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Lesson Plan
Title: The Common Man’s President
Middle School Course: U.S. History
Grade Level: 8th
Topic: Jacksonian Democracy
Big Idea: The office of the President has evolved since it was created by the founding
fathers. The Presidency of Andrew Jackson was a major step of this evolution which
students will discover by learning about the spoil system implemented by him. Also
students will be able to examine how one of the major political parties of today, the
Democratic Party, was created and the ideals of the party.
Instructional Objective(s):
Students will
 Try to predict how the phrase “to the victor, belongs the spoils” might have
been influenced by a presidential election.
 View and then evaluate a short video providing background knowledge about
Andrew Jackson.
 Synthesize how the white man’s suffrage had a direct impact on the election of
1828.
 Analyze two primary sources documents, a speech from Andrew Jackson and a
political cartoon, to determine how effective Jackson’s Spoils System was.
NCSS Theme(s):
 Individuals, Groups and Institutions: Students will learn how Andrew Jackson
changed the office of the President and
 Power, Authority and Governance: Students will learn the changes that Andrew
Jackson made to increased the influence of the President.
Florida Sunshine State Standard(s):
Standard 1: Use research and inquiry skills to analyze American History using primary
and secondary sources:
 Analyze charts, graphs, maps, photographs and timelines; analyze political
cartoons; determine cause and effect.
Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the domestic and international causes,
course, and consequences of westward expansion.
 SS.8.A.4.16: Indentify key ideas and influences of Jacksonian Democracy.
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Instructional Sequence
& Strategies
Teacher Talk, Content, and Student Practice
(include an estimate of time for
each activity)
Bell Work (5 Minutes)
Write on the board the following:
Consider the phrase “To the victor, belongs the spoils”. What do
you think this saying means? Think about a presidential election
and write down how this saying may apply to this event.
Tell students they will have 4 minutes to respond to the question
posed and then you will ask for them to share. After students
have finished writing down their responses, ask for volunteers to
share what they wrote.
Attention-Getter
(5 Minutes)
Learning Activity:
Jacksonian Democracy
PowerPoint
(10 minutes)
As an attention getter and to provide students with a little
background knowledge of Andrew Jackson, play the History
Channel video.
After the video ask students to share why they believe that the
so called „common man‟ may have wanted to vote for Andrew
Jackson in a presidential election.
Pass out Cornell note worksheets for students to complete
individually. Instruct students to complete the notes as the
PowerPoint goes along, that if they miss something you will go
over it before class ends.
Begin showing PowerPoint on overhead.
Slide 1: Explain that the PowerPoint will focus on the Jacksonian
Democracy, which refers to the elevation of Andrew Jackson
and the Democratic Party as a result of the 1828 election. It also
refers to the democratic reforms that Jackson and his party
brought along the way.
Slide 2: Explain that the term Jacksonian Democracy consists of
many things but the most important parts are white man‟s
suffrage, the spoil system, opposing national bank systems and
Jackson‟s belief that American‟s had a right to control their
territories.
Tell students today‟s lesson will only focus on the first two parts,
but that future lessons will go over Jackson‟s opposition to the
national bank and desire to limit government. Also they will go
over his desire to control America as evidenced by his
excursions into Florida as a General and his later treatment of
the Indians.
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Slide 3: Show only the first two bullets, explain that the chart
shows the voter participation percentages over the course of
1824-1836. Have students try to figure out why the percentages
would have increased so much from 1824 to 1828, especially
considering that the two men running in 1828, Jackson and John
Quincy Adams, had run in 1824.
After students write and share their responses, show the next
bullet, explaining that the increase was due to the fact that now
white men regardless of property ownerships could vote so long
as they could read.
Slide 4: Go over the slide explaining who had a right to vote,
prior to the 1820‟s and how Jacksonian Democrats, pushed to
allow white men who weren‟t property owners to be able to have
their voice heard.
Slide 5: Read first bullet, tell students that the 1824 election had
been a mess. Jackson actually had the most electoral votes, but
because there were four potential candidates he failed to win the
majority and the House of Representatives elected Adams,
which many claimed unfair. Explain that the election process
was reformed so that party members elected candidates at
nominating conventions, like the one we had in Tampa, versus
allowing party leaders to choose the candidate themselves.
Then explain that since that more men could vote they wanted
someone in office who reminded them of themselves, like
Jackson did.
Pause and asked students if they have any questions on how
voting rights changed in this time period.
Slide 6: Explain that the second aspect of the Jacksonian
Democracy was the spoils system he introduced.
After reading the bullet points.
Tell students that officials were sometimes replaced before, but
in Jackson‟s case it was evident that he was replacing people
based on political affiliations, not necessarily because he
thought they would do a better job in whatever position they had
been placed.
Slide 7: After reading bullets, that spoils came from opponents
who said Jackson was acting like a conquering general taking
spoils from the defeated.
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Next, point out photo. Tell students it wasn‟t just his rotation
policy that had people calling him King Andrew I, it was also
because he utilized the Presidential veto more times than the
previous presidents combined. Opponents said this was just
another abuse of executive power he brought to the office.
Slide 8: Finally, explain to students that despite going far to
surround himself by friends he had appointed to various
positions including Postmaster and a cousin he appointed as his
personal secretary, whose opinion he relied on when deciding
on important decisions.
Before moving on, remind students that you will go over anything
they missed when filling out the notes before class is up.
Learning Activity:
Spoils System
(15 minutes)
Next, have students to form up into groups of three using the
numbered heads system.
While students are getting into groups, pass out Handout 2 so
each student has their own copy.
Tell students that they are to read Andrew Jackson‟s short
speech on his policy of rotation and then complete the answers
listed under the speech. Have students turn their attention to the
cartoon illustration on the Handout and tell them that some of the
questions will require they analyze the political cartoon shown.
Before letting students begin ask them if they have any
questions. Then ask one student to describe to the rest what
they are to do. Once they are ready, let them begin.
While students are working, walk around to answer any
questions they may have on the reading. Continue walking
around once they are done reading to make sure all group
members are helping answer the questions and to provide any
assistance needed.
Give students a 5 minute mark to let them know they should be
close to finishing up. Once groups begin to finish, tell students to
sit tight and let other groups finish.
Once time is up, tell students that as a class you will go over the
answers from both Handouts to make sure everyone has the
correct answers.
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Closure
(5 minutes)
Review both Handouts 1 and 2 to make sure students were able
to fill them out correctly. Call on volunteers to give the correct
answers. Answer any unanswered questions that students may
have.
Afterwards, explain to students that as the lesson has shown
made good things came out of Andrew Jackson‟s presidency.
He helped establish his Democratic party which fought for the
suffrage of all white men, not just the wealthy landowners. He
was the first frontier President and one of humble beginnings.
Despite this he did have some shortcomings which will be
discussed later on in the week. He was a slave owner and
wanted to expand slavery to new territories and he held a view
that was very anti-Native American which he had shown as a
General in Florida.
Assessment
(10 minutes)
Tell groups that to assess what they‟ve learned today, they are
going to create their own political cartoon. In their groups of
three ask students to choose one or more aspect of Jacksonian
Democracy and create a political cartoon either in favor or
against the ideal. Tell students if they choose the Spoil System,
their cartoon must be completely original from the one shown on
the back of Handout 2.
If time permits, have students share and explain their cartoon.
Collect the cartoons at the end.
References:
Deverell, W. F., & White, D. G. (2013). United states history beginnings to 1877. Orlando: Holt
McDougal.
Jackson, A. (1897). Jackson announces his policy of rotation in office, 1829. In A Compilation of the
Messages and Papers of the Presidents (Vol. III, pp. 1005,1011-12). Bureau of National Literature.
Retrieved from
http://college.cengage.com/history/ayers_primary_sources/jackson_announces_policy_rotation.htm
Jacksonian democratic party. (2007). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu/democraticparty.html
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Attachments:
Jacksonian Democracy PowerPoint
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Handout 1: Jacksonian Democracy PowerPoint Notes
Cues
What are the
main aspects of
Jacksonian
Democracy?
What happened to
the voting
percentages from
the 1824 to 1828
election?
Jacksonian Democracy PowerPoint Notes
Note-taking
_______________________________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
_____________________________________________________________
Why do you think this happened?
______________________________________________________________
Who could vote
prior to the
1820’s?
_____________
____________?
All white men, whether they owned property or not.
_____________________________________________________________
Consequences of
voter changes on
1828 election.
Reasons people
would have
wanted to vote
for Jackson.
_____________________________________________________________
Spoils System
_____________________________________________________________
Why did
opponents argue
against the spoils
system?
____________
____________?
Martin Van Buren, who would go on to become the 8 th President.
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What was
Jackson’s
Kitchen Cabinet?
Summary
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Handout 2: Rotation Policy Speech and Political Cartoon
FIRST ANNUAL MESSAGE: POLICY OF OFFICE Rotation, 1829.
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: . . .
There are, perhaps, few men who can for any great length of time enjoy office and power without being more or
less under the influence of feelings unfavorable to the faithful execution of their public duties. Their integrity may be
proof against improper considerations immediately addressed to themselves, but 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. An office is considered as a species of property, and the government rather as a means of promoting
individual interests is as an instrument created solely for the service of the people. Corruption in some and in others
a perversion of correct feelings and principles, divert government from its true meaning and make it an engine for the
support of the few at the expense of the many. The duties of all public officers are, or at least admit of being made,
so plain and simple that men of intelligence may readily qualify themselves for their performance; and I can not help
but believe that more is lost by the long continuance of men in office than is generally to be gained by their
experience. I submit, therefore, to your consideration whether the efficiency of the Government would not be
promoted and integrity better secured by a general extension of the law which limits appointments to four years.
In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no one man has any more innate right
to official station than another. Offices were not established to give support to particular men at the public expense.
No individual wrong is, therefore, done by removal, since neither appointment to nor continuance in office is a
matter of right. The incumbent became an officer with a view to public benefits, and when these require his removal
they are not to be sacrificed to private interests. It is the people, and they alone, who have a right to complain when
a bad officer is substituted for a good one. He who is removed has the same means of obtaining a living that are
enjoyed by the millions who never held office. The proposed limitation would destroy the idea of property now so
generally connected with official station, and although individual distress may be sometimes produced, it would, by
promoting that rotation which makes up a leading principle in the republican system, give healthful action to that
system. . . .
Andrew Jackson
1) Why does Andrew Jackson argue that one person holding an office for “any great length of time” is not
in the best “public interests”?
2) Opponents to a rotation of office might argue that to have a productive and effective government, the
people in office should have experience in government to be able o get things done. What does
Jackson say that would oppose this thinking?
3) When Jackson argues that “offices are created solely for the benefit of the people”, what reasoning
does he give for being able to remove people from office? If you held the office how would you feel
about being removed given the reason?
4) At the end of the speech Jackson says that “by promoting that rotation” policy it would “give healthful
action” to the government. Do you agree with him? Explain why or why not.
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5) Look at the political cartoon below. First, describe what you see in the scene. Next, explain whether
this is supporting or opposing Jackson’s Spoils System and justify your response.
6) Jackson gave an extensive list of reasons why his rotation policy was best for the people. Using the
cartoon below, write your own list of reasons of why the author probably feels Jackson’s rotation
policy is not good for the people.