American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 9: JACKSONIAN AMERICA

Study Questions

1
What were the general characteristics of "Jacksonian Democracy," its philosophy, and its practice?
2
What role did the western states play in the growing democratization of American politics?
3
What was the reaction of the older states to these democratic trends? Cite some examples.
4
What groups were excluded from this widening of political opportunity? Why?
5
How did the spoils system fit into Jackson's "democratic" plans?
6
What was the effect of this growth of democracy? How did it change, or not change, the American political system? What is its significance?
7
How has the debate over Jacksonian Democracy focused not only on Andrew Jackson but on the American society in the Jacksonian era as well?
8
What was the dilemma faced by John C. Calhoun, and what factors gave rise to it?
9
How did Calhoun attempt to resolve this dilemma? What arguments did he use, and on which sources did he draw?
10
What did Calhoun really hope his theory of nullification would accomplish?
11
How did Martin Van Buren's and John C. Calhoun's backgrounds and rise to prominence differ?
12
What was the Kitchen Cabinet? Who were its members? Why did it come into existence?
13
What were the origins of the Calhoun-Jackson split? How did the Eatonton administration contribute to the division? What effect did it have on the Jackson administration?
14
How did the Webster-Hayne debate fit into the controversy between Jackson and Calhoun? What brought about the debate, what was the major point of disagreement between the two, and what were the arguments advanced?
15
How did Calhoun and South Carolina propose to test the theory of nullification? What factors contributed to their decision?
16
What was Jackson's reaction to South Carolina's attempt at nullification? How did his action in this case correspond to his action in the case of the Cherokee removal? What accounts for this?
17
What was the outcome of the nullification crisis? What, if anything, did the antagonists learn from the confrontation?
18
Explain Jackson's position on states' rights. How did he apply this to the matter of internal improvements?
19
What was the program (inherited by Jackson) designed to deal with the Indians who lived east of the Mississippi? What happened when this program was applied to the Cherokee in Georgia?
20
How did Jackson's action in the matter of the Cherokee removal correspond to his views on the role of the president and on the issue of states' rights?
21
Explain the different ways the Indians responded to Jackson's policies. What was the outcome for the different tribes?
22
How did white Americans justify their policies toward Native Americans? What evidence is there to suggest that there were other alternatives available to expanding Americans?
23
What was Jackson's opinion on the Bank of the United States? On what did he base his views? What other factors contributed to his stand?
24
What was Nicholas Biddle's initial attitude toward the Bank's involvement in politics? What caused him to change his mind, what steps did he take, and who were his supporters?
25
How did Jackson respond to the efforts to recharter the Bank? What reasons did he give for his action, and what effect did the election of 1832 have on his Bank policy?
26
How did the supporters of the Bank respond to Jackson's action? What did Biddle do? What were the results?
27
How did the Supreme Court under Roger B. Taney differ from the Court under Marshall? What groups profited from Taney's decisions?
28
How did the party philosophy of the Whigs differ from that of the Democrats?
29
Who were the Whig leaders? How do they reflect the variety of political opinions found in the Whig Party?
30
What was the Whig strategy in the election of 1836? Who was the Democratic candidate? Why was he selected? What was the result?
31
What was the general condition of the American economy in 1836? What factors contributed to this? What was the most pressing problem that Congress and the administration faced between 1835 and 1837, and how did they propose to solve it?
32
What caused the Panic of 1837? What effect did it have on the nation? What effect did it have on the Democratic Party?
33
What programs did Martin Van Buren propose to ease the depression? Why did he act in this way?
34
Why did the Whigs select William Henry Harrison as their candidate in 1840? How did his campaign "set a new pattern for presidential contests"?
35
What did the selection of John Tyler as Harrison's vice-presidential candidate reveal about the composition of the Whig Party?
36
What was the origin of the split between Tyler and Clay? What effect did it have on the administration? On the Whig Party? What was the result?
37
Why did Daniel Webster not resign from the Tyler cabinet when the other Whigs did? What were the diplomatic problems on which he was working?
38
What were the accomplishments of Webster as secretary of state?
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