to America there was continued debate over how the imbalance in the senate would be resolved. Many ideas were proposed but ultimately no complete solution was found, which lead to the civil war. There was consistent debate about slavery in America when America only went as to include Mississippi and as well as after the Mexican American war when western expansion gained us land all the way to the pacific ocean.
Explain the ways that participation in political campaigns and elections in the United States changed between 1815 and 1840, and analyze forces and events that led to these changes.
The participation of voters in political campaigns and elections increased between 1825 and 1840 because of the new voting rights and the political parties. - Change of power from democratic views to republican whig views - seneca falls convention led to the creation of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote
Evaluate the extent to which reform movements in the United States led to an expansion of democratic ideals from 1825 to 1855.
The reform movements hugely impacted the expansion of democratic ideals in 1825-1855, by encouraging liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness. Before the period of reform the second great awakening occurred, this was due to a concern over lack of religious zeal and new ideas about deism and Unitarianism. The outcome of this was tremendous and Christianity reached many new people, which lead to numerous citizens converting. Because of the modern mindset, these people were in; many felt it was appropriate to stand up for what they believed and express it through reform. The most common reforms were for women's rights, abolitionists, and education. These reforms were shown through the writings and speakings of key abolitionists. The reform for women's rights was lead by Elizabeth Cady Stanton; she was able to convince people about women's suffrage, the ability for women to vote, as well as equality for men and women. She spoke at the Seneca Falls Convention and promoted the modern women's rights movement. These changes displayed democratic ideals of liberty and equality but having equal opportunities for both men and women. The people who supported the reform for women's right sought liberty for women, who were seen as second class citizens, with few rights or responsibilities. The abolitionist reform was defined by a desire to abolish slavery from the north and south completely. This stemmed from a realization of how morally incorrect owning another person was. These reformers sought to communicate morals and common sense to the slave owners in hopes of getting them to change their ways. Many speeches were given, and articles were written about the damaging effects of slavery. They argued that slavery went against the democratic ideals of the time. Slavery did not allow for liberty, equality, or the pursuit of happiness in the minds of the slaves and the abolitionist's reformers. Lastly, the reform for education. Many people saw the corruptness of the current education system and decided to fight for a change. The new public school systems would advocate for more schools and an expanded curriculum. Horace Mann was a representative of the reform for education; he wanted to convince people of the benefits of public education. The new education reform would allow for the pursuit of happiness for the students as well as the teachers and parents, public school systems allowed for a growth in knowledge and values.
