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Document-Based Activities on the Jackson Era
Using Primary Sources and the Internet
Kerry Gordonson, Writer
Bill Williams, Editor
Dr. Aaron Willis, Project Coordinator
Amanda Harter, Editorial Assistant
Social Studies School Service
10200 Jefferson Blvd., P.O. Box 802
Culver City, CA 90232
http://socialstudies.com
[email protected]
(800) 421-4246
Updated 2005
© 2004 Social Studies School Service
10200 Jefferson Blvd., P.O. Box 802
Culver City, CA 90232
United States of America
(310) 839-2436
(800) 421-4246
Fax: (800) 944-5432
Fax: (310) 839-2249
http://www.socialstudies.com/
[email protected]
Permission is granted to reproduce individual worksheets for classroom use only.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN: 1-56004-132-3
Product Code: ZP201
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Teacher Introduction ................................................................................................ v
Overview: The Jackson Era ....................................................................................... vii
LESSONS:
1. Jacksonian Democracy
Teacher Page ...................................................................................................... 1
Student Worksheet ............................................................................................... 3
2. The Spoils System
Teacher Page ...................................................................................................... 7
Student Worksheet................................................................................................ 9
3. The Battle over the Bank of the United States
Teacher Page ...................................................................................................... 13
Student Worksheet ............................................................................................. 15
4. The Nullification Crisis
Teacher Page ....................................................................................................... 19
Student Worksheet ............................................................................................... 21
5. Indian Removal
Teacher Page ...................................................................................................... 25
Student Worksheet ............................................................................................... 27
Culminating Activities ............................................................................................ 31
Appendix
Answer Key ......................................................................................................... 35
Rubrics ................................................................................................................ 41
Related Web Sites ................................................................................................ 47
Suggested Curriculum Materials ........................................................................ 49
iv
v
DOCUMENT-BASED ACTIVITIES ON
THE JACKSON ERA
TEACHER INTRODUCTION
Description:
This unit aims to teach students about major events during Andrew Jackson’s presidency,
with an overall goal of having them understand why many viewed the era as the “age of
the common man.” Students will ultimately assess whether Jackson as president lived up
to the ideal of “Jacksonian democracy.” Lessons will focus on Jackson’s populist appeal
and how his election unnerved many in the upper classes, his use of the spoils system
(also known as “rotation in office”), the controversy over the Second Bank of the United
States, the South Carolina nullification controversy, and Indian removal.
Unit objectives:
Knowledge: students will
• understand the idea of “Jacksonian democracy”
• weigh questions of federal vs. state authority
• assess how class and sectional differences affected political battles during
Jackson’s presidency
• assess differing early 19th-century attitudes toward Indians
Skills: students will
• analyze, evaluate, and interpret primary source documents
• communicate effectively the results of their analysis in discussion and written
argument
• use relevant and adequate evidence to draw conclusions
Prior Knowledge Required:
Many of the issues explored in this unit involve constitutional questions, so students
should understand the “necessary and proper” clause and the difference between explicit
powers and implied powers. They should also be familiar with events from the War of
1812 through Jackson’s election in 1828, including the Panic of 1819, the Monroe
Doctrine, the “Era of Good Feelings,” and Henry Clay’s “American System.”
Lesson Format:
Each lesson consists of two parts: a teacher page containing an introduction, objectives,
URL(s) used in the lesson, teaching strategies, wrap-up questions, and at least one
extension activity; and a reproducible student page with a brief introduction which sets
the context for the lesson, URL(s) used, and questions to be answered about the source.
Assessment:
vi
Based on the time available, you may want to select which answers you want to assess in
each activity. Most questions require short answers. Others will require a response of
anywhere from a paragraph to a full page (or longer if preferred).
Suggested rubrics are included in the Appendix.
Additional Sources:
The Appendix contains answer keys, primary source documents, an annotated list of Web
sites on Jackson and events that took place during his term in office, rubrics, and
supplementary materials available from www.socialstudies.com.
vii
OVERVIEW: THE JACKSON ERA
Andrew Jackson’s presidency is notable not only for the things he did while in office, but
also because it marked a shift in both the structure of American politics and the way in
which people perceived politicians and government. The Jackson era also witnessed the
rise of America’s second party system, with the emerging Whig party opposing the
Democrats.
During the 1820s, political changes took place that laid the groundwork for the
phenomenon known as “Jacksonian Democracy.” State constitutional reforms repealed
property requirements for voting and holding office, and the number of people who voted
in presidential elections quadrupled between 1820 and 1828. In addition, a majority of
the states began choosing presidential electors according to the popular vote, rather than
allowing the state legislatures to select them, as had been the practice in the past.
Sectional differences had also started to become more apparent and figured into politics
more and more. There was the steadily industrializing Northeast, also the seat of
commerce and banking for the nation; the agricultural South, which drew its wealth and
power mostly from cotton; and the rapidly expanding West, whose residents clamored for
internal improvements (such as roads and canals) and easy credit from banks that would
allow the people of the region to keep building and expanding.
Against this backdrop, the presidential election of 1824 took place. The presumed
favorite, John Quincy Adams (son of second president John Adams), ran against four
other prominent candidates: Georgian William H. Crawford; John C. Calhoun, a powerful
senator from South Carolina; Henry Clay, also a powerful Kentucky senator whose
“American system” provided the basis for government policies on internal improvements,
the tariff, banking, and land prices; and Tennesseean Andrew Jackson, a former general
whose popularity stemmed from his exploits at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of
1812.
In the election, no candidate won an electoral majority; of the four major candidates,
Jackson garnered the most electoral votes. However, the 12th Amendment provided that
in a situation where no candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the House of
Representatives would pick the winner from among the three candidates with the highest
vote totals—Jackson, Adams, and Crawford. The House chose Adams, who later named
Clay to the powerful post of Secretary of State. Jackson supporters cried foul, claiming
that a “corrupt bargain” had taken place that had cheated their man of the presidency.
By the time of the 1828 presidential election, Jackson supporters were primed to avenge
their 1824 defeat. For the first time in American history, mass campaigning techniques
were used, particularly fliers and “broadsides” that were printed and distributed by the
thousands. Jackson’s campaign portrayed Adams as a wealthy “aristocrat” who didn’t
have the true interests of the people at heart; Jackson, who came from a much humbler
background than Adams, was held up as the champion of the “common man,” a “fighter”
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who could get things done. Jackson won handily, and thousands of his supporters
swarmed to Washington to celebrate his inauguration.
Jackson began his first term by announcing a policy of “rotation in office,” which also
became known as the “spoils system.” Many felt that Jackson was using the power of the
presidency to fire people in government who had opposed him and replace them with his
loyal supporters. Others felt that a “clean sweep” was necessary to make government
more responsive to the needs and concerns of “the people.” The controversy over the
spoils system set the tone for what would be a tempestuous eight years in office for
Jackson.
Another controversy arose over the Second Bank of the United States (BUS). The Second
BUS had been chartered in 1816, largely to help solve problems the U.S. had encountered
in financing the War of 1812. The war had greatly disrupted the banking system: state
banks had stopped issuing specie (gold and silver money) in favor of paper currency.
However, the value of this currency ranged widely from place to place, resulting in
inflation and general confusion. To remedy this, the federal government would deposit its
funds in the BUS. Since most of these funds were paid in state bank notes, the BUS
would then become a major creditor of the state banks and be able to influence them to
resume specie payments, thus stabilizing the nation’s currency.
Many felt the BUS had too much power and was dominated by Northeastern merchants,
who supposedly used it to enrich themselves at the expense of other classes and regions
of the country. When Congress renewed the Bank’s charter in 1832, Jackson vetoed it.
He later followed the veto with an announcement that federal funds would no longer be
deposited in the BUS, but would go instead into twenty-odd “pet banks” in various states.
Nicholas Biddle, the head of the BUS and a longtime opponent of Jackson, fought to
keep the Bank alive as a private institution, but he was unsuccessful. The Bank ceased to
exist after 1841.
During the 1820s, Congress had passed tariffs that levied taxes on imported goods. These
tariffs were designed to protect fledgling manufacturers in the United States. At this point
in history, European manufacturers were able to produce goods much more cheaply than
U.S. manufacturers. Without tariffs, many industries—especially the textile industry in
New England—would not have been able to compete with imported European goods.
However, since the South was far less industrialized than other parts of the country, it not
only wasn’t interested in the protection offered by the tariffs, it would be hurt by the
tariffs because the new levies would raise the cost of manufactured goods for them. Also,
Britain was the main market for Southern cotton, and since fewer British goods would be
sold in America because of the increased costs of the tariff, sales of cotton would likely
decline and hurt the South as well.
The Tariff of 1828 significantly raised the rate on manufactured goods, so much so that
Southerners took to calling it the “Tariff of Abominations.” Many Southerners felt the
Tariff was unconstitutional since it seemed to blatantly favor the North at the expense of
the South. Southerners hoped that the tariff would be revised in their favor under a
ix
Jackson presidency, but in 1832 Congress passed a tariff bill that only made small
changes in the existing tariff. Southerners were enraged, and the South Carolina
legislature passed a bill “nullifying” the tariff and threatening to secede from the Union if
Jackson tried to enforce it. Jackson responded by having Congress pass a “Force Bill”
that authorized him to use federal troops to collect the tariff in South Carolina, if
necessary. The crisis was eventually defused when South Carolina senator John C.
Calhoun worked with Kentucky senator Henry Clay to create a “Compromise Tariff”
which slowly lowered duties over time. However, the ideas of “nullification” and
secession would arise again in the 1860s as the nation headed toward the Civil War.
White settlers had for a long time wanted rich Indian lands in the east. By the 1820s, the
idea of “Indian removal” became increasingly popular. Indians would be removed from
their ancestral lands in the east; in exchange, they would receive other lands west of the
Mississippi River. Needless to say, tribes in the east didn’t like the idea of “removal.”
Some Indians tried to make themselves more “acceptable” to whites by educating
themselves in white schools, dressing and acting in a European manner, and using
English rather than their native tongues. The hope was that if Indians could prove that
they were sufficiently “civilized,” whites would no longer have justification for removing
them from their lands. The Cherokee in particular worked hard to adopt white ways.
However, the discovery of gold in Cherokee territory in northern Georgia in the late
1820s gave new fuel to the idea of Indian removal, and in 1830, Congress passed the
Removal Act. The Choctaw and the Chickasaw tribes reluctantly accepted relocation
under the terms of the act, but the Cherokee refused, fighting in the courts (including two
important Supreme Court decisions: Worcester v. Georgia and Cherokee Nation v.
Georgia) to stay on their ancestral lands. However, a breakaway faction of the tribe
signed the Treaty of Etocha in 1835, under which the Cherokee supposedly accepted
removal. The Cherokee claimed that the treaty did not represent the wishes of the vast
majority of the tribe, but the U.S. government held them to the treaty and forced them to
relocate in the late 1830s in a torturous journey along what came to be known as the
“Trail of Tears.”
Many historians have taken issue with the idea of “Jacksonian democracy,” claiming that
it wasn’t very democratic because women and African Americans still had no voice in
government. The “equality” that many associated with Jacksonian democracy only
extended to white males. Nevertheless, American politics did become more democratic
because of the expansion of the electorate, and also became an increasingly important
part of people’s lives. People began to develop fierce party loyalties and used politics as a
way to define themselves; politicians in turn began to consider how their actions would
play to a mass audience, and campaigning techniques changed so that candidates could
achieve a broader appeal. In many ways, the first stirrings of modern politics began
during the Jackson era.
x
1
Jacksonian Democracy
Teacher Page
Overview:
In this lesson, students will read about the huge crowds that attended Jackson’s
inauguration and the subsequent mob that stampeded through the President’s house after
the inauguration. They will also read a personal letter of Daniel Webster’s in which he
expresses uneasiness about what Jackson might do as president. The idea of “Jacksonian
democracy” is implicit rather than explicit in the lesson, and is judged only as it stood in
1828 rather than at the end of Jackson’s presidency, so the main idea will be for students
to understand that Jackson’s election was seen as a watershed at the time, and that many
of those in power saw their worst fears coming true with the expansion of the franchise to
many middle-class and lower-class people.
Objectives:
Students will:
• read and analyze an eyewitness account of Jackson’s inauguration
• assess how many political leaders of the time felt about Jackson becoming
president
• understand why Jackson’s election was seen as a victory for the “common man”
Web Sites Used in this Lesson:
An Eyewitness Account of Jackson’s Inauguration: Margaret Bayard Smith, 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@smith_jacksoninauguration
Daniel Webster Anticipates Jackson’s Arrival in Washington, D.C., 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@webster_jacksonarrival
Strategies:
Review with students the changes in state constitutions that widened the electorate, then
review the elections of 1824 and 1828, paying particular attention to the “Corrupt
Bargain” and how this propelled Jackson to victory in 1828.
Have students complete the worksheet.
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Wrap-Up:
Discuss students’ answers to the questions on the worksheet. Next, discuss the fact that
Jackson rose to political prominence because of his fame as a war hero. See if students
can name other war heroes who went on to become president (Washington, Grant,
Eisenhower—some particularly sharp students may be able to name William Henry
Harrison as well). Have the class debate whether they think military success is a good
indicator of whether or not someone will make a good political leader.
Extension Activity:
The 1828 presidential campaign was also one of the first in which “mudslinging” was
prominent. Have students research and report on some of the accusations made by each
side, and compare them to accusations candidates make against one another today. One
document students might look at from the 1828 campaign is a broadside claiming that
Jackson had ordered the execution of “six innocent militia men and twelve regular
soldiers”, located at http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@benton_
EXTRA1828. This episode is also described in “Reminiscences of New York by an
Octogenarian,” located at
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@paulding_octogenarian (scroll down
to the paragraph that begins “In the canvass for the Presidency…”).
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Jacksonian Democracy
Student Worksheet
Introduction:
Jackson’s victory over John Quincy Adams in the election of 1828 represented for many
a victory for the “common man” over the Northeastern “aristocracy.” In this lesson,
you’ll read two documents from right around the time of Jackson’s inauguration.
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/uslinks.html
Directions:
An Eyewitness Account of Jackson’s Inauguration: Margaret Bayard Smith, 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@smith_jacksoninauguration
Read the document, then answer the following questions:
1. What does Smith mean when she describes the “thousands and thousands of people”
at the inauguration as being “without distinction of rank”? How does she describe the
crowd and its behavior while waiting for Jackson to appear and take the oath of
office?
2. Why do you think she claimed that “…even Europeans must have acknowledged
that…[the well-behaved crowd] was majesty”?
3. Go to the paragraph that begins “At the moment the General entered the Portico…”
What happened when Jackson had finished his inaugural speech?
4. How does Smith describe the scene outside the President’s house immediately after
the inauguration?
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5. Smith returns home from the President’s house, then returns later. Why does she say
that then “The Majesty of the People had disappeared”? Describe in your own words
the scene that she witnessed.
6. Smith laments what happened at the President’s house, but says that “it was the
People’s day, and the People’s President and the People would rule.” What does she
mean by this? Is she optimistic or pessimistic about “the People” getting “the Power
in their hands”? Use evidence from the document to support your answer.
Daniel Webster Anticipates Jackson’s Arrival in Washington, D.C., 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@webster_jacksonarrival
Read the document, then answer the following questions:
7. Describe Webster’s tone in this letter. Does he seem happy or unhappy about having
Jackson as president?
8. What does Webster mean when he says “My opinion is, that when he comes he will
bring a breeze with him. Which way it will blow I cannot tell”?
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9. What does Webster fear Jackson will do? How does he hope Jackson acts instead?
10. What do you think “upper class” people like Smith and Webster feared most about
Jackson becoming president? Write a well-reasoned paragraph in which you explain
your answer.
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Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use only. © 2004 Social Studies School Service. (800) 421-4246 socialstudies.com
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The Spoils System
Teacher Page
Overview:
In 1829, Jackson announced a policy he called “rotation in office,” but which later came
to be known as the “spoils system.” In this lesson, students will read an excerpt from
Jackson’s first annual message in which he introduced rotation in office, then will
contrast it with a letter written to Jackson by a woman whose husband lost his job
because of the spoils system. Students will have to consider whether rotation in office
and the spoils system are consistent with America’s democratic values.
Objectives:
Students will:
• understand the theories of the “spoils system” and “rotation in office”
• contrast Jackson’s public portrayal of the spoils system with the ways in which he
actually used it
• assess whether the spoils system conforms to or undermines American values
Web Sites Used in this Lesson:
Jackson Announces His Policy of Rotation in Office, 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_officerotation
“Letter from Mrs. Barney to Gen. Jackson. Baltimore. June 13th, 1829”
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@barney_jacksonletter
Strategies:
Begin by reminding the class that when a new president is elected, he is allowed to
choose a new Cabinet. Have the class briefly debate whether a new president should be
allowed to replace any or all other positions in the federal government as well. Is this a
reasonable thing to do, or should there be some continuity from administration to
administration?
Have students complete the worksheet. Most answers should be 2–3 sentences; answers
for questions 5, 11, and 12 can range from 1–3 paragraphs, depending how much time
you want to allot to this activity and how much depth you want student responses to have.
Wrap-Up:
After students have completed the worksheet, have an in-depth discussion or debate
about their answers to questions 5 and 12. Focus on these basic issues: Is the spoils
system essentially undemocratic? Is it always likely to induce corruption and/or
favoritism, or can it be used fairly?
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Extension Activity:
Have students investigate arguments being used today for and against term limits, then
write position papers taking a side on the issue.
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The Spoils System
Student Worksheet
“They see nothing wrong in the rule that to the victors belong the spoils of the enemy.”
William L. Marcy (1786–1857): Speech in the United States Senate, January, 1832.
Introduction:
In 1829, Jackson announced a policy he called “rotation in office,” but which later came
to be known as the “spoils system.” On the surface, the idea of rotation in office is
somewhat similar to “term limits” laws we have today: periodically, new people should
assume government offices so that government as a whole doesn’t become isolated from
the “will of the people.” Proponents of such systems defend them as a way of infusing
“new blood” and enthusiasm into government and making sure that officials keep in
touch with the needs and wants of the electorate. Opponents used the term “spoils” to
compare Jackson’s rotation in office policy to a conquering army looting those whom
they had defeated (“spoils” is a term referring to property of the enemy taken in battle).
Many felt that Jackson would use rotation in office as an excuse to fire all those who
opposed him and replace them with his own loyal supporters.
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/uslinks.html
Directions:
Jackson Announces His Policy of Rotation in Office, 1829
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_officerotation
Read the entire document, and then answer the following questions:
1. Why does Jackson claim that holding “office and power” for a “great length of time”
ultimately makes a person less fit to “serv[e] the people”?
2. What does Jackson say the problem is with considering office as a “species of
property”?
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3. One argument that people use today against term limits is that it’s best to have people
in office who have a great deal of experience in government because they know how
the system works and therefore can get thing done more effectively. How does
Jackson try to refute this idea?
4. What does Jackson mean when he says “Offices were not established to give support
to particular men...No individual wrong is, therefore, done by removal, since neither
appointment to nor continuance in office is a matter of right”?
5. At the end of the document, Jackson says that rotation in office was “a leading
principle in the republican creed” and would “give healthful action to the system.” Do
you agree or disagree with this? Is rotation in office democratic in nature and good
for the country as a whole, or is it undemocratic and harmful? Explain your
reasoning.
“Letter from Mrs. Barney to Gen. Jackson. Baltimore. June 13th, 1829”
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@barney_jacksonletter
This letter is from a woman whose husband lost his position because of “rotation in
office.” Go to this Web page and use the information in the document to answer the
following questions:
6. Go to the second paragraph, which begins “The Office Harpies…” What is Mrs.
Barney’s basic objection to the system of rotation in office?
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7. Go to the third paragraph, which begins “Your Official Organ…” Mrs. Barney says
that Jackson led the public to believe that rotation in office would be based on “the
Jeffersonian rule of honesty and capacity [fitness for office].” How does she claim
that Jackson had unfairly used this “rule” to justify removing from office those who
opposed him?
8. In the first sentence of the first paragraph, Mrs. Barney makes reference to an earlier
letter from Jackson in which he claimed that “rules” which he had felt “bound to
adopt” had led him to fire her husband from his position. In the third paragraph, why
does she claim that Jackson’s “rule” is the not the noble “Jeffersonian rule of honesty
and capacity”? What does she say Jackson’s “secret rule” really is?
9. Go to the paragraph that begins “But I boldly declare…” Why does she claim that
Jackson’s “rule” is “altogether unworthy of the Presidential office of a magnanimous
nation”?
10. Go to the paragraph that begins “My husband, sir, never was your enemy.” According
to Mrs. Barney, what was the “offence” for which her husband lost his job? Why does
she go on to claim that this “offence” was “one of the best acts of his life”? Do you
think her husband deserved to lose his job?
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11. Although he is credited with being the first president to use the spoils system, during
his two terms in office Jackson replaced no more than 10 to 20 percent of people in
government positions. Do you think this fact reflects positively or negatively on
Jackson?
12. Look back at William L. Marcy’s quote from the beginning of this lesson, before the
introduction. Do you agree with it? Should a new president be able to replace
government officials and reward loyal followers with the “spoils” that their jobs
represent? Or do you agree with Mrs. Barney that the spoils system is just a form of
“tyranny”? Explain your reasoning.
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The Second Bank of the United States
Teacher Page
Overview:
In this lesson, students will delve into the controversy over the Second Bank of the
United States. They will read McCulloch v. Maryland, which affirmed the
constitutionality of a national bank; Jackson’s 1832 veto of Congress’s renewal of the
bank’s charter; and a political cartoon published by a Jackson critic after the veto.
Objectives:
Students will:
• compare differing arguments about the necessity for and constitutionality of a
national bank
• understand how the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution figured in
the bank controversy
• assess whether Jackson overstepped the bounds of his office in vetoing the bank
charter
Web Sites Used in this Lesson:
McCulloch v. Maryland
This lesson uses excerpts from this Supreme Court decision. The complete text of the
document is located at http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@mcculloch.
“President Jackson’s Veto Message Regarding the Bank of the United States; July 10,
1832”
This lesson uses excerpts from Jackson’s veto message. The complete text of the
document is located at
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_vetobank
“King Andrew the First”
A political cartoon, located at
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_9/30a.html
Strategies:
Review with students the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution and what it
means; also, review the difference between “express powers” and “implied powers.”
Have students complete the worksheet.
Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use only. © 2004 Social Studies School Service. (800) 421-4246 socialstudies.com
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Wrap-Up:
Review students’ answers to the questions on the worksheet, then discuss the following
questions:
1. Jackson’s veto message strongly implied that the BUS was unconstitutional, yet
McCulloch v. Maryland had affirmed that a national bank was constitutional. Was
Jackson’s veto therefore improper?
2. Why did Jackson rail against the “rich and powerful” in his veto message? What
segment of the electorate do you think he was trying to appeal to with this part of his
message?
Extension Activity:
After Jackson vetoed the renewal of the bank’s charter, Biddle began calling in loans and
decreasing credit in hope of creating an economic crisis that would demonstrate the need
for a national bank. Have students research the aftermath of the bank veto, then debate
the following question: If Biddle had been successful, wouldn’t that have proved
Jackson’s point that the BUS had too much power and wasn’t really answerable to the
electorate for its actions?
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The Second Bank of the United States
Student Worksheet
Introduction:
The Second Bank of the United States (BUS) had been created in 1816, receiving a 20year charter. In 1832 Nicholas Biddle, the director of the BUS, applied to get the charter
renewed four years early. Jackson had always felt the BUS wielded too much power, and
he and Biddle had clashed frequently during Jackson’s first term. The renewal of the
charter was thus largely a political move engineered by Biddle and other opponents of
Jackson: if the president vetoed the renewal, he would lose the support of the many who
favored the BUS; if he approved it, then the BUS, would be secure for another 20 years.
Congress approved the renewal, but Jackson vetoed it. The next year, Jackson ordered
that federal funds no longer be deposited in the BUS, a move that eventually doomed the
BUS.
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/uslinks.html
Directions:
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@mcculloch
This Supreme Court case took up the issue of whether the Bank of the United States was
constitutional. Read the document, then answer the following questions:
1. What is the first question the Supreme Court took under consideration in this case?
2. The document makes reference both to “enumerated powers” (powers specifically
granted to the federal government in the Constitution) and “implied powers” (powers
not specifically granted). According to the document, do the “enumerated powers” in
the Constitution allow the federal government to incorporate a bank? Do “implied
powers” allow it to do so? Explain why or why not.
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3. The document discusses the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution and
concludes that “if it does not enlarge, it cannot be construed to restrain the powers of
Congress, or to impair the rights of the legislature to exercise its best judgment in the
selection of measures to carry into execution the constitutional powers of the
government.” Explain in your own words what this means.
4. Did this Court decision find the Bank of the United States to be constitutional? Write
down one sentence from the document that supports your answer.
“President Jackson’s Veto Message Regarding the Bank of the United States; July
10, 1832”
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jacksonbank
Read the document, then answer the following questions:
5. In the second paragraph, how does Jackson characterize “some of the powers and
privileges possessed by the existing bank”?
6. Read the third paragraph. Here, Jackson calls the bank a “monopoly” and also says
that the bank’s charter increased “the value of its stock far above its par value,
operated as a gratuity of many millions to the stockholders.” What does he mean by
this? Paraphrase it in your own words.
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7. Read the fourth paragraph. Which groups does Jackson claim hold most of the shares
in the bank? In his view, what is the problem with this?
8. Why does Jackson claim the bank is a “danger to our liberty and independence”?
9. Read the paragraph that begins “This act authorizes…” Why does Jackson claim that
the bank charter can’t be justified under the “necessary and proper” clause of the
Constitution?
10. Read the second-to-last paragraph. Why does Jackson claim the bank charter violates
the idea of equal protection under the law?
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11. Read the last paragraph. Jackson here claims that the bank charter (“the results of our
legislation”) has “arrayed section against section, interest against interest, and man
against man, in a fearful commotion which threatens to shake the foundations of our
Union.” Do you agree with this statement? Do you the think the BUS was as much of
a threat as Jackson portrayed it to be?
“King Andrew the First,” 1832
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_9/30a.html
This is a political cartoon published after Jackson’s Bank Veto. View the cartoon,
then answer the following questions:
12. Describe how Jackson is portrayed in the cartoon. What is he wearing? What is he
doing?
13. What does the cartoon accuse Jackson of doing? Why does the cartoonist call Jackson
“King Andrew the First”?
14. Do you think Jackson abused his power in vetoing the bank charter, or did he express
legitimate concerns about the BUS? Write a paragraph or two in which you explain
your answer and use evidence from the documents in this lesson to support it.
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The Nullification Crisis
Teacher Page
Overview:
This lesson has students consider three documents that illustrate how the nation struggled
with the doctrine of nullification: Daniel Webster’s 1830 response to Senator Robert
Hayne of South Carolina, the 1832 South Carolina ordinance of nullification, and
Jackson’s response to the ordinance.
Objectives:
Students will:
• understand the doctrine of nullification
• analyze the events that led to the sectional crisis over nullification
• compare and contrast arguments as to the constitutionality of nullification
• understand the connection between nullification and secession
Web Sites Used in this Lesson:
This lesson uses excerpts from historical documents. Full copies of each document can be
found at the following locations:
Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable: Daniel Webster’s Reply to
South Carolina Sentor Robert Hayne, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@webster_2ndhayne
South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification, November 24, 1832
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@southcarolina_null1832
President Jackson’s Proclamation Regarding Nullification, December 10, 1832
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_nullification
Strategies:
Ask students what people of a state can do if they feel Congress has passed a law that is
unconstitutional or puts an unfair burden upon their state (appealing to the Supreme
Court, trying to amend the Constitution). Discuss the pros and cons of these two remedies
(one important “con”: both can take quite a bit of time).
Also, you may want to show this graphic
(http://www.newark.k12.ny.us/staffpages/vanduyne/jackson/html/tariff.htm), titled “How
a Protective Tariff Works.” It’s a good visual that helps students conceptualize what a
tariff is and what it’s meant to do.
Have students complete the worksheet.
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Wrap-Up:
Review the answers to the worksheet with the whole class, and then pose the following
questions:
1. Did South Carolina have legitimate grievances regarding the tariffs? Why do you
think the state’s leaders resorted to nullification rather than pursuing remedies to the
situation prescribed in the Constitution?
2. Was nullification as grave a threat to the existence of the Union as Webster and
Jackson claimed it to be?
3. Did Jackson need to resort to the threat of force to resolve the nullification crisis?
Extension Activity:
Have students research and report on South Carolina leader John C. Calhoun, paying
special attention to how Calhoun developed the idea of nullification from the Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. Also, note for the class that Calhoun had supported
tariffs during the 1810s, but turned against the idea of protective levies in the 1820s.
What had changed for him? (Calhoun had supported tariffs earlier as a way of aiding
manufactures of military products because the country still stood under the threat of war,
but this threat dissipated during the “Era of Good Feelings.”)
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The Nullification Crisis
Student Worksheet
Introduction:
During the 1820s and 1830s, tensions arose between the North and South that centered
largely around issue of how much power the federal government had to enforce laws, and
how much power the states retained for themselves. Southerners during this time felt that
measures being passed in Congress tended to favor the North at the expense of the South.
Many Southern leaders started to espouse the doctrine of “nullification”—the idea that a
state could refuse to enforce or obey a federal law if they felt that law was unfair or
unconstitutional. Philosophical battles over nullification occurred in the Senate, then in
1832 South Carolina actually used the doctrine when it proclaimed an ordinance
nullifying the tariffs of 1828 and 1832. Jackson responded to the ordinance with a
proclamation to the people of South Carolina and with the so-called “Force Bill.”
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/uslinks.html
Directions:
Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable: Daniel Webster’s
Reply to South Carolina Senator Robert Hayne, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@webster1830
Use the information in this document to answer the following questions:
1. Webster summarizes the pro-nullification arguments of Senator Hayne (“the
honorable gentleman from South Carolina”). In your own words, briefly restate
Webster’s assessment of Hayne’s position.
2. What does Webster say the “great question” is on which “the main debate hinges”?
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3. What does Webster say is the only “ground” for which a state can annul a law of
Congress? What does he say this “ground” amounts to?
4. Webster later poses a rhetorical question about government: “Is it the creature of the
state legislatures, or the creature of the people?” In other words who created the U.S.
government: the state legislatures or the people? How does he answer this question?
5. What does Webster claim the problem is with state sovereignty being controlled only
by its own “feeling of justice”? In other words, what’s wrong with states deciding
whether an act of Congress is fair or unfair, constitutional or unconstitutional?
6. According to Webster, what is the evidence that the “people of the United States have
chosen to impose control on state sovereignties”?
South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification, November 24, 1832.
This ordinance nullified the tariffs of 1828 and 1832. Go to
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@southcarolina_null1832 and answer
the following questions:
7. Read the first paragraph. The ordinance says that the tariffs were “in reality intended
for the protection of domestic manufactures and the giving of bounties to classes and
individuals engaged in particular employments, at the expense and to the injury and
oppression of other classes and individuals…” Who were these “classes and
individuals engaged in particular employments”? Who were the “other classes and
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individuals” the ordinance claims were hurt by the tariffs?
8. Read the second-to-last paragraph (“And we, the people of South Carolina…”). What
did South Carolina threaten to do if the federal government used “military or naval
force” to enforce the tariffs?
President Jackson’s Proclamation Regarding Nullification, December 10, 1832
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_nullification
Jackson responded to South Carolina’s nullification ordinance by submitting a “Force
Bill” to Congress which would allow him to send federal troops to South Carolina to
enforce federal laws—namely, the tariffs. Jackson also delivered this public
proclamation. Read the excerpts from the proclamation, then answer the following
questions:
9. Read the first and second paragraphs. What is Jackson referring to when he mentions
the “two appeals from an unconstitutional act passed by Congress”? Why does he say
these make “the assumed power of a state [i.e., nullification] more indefensible”?
10. Read the third and fourth paragraphs (the third paragraph begins “Look for a moment
to their consequence”). According to Jackson, what would happen if South Carolina
were allowed to nullify the tariffs? What does he claim would have happened had
nullification “been established at an earlier day”?
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11. Jackson says that “the ordinance grounds not only an assertion of the right to annul
the laws of which it complains, but to enforce it by a threat of seceding from the
Union if any attempt is made to execute them.” Why does Jackson claim that states
do not have a constitutional right to secede? In a few sentences—and in your own
words—briefly summarize his argument.
12. What does Jackson say that “disunion”—secession—essentially amounts to?
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Indian Removal
Teacher Page
Overview:
In this lesson, students will look at three documents relating to Indian removal: Jackson’s
1830 message, an 1830 “memorial” from the Cherokee, and a letter from Cherokee Chief
John Ross to the U.S. Congress. There are many issues that come up when examining
Indian removal; this lesson will focus primarily on white stereotypes of Indians and
Indians’ responses to these stereotypes.
Objectives:
Students will:
• compare and contrast differing views on Indian removal
• understand the circumstances surrounding the removal of the Cherokee
• identify and analyze various 19th-century stereotypes about Indians
Web Sites Used in this Lesson:
President Jackson Reports on Indian Removal, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_indianremoval
Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@cherokeenation_1830
Cherokee Letter protesting the Treaty of New Etocha, 1836
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@ross_newetocha
Strategies:
As a whole-class activity, go over the Removal Act of 1830 (the document can be found
at http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@removal_act1830). Discuss the
provisions of the document, paying particular attention to the following sections:
• The portion which gives the president the authority to “exchange” lands “with any
tribe or nation of Indians…with which the United States have existing treaties”
• The section which states that “the United States will forever secure and guaranty to
them, and their heirs or successors, the country so exchanged with them”
• The sentence “That such lands shall revert to the United States, if the Indians become
extinct, or abandon the same.”
Also, review with students the stereotypes 19th-century whites had about Indians (e.g.,
“savage,” “uncivilized,” “wild,” etc.).
Have students complete the worksheet.
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Wrap-Up:
As a class, review answers to the questions on the worksheet, then have students discuss
the following topic:
Could Indian removal have been carried out fairly, or was the whole concept of
Indian removal inherently unfair?
Extension Activity:
Have students look at why some Indians saw assimilation as a means to combat calls for
Indian removal. Have them read the following document, either individually or as a class:
“What Is an Indian?”: Elias Boudinot, 1826
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@boudinot_whatisanindian
1. Discuss with students the following questions or have them submit written answers:
•
What audience do you think Boudinot was trying to reach with this piece? What was
the message he was trying to convey to that audience?
•
In the first paragraph, Boudinot affirms many of the white stereotypes of Indians
when he says that Indians are “ignorant,” “heathen,” and “savage.” Why does he do
this? How does he use this to advance his argument?
•
Boudinot later offers “a few disconnected facts” to show “the present improved
states” of the Cherokee? What are these “facts”? What do they reveal about
Boudinot’s view of what it means to put the Cherokee on an “equal standing with the
other nations of the earth”?
2. Have students research and report on the Trail of Tears. A good place to start is
About North Georgia’s Trail of Tears site at http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html.
3. As a class, have students analyze two major Supreme Court decisions relating to the
Cherokee: Worcester v. Georgia
(http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/worcestr.htm) and
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia. Discuss how questions of state vs. national jurisdiction
played into each case.
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Indian Removal
Student Worksheet
Introduction:
In 1828, a rumor spread that gold had been discovered in the mountains of northern
Georgia—land occupied by the Cherokee Indians. “Gold-diggers” rushed to the area,
much to the consternation of both the Cherokee (who obviously resented having their
lands overrun) and the governor of Georgia (who disliked having the unruly miners
causing trouble in his state). Both appealed to the federal government for help. Both
Jackson and many members of Congress had long been advocates of Indian removal, and
the situation developing in Georgia jump-started the process of displacing the Cherokee
from their land. Congress eventually responded by passing the Removal Act of 1830.
Jackson, who had long supported the idea of Indian removal, quickly signed the act. The
Choctaw and the Chickasaw soon accepted removal under the provisions of the act; the
Cherokee’s situation would play out over the decade of the 1830s.
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/uslinks.html
Directions:
President Jackson Reports on Indian Removal, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@jackson_indianremoval
Read the document, then answer the following questions:
1. According to Jackson, what “advantages” would the U.S. gain from Indian removal?
2. According to Jackson, how would Indians benefit from removal?
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3. In the third paragraph, Jackson says, “Toward the aborigines [Indians] of this country
no one can indulge a more friendly feeling than myself…” Do you find this assertion
convincing? Why or why not?
4. Later on in the document, Jackson says that the fact that “once powerful race[s]” or
Indians have been “exterminated” or “disappeared” is “[not] to be regretted”? Why
does he say that Americans should not want “to see this continent restored to the
condition in which it was found by our forefathers”?
5. Why does Jackson claim that removal is a “fair exchange”? Why does he say that
“many thousands of our own people [i.e., whites] would gladly embrace the
opportunity of removing to the West on such conditions”?
6. Why does Jackson claim that “the policy of the General Government toward the red
man is not only liberal, but generous”? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, 1830
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@cherokeenation_1830
Read the document, then answer the following questions:
7. Were the Cherokee for or against removal? Cite evidence from the document that
supports your answer.
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8. Why do the Cherokee claim that “We have a perfect right to remain without
interruption or molestation”?
9. Why do the Cherokee say that “if we are compelled to leave our country, we see
nothing but ruin before us”?
10. Why do you think the Cherokee refer to the tribes in Arkansas territory as “wandering
savages lurking for prey”? Does it undercut their overall argument to bring up these
stereotypes of Indians? Explain.
Cherokee Letter protesting the Treaty of New Etocha, 1836
http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article@ross_newetocha
The Cherokee were finally forced to move when some members of the tribe broke ranks
and signed the Treaty of New Etocha in 1835. In the treaty, the tribe supposedly agreed to
accept removal. In reality, a vast majority of the Cherokee opposed removal; Chief John
Ross wrote this letter to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
11. Go to the paragraph that begins “By the stipulations of this instrument…” According
to Ross, what will the treaty do to the Cherokee?
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12. What evidence does Ross offer to support his assertion that the “instrument in
question [the treaty] is not the act of our Nation”?
13. Do you think the Cherokee had any realistic chance of persuading the government to
overturn the treaty? Was it “inevitable” that the Cherokee would eventually be
removed from their lands? Why or why not?
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Culminating Activities
1.
Read the following excerpt from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America:
“Some persons in Europe have formed an opinion of the influence of General Jackson
upon the affairs of his country which appears highly extravagant to those who have
seen the subject nearer at hand. We have been told that General Jackson has won
battles; that he is an energetic man, prone by nature and habit to the use of force,
covetous of power, and a despot by inclination. All this may be true; but the
inferences which have been drawn from these truths are very erroneous. It has been
imagined that General Jackson is bent on establishing a dictatorship in America,
introducing a military spirit, and giving a degree of influence to the central authority
that cannot but be dangerous to provincial liberties. But in America the time for
similar undertakings, and the age for men of this kind, has not yet come; if General
Jackson had thought of exercising his authority in this manner, he would infallibly
have forfeited his political station and compromised his life; he has not been so
imprudent as to attempt anything of the kind.”
“Far from wishing to extend the Federal power, the President belongs to the party
which is desirous of limiting that power to the clear and precise letter of the
Constitution, and which never puts a construction upon that act favorable to the
government of the Union; far from standing forth as the champion of centralization,
General Jackson is the agent of the state jealousies; and he was placed in his lofty
station by the passions that are most opposed to the central government. It is by
perpetually flattering these passions that he maintains his station and his popularity.
General Jackson is the slave of the majority: he yields to its wishes, its propensities,
and its demands—say, rather, anticipates and forestalls them.”
Was de Tocqueville correct in portraying Jackson as “the slave of the majority”?
Write a 3–5 paragraph essay in which you use evidence from the documents you’ve
read in this unit to support your argument.
2. Read the following excerpts from Jackson’s First Inaugural Address (the complete
text of the address can be found at http://www.socialstudies.com/article.html?article
@jackson_1inaugural). How well did Jackson live up to the goals he outlined in this
address? Write a 3–5 paragraph essay in which you use evidence from the documents
you’ve read in this unit to support your argument.
“In administering the laws of Congress I shall keep steadily in view the limitations as
well as the extent of the Executive power, trusting thereby to discharge the functions
of my office without transcending its authority.”
“In such measures as I may be called on to pursue in regard to the rights of the
separate States I hope to be animated by a proper respect for those sovereign
members of our Union, taking care not to confound the powers they have reserved to
themselves with those they have granted to the Confederacy.”
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“The management of the public revenue…is among the most delicate and important
trusts…advantage must result from the observance of a strict and faithful economy.
This I shall aim at…because it will facilitate the extinguishment of the national
debt…and because it will counteract the tendency to public and private profligacy
which a profuse expenditure of money by the Government is but too apt to engender.
Powerful auxiliaries to the attainment of this desirable end are to be found in the
regulations provided by the wisdom of Congress for the specific appropriation of
public money and the prompt accountability of public officers.”
“…it would seem to me that the spirit of equity, caution, and compromise in which
the Constitution was formed requires that the great interests of agriculture, commerce,
and manufactures should be equally favored…”
“It will be my sincere and constant desire to observe toward the Indian tribes within
our limits a just and liberal policy, and to give that humane and considerate attention
to their rights and wants which is consistent with the habits of our Government and
the feelings of our people.”
“The recent demonstration of public sentiment inscribes on the list of Executive
duties…the task of reform, which will require particularly the correction of those
abuses that have brought the patronage of the Federal Government into conflict with
the freedom of elections, and the counteraction of those causes which have disturbed
the rightful course of appointment and have placed or continued power in unfaithful
or incompetent hands…I shall endeavor to select men whose diligence and talents
will insure in their respective stations able and faithful cooperation, depending for the
advancement of the public service more on the integrity and zeal of the public officers
than on their numbers.”
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APPENDIX
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Answer Key
Lesson 1: Jacksonian Democracy
1. She means people of all classes. She describes them as “silent, orderly, tranquil”
when waiting for Jackson to appear.
2. She basically saw it as a demonstration of the superiority of democracy to royal or
military rule: the people were “restrained solely by a moral power,” not by troops or
awe of “Kings and Princes, surrounded with armies and glittering in gold.”
3. The crowd broke through “the barrier that had separated him from the people”
because they were all “eager to shake hands with him.”
4. She says that “the yard and avenue was compact with living matter,” yet “the day was
delightful, the scene animating.”
5. She says the orderly crowd of earlier had been replaced by “a rabble, a mob, of boys,
negros, women, children, scrambling, fighting, romping.” Since there were “no police
officers placed on duty,” the crowd stormed through the house, mobbed Jackson (who
seems to have barely escaped), broke “several thousand dollars” worth of glass and
china and stole the refreshments; also, “Ladies fainted” and “men were seen with
bloody noses.”
6. She seems to say that although she doesn’t like what happened, since it was “the
People’s day” they should have been allowed to do what they did. However, she notes
that in other instances when “the People” have attained power, they become “tyrants”
and “ferocious, cruel, and despotic.” She compares the scene at the President’s house
to the French Revolution; she thus is rather pessimistic about the prospects of a
“People’s President.”
7. Answers will vary, but the tone of the letter seems to express uneasiness, and from
this it can perhaps be inferred that Webster was not all that happy with Jackson being
elected president.
8. Webster thinks that Jackson as president will cause great changes, but Webster does
not know exactly what changes he will make.
9. Webster fears that Jackson might “mak[e] all the places he can for friends and
supporters” and “shak[e] a rod of terror at his opposers.” He hopes that instead
Jackson will “continue to keep his own counsels, make friends and advisers of whom
he pleases, and be President upon his own strength.” In other words, he hopes that
Jackson will be fair-minded rather than partisan.
10. Answers will vary.
Lesson 2: The Spoils System
1. “…they are apt to acquire a habit of looking with indifference upon the public
interests and of tolerating conduct from which an unpracticed man would revolt.” In
other words, they change and are no longer unsettled by things that shock an
“average” person.
2. Office—and consequently government—then becomes “a means of promoting
individual interests” rather than “an instrument created solely for the service of the
people.” He also states: “Corruption in some and in others a perversion of correct
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feelings and principles divert government from its legitimate ends and make it an
engine for the support of the few at the expense of the many.”
3. He claims that “the duties of all public officers are…so plain and simple that men of
intelligence may readily qualify themselves for their performance…” He also says “I
submit…to your consideration whether the efficiency of Government would not be
promoted and official industry and integrity better secured by a general extension of
the law which limits appointments to four years.”
4. Basically, he’s saying that it’s all right to summarily “rotate” (i.e., fire) people out of
office because government employees are different from other workers: they serve at
the pleasure of the people and have no claim to their jobs based on years of service or
experience.
5. Answers will vary.
6. She claims that rather than using rotation in office to eliminate long-serving officials
who have lost sight of the public good, Jackson instead is using it to get rid of “those
only who were opposed to your election” while leaving “your friends in full
possession.”
7. She says “The alleged delinquencies of one or two public officers have for this been
made a color, and the dye of their avowed iniquity has been spread with industrious
cunning over the skirts of every innocent victim.” Basically, she’s claiming that
Jackson found a small number of “bad apples” and used that as an excuse to get rid of
all those he wanted gone.
8. She says “You ask, respecting incumbents and applicants, other questions than ‘is he
honest, is he capable?’” She then says his “secret rule” is “punishment of your
political opponents, and rewards for your friends.”
9. She rails against Jackson for “wield[ing] the public vengeance for your private
wrongs” and essentially accuses him of misuse of power.
10. He voted against Jackson—“He preferred Mr. Adams for the presidency, because he
thought him qualified, and you unqualified, for the station.” She then goes on to say
“He did a patriot a duty, in a patriot’s way.” Answers to the last part of the question
will vary: some will say he didn’t deserve to lose his job just because he voted against
Jackson; others will say that if someone votes against you, that’s reason enough to
suspect that he might not support you in the future and thus someone else should have
his job.
11. Answers will vary. Some will say that it shows that Jackson really didn’t abuse the
spoils system. Other will say that since “rotation in office” was supposed to make
government “healthier” by getting rid of long-serving officials, then it shows that
Jackson was hypocritical and not really concerned with using the system as a means
to reform government.
12. Answers will vary.
Lesson 3: The Battle over the Bank of the United States
1. “…has Congress the power to incorporate a bank?”
2. Incorporating a bank is not among the enumerated powers, but the decision does see
it as one of the implied powers: the Constitution charges the federal government with
certain duties, and to carry out these duties
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3. It means that “necessary and proper” gives Congress the latitude to use its judgment
to decide the best way for the federal government to carry out its constitutional duties.
4. Yes—“the act to incorporate the Bank of the United States is a law made in
pursuance of the constitution, and is a part of the supreme law of the land.”
5. He says the powers and privileges are “unauthorized by the Constitution, subversive
of the rights of the States, and are dangerous to the liberties of the people.”
6. Jackson claims here that the charter artificially inflated the bank’s stock, unjustly
enriching its shareholders
7. Jackson claims foreigners hold “more than a fourth” of the bank’s stock, and refers to
the other stockholders as being “our own opulent citizens” and “chiefly of the richest
class.” His problem with this is that the charter essentially gives away millions of
dollars (“makes them a present”) to foreign countries and wealthy Americans.
8. Jackson lays out a scenario in which foreigners and people not answerable to the
voting public (“a self-elected directory”) might use the enormous power of the bank
to their advantage and to the detriment of the country as a whole. He also says that “if
any private citizen or public functionary should interpose to curtail its powers or
prevent a renewal of its privileges,” the bank would use “its influence” to make sure
this didn’t happen.
9. Rather than making the bank “a safe and efficient agent of the Government in its
fiscal operation,” Jackson claims the charter is calculated to convert the Bank of the
United States into a foreign bank, to impoverish our people in time of peace, to
disseminate a foreign influence through every section of the Republic, and in war to
endanger our independence.”
10. He claims that “the rich and powerful” have used the bank charter to give themselves
“artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges, to make the
rich richer and the potent more powerful.”
11. Answers will vary.
12. Jackson is shown as a king in regal robes, holding a scepter in one hand and a rolled
up paper marked “veto” in the other. Under his feet are trampled copies of the
Constitution and a document labeled “Internal Improvements: U.S. Bank.”
13. The cartoon accuses Jackson of abuse of power in vetoing the bank charter: it claims
the veto was unconstitutional and harmful to the nation’s “internal improvements.”
“King Andrew the First” portrays Jackson as wanting to hold as much power as a
king; it essentially accuses him of being undemocratic.
14. Answer will vary.
Lesson 4: The Nullification Crisis
1. Webster says that Hayne believes that (1) states can act when they feel the federal
government has passed unconstitutional laws (2) that they have a right to act under
the Constitution (3) that acting in such a way is a legitimate check on federal power
and (4) that states can therefore annul federal laws they consider unconstitutional.
2. “Whose prerogative is it to decide the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the
laws?”
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3.
“…the right of a state to annul a law of Congress cannot be maintained but on the
ground of the inalienable man to resist oppression; that is to say, upon the ground of
revolution.”
4. He says “It is, Sir, the people’s Constitution, the people’s government, made for the
people, by the people, and answerable to the people.”
5. He says if state sovereignty is controlled only by its own feeling of justice “it is not to
be controlled at all, for one who is to follow his own feelings is under no legal
control.”
6. The fact that the Constitution reserves certain powers for the national government
only shows that the people did not intend for states to be completely sovereign.
7. The first were probably Northern industrialists; the second were probably Southern
planters.
8. Essentially, South Carolina threatened to secede: any attempt by the government to
enforce the tariffs would be seen as “inconsistent with the longer continuance of
South Carolina in the Union.”
9. The two appeals are “one to the judiciary, the other to the people and the states”: the
first is an appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn an unconstitutional act, the second
is having the people amend the constitution so that the act is either clearly prohibited
or allowed. The people have these “appeals” under the Constitution, but there is “no
appeal from state decision [i.e., nullification] in theory,” which, in Jackson’s view,
made nullification “indefensible.”
10. If South Carolina could nullify a federal law, then all other states could as well; in
addition, states might portray any law that they felt was “operating injuriously upon
any local interest” as unconstitutional. Jackson then says that if nullification had been
around earlier, “the Union would have been dissolved in its infancy.”
11. Jackson portrays the Constitution as creating a government in which all the people are
represented; it is not a “league” of independent states. The states ceded powers to the
federal government in order to create a nation; taking those powers back would
effectively “destroy the unity of a nation.”
12. ”…disunion, by armed force, is TREASON.”
Lesson 5: Indian Removal
1. Boudinot was trying to appeal to whites and convince them that Indians were not
really different from them.
2. He claims that Indians are “no more than all others have been under similar
circumstances.” He likens the Indians of his time to the inhabitants of Great Britain
“eighteen centuries ago,” thus setting up the idea that, given time, Indians will
“develop” to the extent that whites of his time had.
3. Boudinot cites material facts: numbers of livestock, looms and spinning wheels,
ploughs, and schools. He seems to think that if Cherokee society could be made to
outwardly resemble white society, then his people would be accepted on an equal
footing.
4. Removal would put an end to “all possible danger of collision between the authorities
of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians,” it would “place a
dense and civilized population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few
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39
savage hunters,” it would “incalculably strengthen the southwestern frontier and
render the adjacent states strong enough to repel future invasions,” and it would
“relieve …Mississippi and…Alabama of Indian occupancy, and enable those States
to advance rapidly in population, wealth, and power.”
5. Removal would “separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of
whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in
their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay,
which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the
protection of the Government and through the influence of good counsels to cast off
their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community.”
6. Most students will probably say it’s not convincing, since Jackson obviously has a
low opinion of the Indians, labeling them as “savage,” “rude,” and “uncivilized.”
7. Jackson sees Indians as an obstacle to “progress”: he says “What good man would
prefer a country covered with forests and ranged by a few thousand savages to our
extensive Republic, studded with cities, towns, and prosperous farms, embellished
with all the improvements which art can devise or industry execute, occupied by more
than 12,000,000 happy people, and filled with all the blessings of liberty, civilization,
and religion?”
8. He says “Can it be cruel in this Government when, by events which it cannot control,
the Indian is made discontented in his ancient home to purchase his lands, to give him
a new and extensive territory, to pay the expense of his removal, and support him a
year in his new abode?”
9. Jackson claims that since Indians are “unwilling to submit to the laws of the States
and mingle with their population,” the Removal Act is “generous” because it “kindly
offers…a new home, and proposes to pay the whole expense of his removal and
settlement.” Answers to the second part of the question will vary.
10. The Cherokee opposed removal: “Our people universally think…that it would be fatal
to their interests.”
11. The Cherokee claim that treaties and “laws of the United States made in pursuance of
those treaties” protect them.
12. They claim that “the country west of the Arkansas territory” available for them to
settle is barren (“badly supplied with wood and water”) and bordered by tribes who
“speak a language totally different from ours, and practice different customs” and
who would regard the Cherokee as “intruders.”
13. The Cherokee clearly wanted to distinguish themselves from other Indians and
convince whites that they were “civilized.” Answers to the second part of the question
will vary.
14. “…we are despoiled of our private possessions…we are stripped of every attribute of
freedom and eligibility for legal self-defense. Our property may be plundered before
our eyes; violence may be committed on our persons; even our lives may be taken
away…We are denationalized; we are disenfranchised. We are deprived of
membership in the human family! We have neither land nor home, nor resting place
that can be called our own.”
15. He says that “…we are not party to its covenants; it has not received the sanction of
our people. The makers of it sustain no office nor appointment in our Nation…[and
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40
do not hold] the authority to assume reins of our Government, and to make bargain
and sale of our rights, our possessions, and our common country.”
16. Answers will vary.
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Argumentative Paragraph/Essay Rubric
Structure-Introduction
– states thesis/main idea
– introduces main points
Weighting
Level 1 (50-59)
- simple opening statement
- limited identification of main points
SCORE
Level 2 (60-69)
- thesis stated but unclear
- main points unclear
Level 3 (70-79)
- thesis is stated but somewhat unclear
- main points introduced with moderate clarity
Level 4 (80-100)
- thesis is precisely stated
- main points clearly introduced
Structure-Conclusion
– summarizes thesis/main
idea
– summarizes main points
Weighting
Level 1 (50-59)
- abrupt ending; limited summarizing of main
points
SCORE
Level 2 (60-69)
- thesis summarized but unclear
- main point summarized but unclear
Level 3 (70-79)
- thesis summarized but somewhat unclear
- main points summarized but unclear
Level 4 (80-100)
- thesis clearly summarized
- main points clearly summarized
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Supporting Reasons or
Arguments
- arguments are related to
the main idea logically
Level 1 (50-59)
- arguments are unrelated
SCORE
Level 2 (60-69)
- arguments are unclear and not logically related
to the main idea
Weighting
Level 3 (70-79)
- arguments are usually clear and logically related
to the main idea
Level 4 (80-100)
- arguments are quite clear and logically
related to the main idea
Evidence and Examples
Level 1 (50-59)
- relevant supporting evidence - limited support of points, evidence mostly
- sufficient quantity of facts
irrelevant
used
- limited or unrelated facts used
Weighting
SCORE
Level 2 (60-69)
- some points have been supported, some
evidence not relevant
- insufficient or missing some facts
Level 3 (70-79)
- most points have been supported with relevant
evidence
- sufficient use of facts
Level 4 (80-100)
- each point has been supported with relevant
evidence
- substantial facts used
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Mechanics of Writing
– correct grammar and
spelling used
– use of correct citation
method
Weighting
Level 1 (50-59)
- grammar and spelling used with limited
accuracy and effectiveness
- citation method not followed or absent
SCORE
Level 2 (60-69)
- grammar and spelling used with some accuracy
and effectiveness
- citation method used but with significant errors
Level 3 (70-79)
- grammar and spelling used with considerable
accuracy and effectiveness
- minor errors in citation method
Level 4 (80-100)
- correct grammar and spelling used with
accuracy and effectiveness almost all of the time
- precise use of citation method
Additional Criteria
Weighting
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Debate Rubric
Clear articulation of position
Level 1
- position is not clearly stated
SCORE
Level 2
- position is recognized, but only clarified
through prompting
Level 3
- a clear position is stated
Level 4
- a clear position is stated and fully articulated
Provides support for position
Level 1
- limited support for initial position
SCORE
Level 2
- support for initial position is present but lacks
clarity of presentation
Level 3
- support for initial position is clearly presented
and reasoned based on evidence
Level 4
- supporting arguments for position are both
reasoned and persuasively presented
Considers other positions
Level 1
- limited sensitivity to other positions
SCORE
Level 2
- other positions acknowledged but not
considered
Level 3
- other positions acknowledged and considered
Level 4
- other positions considered and effectively
incorporated or countered
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Effectively critiques positions
Level 1
- limited sensitivity to other positions
SCORE
Level 2
- other positions acknowledged but not
considered
Level 3
- other positions acknowledged and considered
Level 4
- other positions considered and effectively
incorporated or countered
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46
Oral Presentation Rubric
Your Name: ______________________
Topic:_____________________________
Criteria
Possible
Self-Assessment
Points
Provided depth in coverage of topic.
Presentation was well planned and
coherent.
Presenters were models of thoughtfulness.
Personal experience integrated where
relevant and appropriate. Explanations
and reasons given for conclusions.
Teacher
Assessment
10
10
10
Communication aids were clear and useful.
10
Bibliographic information for others was
complete.
10
Total Possible Points
50
Rate each category according to the following scale:
•
•
•
•
•
•
9–10 = excellent
7–8 = very good
5–6 = good
3–4 = satisfactory
1–2 = poor
0 = unsatisfactory
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47
Related Jackson Era Web Sites
Andrew Jackson: “Champion of Kingly Commons”
Housed on the University of Virginia’s American Studies site, this set of Web pages
looks at Jackson as a “compact symbol representing the ideology of an entire generation.”
Mixing clear secondary-source descriptions with selected primary sources, the site has
five main sections: “Society,” “Image,” “Rhetoric,” “Memory,” and a bibliography.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/jackson/jackson.html
The Papers of Andrew Jackson
The Avalon Project at Yale University Law School has many of Jackson’s important
papers available on this Web page, including inaugural addresses, messages to Congress,
proclamations, veto messages, and executive orders.
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/jackpap.htm
Rachel and Andrew Jackson: A Love Story
Based on a Nashville Public Television special, this site looks at the relationship between
Jackson and his wife Rachel, who died in 1828—supposedly from the stresses of the
“dirty” campaign against her husband. In addition to information on Rachel’s life and
what Nashville was like in the early 1800s, the site also has a section on the campaign of
1828.
http://www.wnpt.org/rachel/
Nullification
Part of the extensive Digital History site housed at the University of Houston, this page
offers a concise overview of the nullification crisis, as well as other major events during
Jackson’s presidency. The Digital History site also contains primary sources, lesson
plans, discussion questions, a timeline, and much more.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=639
The Trail of Tears
This About North Georgia site offers a history of the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears,
including maps of the trail, statistics, and other sites of interest.
http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html
The West: Trail of Tears
Part of the companion Web site to the PBS series The West, this page has a brief history
of the Trail of Tears, quotes from historians, a timeline, maps, photographs, excerpts
from primary sources, and more.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/program/episodes/two/hearteverything.htm
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48
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49
Resources on the Jackson Era
available from Social Studies School Service
To order, go to http://www.socialstudies.com/mproduct.html and enter the code and
quantity of the desired titles or call toll-free 800-421-4246.
RECONSTRUCTION: At Issue in History. Edited by William Dudley. Twelve
primary- and secondary-source articles present opposing viewpoints on Reconstruction.
Each selection is preceded by a summary of main points and conclusions. An
introductory essay provides background and context. Grades 7–12. Index. Chronology.
Research resources (books, documents, periodicals, Web sites). Illustrated. Greenhaven.
122 p. ©2003.
GP227
Paperback
$16.96
RECONSTRUCTION, 1865–1877: Primary Sources in U.S. History. Encouraging
students to synthesize ideas about life in the past by reading letters, examining cartoons,
and reviewing numerous other primary source documents, this reproducible curriculum
unit investigates topics such as the Freedman’s Bureau, the Ku Klux Klan, the
Exodusters, Southern religions and Reconstruction, reconstructing the Union. The lessons
include teaching notes, the documents themselves, and student handouts. Also included is
a sample lesson introducing students to working with primary source documents, and a
complete set of analysis worksheets which can be used with any primary source. Grades
9–12. Bibliography (including online sources). Spiralbound. 8½"x11".Center for
Learning. Approximately 100 pages. ©2000.
CFL631
Reproducible curriculum unit
$27.95
THE FREEDMEN’S BUREAU: Catalyst for Freedom? Amid raging controversy, the
federally empowered Freedmen’s Bureau set out to transform the South by securing
justice, education, and jobs for freed slaves—and these lessons plunge students straight
into the center of the Bureau’s difficulties. Evaluating primary source documents (federal
legislation, diary entries, letters, bureau records, military court communiques, land
regulations, labor contracts) that represent different points of view, students gain an
understanding of the successes and failures of Reconstruction. Grades 8–12.
Bibliography. Illustrated. Spiralbound. 8½" x 11". National Center for History in the
Schools. 75 p. ©1998.
NH159
Reproducible unit of study
$16.95
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50
RECONSTRUCTION AND SEGREGATION: United States History Video
Collection. Offers incisive looks at Lincoln’s assassination, the Freedman’s Bureau,
Congressional Reconstruction, the Reconstruction Amendments, the rise of the Ku Klux
Klan, sharecropping, segregation, the racial caste system, and “separate but equal.” An
entertaining mix of archival imagery, reenactments, dramatic readings, and interviews
with historians provides facts in context and from many perspectives, including those of
often underrepresented groups. Grades 5–12. Closed captioned. Color. 35 minutes.
Schlessinger. ©1996.
LV440V
VHS videocassette
$39.95
LV440DV
DVD
$39.95
THE ERA OF RECONSTRUCTION: History Unfolding. Conveying America's past
in strong, unforgettable images, this set motivates discussion and engage students in
assignments adaptable for varying age and ability levels. The packet contains 12
transparencies (photographs, documents, editorial cartoons, works of art, prints) and a 20page guide with four complete lessons: “The Meaning of Emancipation,” “Between
Slavery and Freedom,” “Reconstruction and the South,” “The Retreat from
Reconstruction”. The guide includes reproducible pages featuring each image, plus
background information, questions, and multiple activities. Grades 7-12. 8½" x 11".
Highsmith. ©1997-2001.
HS293
Primary source transparencies, guide
$24.95
EDMUND ROSS: Profile in Courage. The Kansas senator blocks the impeachment of
Andrew Johnson, basing his vote on the trial evidence rather than the dictates of his
party’s leaders. His vote preserves constitutional government in the U.S. by preventing
the Senate from impeaching presidents for being politically unpopular. Issues: executive
vs. legislative power, impeachment and the Constitution, and the politics of
Reconstruction. Stars Bradford Dillman. Black-and-white. 50 minutes. Zenger.
ZF106V
VHS videocassette, guide
$49.95
ZF106DV
DVD, guide
$49.95
Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use only. © 2004 Social Studies School Service. (800) 421-4246 socialstudies.com