CHAPTER 10
The Jacksonian Era, 1828–1840
TRUE/FALSE
1. Andrew Jackson was the most openly partisan and politically involved president up to that
point in history.
2. One argument by opponents of Jackson was that democracy remained more an ideal than a
reality for most Americans by the mid-nineteenth century.
3. Jacksonian democracy involved the extension of voting rights to blacks, Native Americans,
and women.
4. Despite his championing of the people and democracy, Jackson was a slaveholder.
5. Jackson’s vice president was John C. Calhoun.
6. Osceola led the Seminole resistance to their removal from their lands.
7. The Cherokee Indians were forced westward on the route that came to be known as the
Trail of Tears.
8. The Bank War demonstrated that Andrew Jackson was exceedingly knowledgeable regarding
the national bank’s role and policies.
9. Henry Clay was Andrew Jackson’s second vice president and was the man who would be
president after Jackson.
10. President Jackson’s response to the nullification crisis was to ask Congress to raise the tariff.
11. In the midst of the nullification crisis, John C. Calhoun resigned as vice president.
12. Most Whigs were states’ rights advocates.
13. During Jackson’s presidency, the national debt grew smaller until it was paid off entirely
in 1835.
14. The Distribution Act provided for each veteran of the War of 1812 to receive 360 acres
of land in the West.
15. Martin Van Buren opposed the establishment of an independent Treasury.
16. The two biggest issues that hampered Van Buren’s bid for reelection were financial problems
and the annexation of Texas.
17. The Whig presidential candidate in 1840, William Henry Harrison, was the hero of the Battle
of Tippecanoe.
18. The second two-party system emerged during the Jacksonian era and included Democrats and Whigs.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following statements about the growth of democracy during the Jacksonian era is true?
a.
Land ownership guaranteed a person’s right to political participation.
b.
Race had less meaning as a national voting qualification than it had during Jefferson’s time.
c.
Women were commonly voting in state and local elections, but not yet in national races.
d.
Politics was no longer just the realm of the prominent and wealthy.
e.
Although Jackson touted democratic gains, the reality was greater restriction.
2. Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman traveling through the United States in the 1830s, claimed
that “the only pleasure an American knows” was
a.
business.
d.
politics.
b.
alcohol.
e.
boxing.
c.
money.
3. What was one way in which Jackson’s approach to politics was significant?
a.
He established a precedent for U.S. presidents to rely on their record rather than campaigns to win
votes.
b.
He ended the powerful Democratic party “machine” because it contradicted his idea of the
“common man.”
c.
He was known first and foremost as an intellectual who happened to have produced the nation’s
first reliable dictionary.
d.
He showed unprecedented concern for the undemocratic constraints on African Americans and
Native Americans.
e.
Jackson was the first president to see campaigning as an acceptable tactic and to aggressively use it.
4. During Jackson’s presidency, southern slave owners feared
a.
an influx of cheap Irish labor due to fewer immigration restrictions.
b.
the possibility that democracy would cause the demise of slavery.
c.
the fact that democratic activism was at an all-time low.
d.
Jackson’s promises to protect the interests of the wealthy.
e.
a decline in economic and political opportunities for workingmen.
5. Which of the following statements identifies a way in which Jackson’s inauguration was significant?
a.
During the inauguration, a drunken mob of people from various walks of life engaged in wild
celebration and destruction, which appeared to symbolize the democratization of political life.
b.
The inauguration was such an impressive and welcoming affair that those who had been skeptical
of Jackson’s qualifications began to warm up to his presidency.
c.
The inauguration prompted organized and united reactions from the crowd that grew so violent that
the new president needed to deploy troops his first day in office.
d.
During the inauguration, elite politicians were so impressed with the attitudes of the western
Democrats present that new opportunities for collaboration between the parties emerged.
e.
The inauguration turned into a public scandal because rather than properly mourning his recently
deceased wife, Jackson was seen dancing with many different women.
6. During the Jacksonian era, and for the first time in American political history,
a.
a president assumed his position to be superior to that of Congress.
b.
Whigs won a majority in Congress.
c.
a third-party candidate finished second in a presidential contest.
d.
a state effectively nullified a federal law.
e.
black men in some northern states were permitted to vote for president.
7. The Eaton affair revealed
a.
Jackson’s failure to defend Peggy Eaton in any way.
b.
Jackson’s tendency to favor Calhoun over Van Buren in matters of politics.
c.
the influence that the personal opinions of Washington elite can have on federal politics.
d.
Jackson’s willingness to prosecute his political opponents.
e.
the increasing equality of women during the Jacksonian period.
8. Jackson’s veto of the Maysville Road Bill demonstrated his
a.
belief that the federal government should avoid funding purely local projects.
b.
belief that the federal government should assist states with internal improvements projects.
c.
tremendous respect for Henry Clay.
d.
initial support for John C. Calhoun’s policies.
e.
lack of interest in western economic development.
9. Why did Jackson veto the proposed Maysville Road, an internal improvement in Kentucky?
a.
He argued that Congress could only approve multi-state projects that fell under interstate
commerce.
b.
He consistently opposed the building of roads and showed a preference for canals.
c.
He feared that the road would fail to compete enough with the riverboats on the Ohio.
d.
He worried that the approval of such a project would limit the role of the federal government.
e.
He wanted to do everything in his power to maintain the support of Calhoun and Clay.
10. Why did Van Buren oppose federal funding for the Maysville Road?
a.
He disagreed with Jackson’s belief that the road was a federal rather than local government project,
because it helped all of the United States.
b.
He wanted to maintain the Erie Canal’s monopoly as sole connection between the East Coast and
the West.
c.
He was afraid that the federal government would go into debt to build the road after paying off the
debt so recently.
d.
He opposed it simply to spite Calhoun and the state of South Carolina after what happened during
the Eaton affair.
e.
As a southerner, he worried that the building of the road would give too much power to northern
industry.
11. President Jackson’s removal policy toward Native Americans
a.
upheld all commitments made by previous presidents and thereby earned Native American leaders’
trust.
b.
was far from a political priority of his, as he had campaigned on the protection of Native American
lands.
c.
focused on integration and assimilation to maintain consistency with his other democratic
initiatives.
d.
was based on his belief that Native Americans were barbarians who were to be treated as
“subjects.”
e.
was highly transparent in its intentions, especially during negotiations with Native American
leaders.
12. Which of the following was true of the Indian Removal Act brought before Congress in 1830?
a.
It allowed Indians who lived in areas east of the Mississippi River to remain on their homeland.
b.
It became law after Congress overrode Jackson’s veto.
c.
It provoked heated opposition and only passed in Congress by one vote.
d.
It contained loopholes designed to exclude peaceful Indians from removal.
e.
It showed Jackson’s refusal to pursue policies that might hurt his popularity.
13. The Sauk and the Fox Nations resisted federal policy in Illinois and Wisconsin and were led by
a.
Osceola.
d.
Black Hawk.
b.
Tecumseh.
e.
Sitting Bull.
c.
Hiawatha.
14. President Jackson’s attitude toward the Supreme Court’s decision in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) was
a.
elation, as it had ruled that he had the executive power as president to intervene and send aid to the
Cherokee Nation.
b.
anger, as it formally ended the Indian Removal Act and undid most of his policies regarding
western expansion.
c.
acquiescence, as he knew the Cherokees were the least likely of the southern tribes to adopt the
customs of white America.
d.
defiance, as he refused to enforce it and claimed that he had no constitutional authority to intervene
against the anti-Cherokee laws in Georgia.
e.
nonconcern, as he believed that the Christian missionaries in Georgia had the right to interact with
Native Americans as they saw fit.
15. The 800-mile journey known as the Trail of Tears resulted in
a.
a nostalgic but uneventful transfer of Indians to Oklahoma.
b.
the death of thousands of Indians who made the journey.
c.
Jackson’s change of heart about Indian removal.
d.
the complete eradication of the Creeks and Seminoles.
e.
Jackson’s diminished popularity in the South and West.
16. Which of the following statements about the Second Bank of the United States is accurate?
a.
It was a public corporation mainly owned by the government.
b.
It disbursed payments for federal debts.
c.
It was exclusively supported by state governments.
d.
It held only the funds of major private corporations.
e.
It was forbidden from using government deposits as collateral for loans to businesses.
17. Jackson viewed the Bank of the United States as a(n)
a.
valued source of credit for small farmers.
b.
entity to distrust, as it served the interests of a wealthy few.
c.
necessary evil for issuing paper money that stabilized the economy.
d.
important institution for the monitoring of state banks.
e.
source of national unity because it served the whole country.
18. When Congress rechartered the Bank of the United States in 1832,
a.
the economy went into a depression.
b.
Jackson made Nicholas Biddle its new director.
c.
western farmers revolted in anger.
d.
Jackson vetoed the recharter.
e.
Jackson announced plans to nationalize it.
19. Calhoun’s South Carolina Exposition and Protest argued that states could nullify federal legislation. Calhoun feared
that the Tariff of 1828
a.
was a major roadblock to emancipation for enslaved Africans.
b.
helped northern industrialists and hurt southern agriculture.
c.
weakened northern mill owners to the detriment of the national economy.
d.
showed that Calhoun no longer supported the Union and would cost him the next election.
e.
would lose support because it was unfairly called the Tariff of Abominations.
20. In the Webster-Hayne debate, Robert Y. Hayne believed that
a.
the Supreme Court’s authority was always superior to the power of the states.
b.
states’ rights were more sacred than the Union because the states had created the Union.
c.
the U.S. Constitution had been formed not by the states but by the American people.
d.
the northern and southern states had to unite against the West on issues involving public lands.
e.
slavery should be illegal and made the United States look like a nation of hypocrites.
21. The Webster-Hayne debate is best remembered for
a.
its ultimate effect on federal land policy.
b.
Hayne’s outspoken defense of slavery.
c.
Webster’s eloquent defense of the Union.
d.
Jackson’s distrust and questioning of the Constitution.
e.
its disastrous effect on Jackson’s popularity.
22. Why were some southerners surprised by Jackson’s views on nullification?
a.
He strongly believed that the president should take a backseat when it came to legislative matters,
refusing to ever exercise veto power over congressional bills.
b.
He refused to openly support nullification throughout his presidency and relied on Calhoun to make
any speeches endorsing it for him.
c.
He had long believed that states should be able to pick which federal laws they adhere to, but he
abandoned this view at the end of his presidency.
d.
He agreed with Vice President Calhoun on all other policy matters except nullification, and the pair
had a remarkably close working relationship.
e.
He was a southern cotton planter who owned many slaves but, upon threats to nullify federal laws,
strongly exhibited an ardent sense of nationalism.
23. Which of the following occurred as a result of the Eaton affair, and why was it significant that it did?
a.
John C. Calhoun became an outspoken advocate of nullification, which helped him avoid the
humiliating political repercussions of his wife’s close friendship with Peggy Eaton.
b.
Martin Van Buren and John Eaton willingly left the cabinet to open the way for Jackson to force the
Calhoun supporters on it to resign as well and, thus, for the appointment of a brand new cabinet.
c.
Floride Calhoun was invited to organize all White House functions and meetings, thereby setting a
precedent for women to take on certain influential political roles.
d.
Jackson fired John Eaton and replaced him with Samuel Ingham, a Calhoun supporter, causing the
two to engage in the deadliest political duel in American history.
e.
The public regained widespread trust in Jackson and Van Buren, which helped ensure that Van
Buren would stay on as secretary of war during the Panic of 1837 and resulting foreign conflict.
24. Martin Van Buren was known as the “Great Magician” due to his
a.
miraculous win in a very close presidential election.
b.
skill as a professional politician exploiting his connections.
c.
ability to get the country out of a depression.
d.
success in building the Whig coalition.
e.
seeming ability to read Jackson’s mind.
25. What was the so-called “kitchen cabinet,” and what was one reason why it proved significant?
a.
a faction of Calhoun’s supporters that actively undermined Jackson’s presidency behind closed
doors
b.
a committee within Jackson’s cabinet that morphed into a new political party known as the anti–
Masonic party
c.
a gathering of expert advisors without ties to the media that helped guide Jackson in making
nonpartisan economic decisions
d.
an informal group of Jackson’s close friends and supporters that convinced him to go back on his
pledge to be a one-term president
e.
Jackson’s cabinet early on in the Eaton affair that provided such sound guidance that he maintained
a relatively smooth first term
26. The first third-party presidential candidate in American history arose from a party that built
itself on mistrust toward
a.
Catholics.
d.
free blacks.
b.
Freemasons.
e.
immigrants.
c.
Jews.
27. What practice did the Democrats and National Republicans adopt from the third party that also entered the
presidential race in 1832?
a.
holding a national convention
b.
vigorously campaigning
c.
forming close ties with newspapers
d.
keeping all messages secret from the public
e.
adopting a vague stance on most issues to avoid alienating voters
28. A tariff passed by Congress in 1832
a.
lowered rates on some items.
b.
was vetoed by Jackson.
c.
ended talk of nullification.
d.
was intended strictly to raise revenue.
e.
was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court.
29. What federal law(s) did South Carolina nullify?
a.
Marbury v. Madison
d.
the Monroe Doctrine
b.
the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832
e.
the fugitive slave law
c.
the Indian Removal Act
30. In response to South Carolina’s passage of an Ordinance of Nullification, Jackson
a.
said South Carolina was free to leave the Union.
b.
privately threatened to hang Calhoun.
c.
backed down by telling Congress to repeal the tariff.
d.
was unusually indecisive.
e.
declared South Carolina in a state of rebellion.
31. What was the legislation in 1833, sparked by the nullification crisis in South Carolina, that
authorized the president’s use of the army to compel states to comply with federal law?
a.
the Indian Removal Act
d.
the Maysville Road Bill
b.
the Distribution Act
e.
the Force Bill
c.
the Independent Treasury Act
32. The compromise tariff that ended the nullification crisis was authored by
a.
Martin Van Buren.
d.
John C. Calhoun.
b.
Thomas Hart Benton.
e.
Daniel Webster.
c.
Henry Clay.
33. After his reelection, Jackson moved to destroy the Bank of the United States by
a.
firing its director.
b.
withdrawing its federal deposits.
c.
getting the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.
d.
selling its stock to private investors.
e.
opening new state banks.
34. Pet banks were
a.
state banks with ties to Jackson.
b.
institutions allowed to issue notes that were not covered by specie reserves.
c.
credit unions championed by Henry Clay in the Senate.
d.
institutions chartered in 1832 for the express purpose of handling foreign investments.
e.
banks owned by Jackson’s biggest critics.
35. Which of the following did Biddle do in his fight against Jackson to save the B.U.S.?
a.
He initiated a national financial crisis.
b.
He appealed to Jackson directly to change his impression of the bank.
c.
He agreed to accept state currency.
d.
He set up “pet banks” on behalf of the Jackson administration.
e.
He nearly destroyed the Democratic party.
36. Jackson’s opponents called themselves Whigs to
a.
express their admiration for the British political system.
b.
state their belief in complete human freedom.
c.
confuse voters about their true political objectives.
d.
denounce what they saw as Jackson’s monarchical qualities.
e.
distinguish themselves from the National Republicans.
37. The one thing that united all members of the new Whig party was opposition to
a.
the Bank of the United States.
d.
high protective tariffs.
b.
Andrew Jackson.
e.
money backed by gold and silver.
c.
internal improvements.
38. In the face of the growing coalition of the Whigs, the Democrats still gained members from
a.
admirers of Henry Clay.
d.
southern planters.
b.
economic nationalists.
e.
German and Irish Catholics.
c.
social reformers, such as abolitionists.
39. Which of the following was true of Whig politicians?
a.
They were economic nationalists who wanted the federal government to support a national bank.
b.
They believed all financial decisions should rest with the states.
c.
They mostly attracted Catholic voters from Germany and Ireland.
d.
They were solidly in support of slavery and against Prohibition.
e.
They argued against the promotion of manufacturing because it would hurt agriculture.
40. Jackson’s efforts to kill the bank resulted in
a.
a vote in the Senate that nearly removed him from office.
b.
a global recession.
c.
the first assassination attempt of a sitting president in American history.
d.
the removal of his secretary of the Treasury.
e.
American industries’ abandonment of their factories.
41. Which of the following was true of the Specie Circular?
a.
It paid off the national debt.
b.
It gave excess federal money to the states.
c.
It required gold or silver payment for public lands.
d.
It outlawed paper currency.
e.
It stabilized the economy for the rest of the 1830s.
42. Jackson’s attempt to censor the mail revolved around which issue?
a.
tariffs
d.
Indian threats
b.
western land claims
e.
South Carolina’s nullification
c.
slavery
43. Which of the following statements about Martin Van Buren is accurate?
a.
He divulged the secret rituals of the Masonic order, leading to the formation of the anti-Masonic
party and his rise to the presidency.
b.
He failed to win the presidency because the Whigs crafted the successful strategy of nominating
three regional candidates.
c.
He enjoyed a strong economy during his single term as president, in many ways due to Jackson’s
economic decisions.
d.
He promised to follow in Jackson’s footsteps, but lost popularity due to his perceived ambition and
inherited issues in the financial sector.
e.
He was considered too principled and unwilling to take risks, which had prevented the economy
from growing enough to stay stable.
44. The Panic of 1837 began with
a.
a change in the policies of the Bank of England regarding loans, which led to a decline in the
demand for U.S. cotton.
b.
a surplus of American wheat due to the gradual reliance on European trade throughout the Van
Buren administration.
c.
the tariff of 1835, which had lowered duties to dangerous levels and resulted in a rise in American
spending.
d.
a depression in France that negatively impacted the market across the Atlantic and increased
reliance on the Specie Circular.
e.
a lack of American infrastructure projects, which in turn caused a surge in unemployment across
the United States.
45. In the face of the Panic of 1837, working-class Americans could expect
a.
federal government assistance.
b.
a large number of good jobs.
c.
cooperation between Democrats and Whigs.
d.
high prices for food and clothes.
e.
easy bank loans.
46. Which of the following statements accurately describes the economic conditions leading into
the Panic of 1837?
a.
Booming government land sales experienced throughout Jackson’s presidency counteracted any
sort of economic depression in the following years, making it small and short-lived.
b.
The economy was vulnerable going into Van Buren’s presidency due to Jackson and Congress’s
elimination of the B.U.S. and the gold or silver requirements of the Specie Circular.
c.
Economic conditions had their ups and downs, but the ultimate decision to ensure the continuation
of the B.U.S. following the Bank War prevented the introduction of worthless paper money.
d.
Although they had relatively less money, the poor were in a position to fare better than the wealthy
because their jobs remained stable due to the infrastructure projects of Jackson’s presidency.
e.
Although the federal government during Jackson’s presidency had made some financial issues, its
long-term decision to stall all trade with Britain and France prevented additional losses.
47. Martin Van Buren became convinced during the Panic of 1837 and its aftermath that an
Independent Treasury Act was necessary to
a.
stabilize the American banking system by taking federal deposits out of shaky “pet” state banks.
b.
stop National Republicans and Whigs from uniting and overthrowing his administration.
c.
give state banks more control over the nation’s supply of gold and silver.
d.
create manufacturing and banking jobs in the face of the worsening economic crises.
e.
fund a massive unemployment insurance program to help millions of Americans suffering from the
economic depression.
48. William Henry Harrison
a.
was a leader of the states’ rights wing of the Whigs.
b.
was known as the “Little Magician.”
c.
was respected for having defeated the Shawnees at Tippecanoe.
d.
directed the Bank of the United States until Jackson destroyed it.
e.
like Jackson, was born in frontier poverty.
49. In the 1840 campaign, the Whigs picked William Henry Harrison to run for president
a.
and won the votes of aristocrats by portraying him as a business titan.
b.
and explained in detail how they would fight the depression.
c.
and offered few policy details despite their catchy campaign slogan.
d.
but lost in a close election because so few Americans made it to the polls.
e.
and won support due to his promise to keep the Republic of Texas its own nation.
50. One undebatable fact about the Jacksonian era is
a.
Jackson’s sincere commitment to equality for all Americans.
b.
the wisdom of Jackson’s destruction of the “monster” bank.
c.
Jackson’s place as one of the greatest presidents in American history.
d.
the dramatic increase in voter participation by 1840.
e.
the degree that common men lessened the power of elites.
1. What was Jackson’s vision of American democracy, and how did that vision relate directly to
his own political power?
2. How did Jackson’s early life shape his development into adulthood and the way he conducted
himself during his presidency?
3. Why was the banking controversy so important in the 1830s? What actions did Jackson take
toward the B.U.S.? Why?
4. How did the Tariff of 1828 serve as the impetus for the Nullification Crisis?
5. How did the Eaton affair reveal the role and influence of personal lives and decisions in
helping to shape politics?
6. How might the insults lobbed at Andrew Jackson’s wife during the 1828 campaign have
influenced how he dealt with the Peggy Eaton controversy?
7. What issues led to the creation of a new party system by the end of the 1830s?
8. What led Jackson and Calhoun to go from close friends and political allies to bitter enemies
and rivals? Trace the rift between them. Be sure to include both policy and personal
differences that strained their relationship.
9. With so much opposition to Jackson’s Native American policies, how did he still manage to
get them passed and enforced?
10. Describe the election of 1832. What were the major political parties, and what were the
significant issues involved in the campaign? What was the outcome?
11. Discuss the diverse coalition of the Whigs. What were the major characteristics of “Whiggery”?
12. What were the causes and results of the Panic of 1837? What impact did this economic crisis
have on the Van Buren administration?
13. Examine the role of violence in Andrew Jackson’s life and how he incorporated that into his presidency.
14. Overall, was the United States better or worse after Jackson served as president? Use specific examples to support
your argument.
MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
a.
offered as a toast at a Jefferson Day dinner: “Our Union—It must be preserved!”
b.
was the husband of the woman snubbed by wives of cabinet members
c.
was Jackson’s most trusted political adviser and ally and was nicknamed the “Little Magician”
d.
was the director of the Bank of the United States who expressed confidence in the bank’s future
e.
was the South Carolinian who became the leading states’ rights activist for the South and Jackson’s
fiercest critic
f.
was Jackson’s opponent for president in 1832, proving unable to see the sources of Jackson’s
popularity
g.
won the presidency with his “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” campaign depicting him as a humble man
h.
as a Massachusetts senator, said “Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable”
i.
was a presidential candidate for the anti-Masonic party in 1832 who carried only the state of
Vermont
j.
was the 1840 Whig vice presidential candidate who was featured in Harrison’s campaign slogan
1. Nicholas Biddle
2. John C. Calhoun
3. Henry Clay
4. John Eaton
5. William Henry Harrison
6. Andrew Jackson
7. John Tyler
8. Martin Van Buren
9. Daniel Webster
10. William Wirt