Download AP Chapter 9 Study Guide

Brown/APUSH
American History
Chapter 9 p. 229-252
Jacksonian America
1824-1848
Chapter Summary
At first glance, Andrew Jackson seems a study in contradictions: an advocate of states' rights who forced South
Carolina to back down in the nullification controversy; a champion of the West who vetoed legislation that would have
opened easy access to part of the area and who issued the specie circular, which brought the region's "flush times" to a
disastrous halt; a nationalist who allowed Georgia to ignore the Supreme Court; and a defender of majority rule who
vetoed the Bank after the majority's representatives, the Congress, had passed it. Perhaps he was, as his enemies
argued, simply out for himself. But in the end, few would argue that Andrew Jackson was not a popular president, if
not so much for what he did as for what he was. Jackson symbolized what Americans perceived (or wished) themselves
to bedefiant, bold, and independent. He was someone with whom they could identify. The image may have been a bit
contrived, but it was still a meaningful image. Thus, Jackson was reelected by an overwhelming majority and was able
to transfer that loyalty to his successor, a man who hardly lived up to the image. But all this left a curious question
unanswered. Was this new democracy voting for leaders whose programs they favored or, rather, for images that could
be altered and manipulated almost at will? The answer was essential for the future of American politics, and the
election of 1840 gave the nation a clue.
Chapter Nine Main Themes
 The expansion of the electorate during the Age of Jackson, and the limits of that expansion.
 The growing tension between nationalism and states' rights, as particularly reflected in the nullification crisis and the
Webster-Haynes debate.
 The brutal treatment of Native Americans by the Jackson administration, culminating in Indian Removal and the
Trail of Tears.
 The competing views of American economic development held by both sides in the Bank War, and their regional
implications.
 The rise of the Whig Party as an alternative to Andrew Jackson and the Democrats, and the Jacksonian political
strategies used by both Whigs and Democrats in the Second Party System.
Analytical Journal
ANDREW JACKSON
ANTI-MASONRY
CAROLINE AFFAIR
DANIEL WEBSTER
“FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES”
INDIAN TERRITORY
NICHOLAS BIDDLE
NULLIFICATION
ROGER B. TANEY
SEMINOLE War
TRAIL OF TEARS
WHIGS
WEBSTER-ASHBURTON TREATY
AROOSTOOK WAR
DORR REBELLION
JOHN TYLER
PANIC OF 1837
SPECIE CIRCULAR
WEBSTER-HAYNE DEBATE
BANK WAR
JOHN C. CALHOUN
MARTIN VAN BUREN
REMOVAL Act
SPOILS SYSTEM
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON
Defining the chapter terms in your journals will help you better understand:

Andrew Jackson's philosophy of government and his impact on the office of the presidency.

John C. Calhoun’s nullification theory and President Jackson's reaction.

The reasons why the eastern Indians were removed to the West and the impact this had on the tribes.

The reasons for Jackson’s war on the Bank of the United States.

The effects of Jackson's veto on the powers of the president and on the American financial system.

The causes of the Panic of 1837 and the effect of the panic on Van Buren’s presidency.

The differences in party philosophy between the Democrats and the Whigs, the reasons for the Whig victory
in 1840, and the effect of the election on political campaigning.

The negotiations that led to the Webster-Ashburton Treaty and the importance of the treaty in AngloAmerican relations.
Long Essay Questions
1.
To what extent do you think the Jacksonian Period (18241848) was truly the era of “the common man”? In
particular, how did the Jacksonians promote economic development and political policies that helped the common
man? (Adapted from the 2001 AP U.S. History free-response question)
Possible thesis statement: For the most part, the idea of a president for the common man was largely confined to
rhetoric. The Jacksonians promoted democratization in both their economic and political policies, but their efforts
and accomplishments point to a purpose at odds with the empowerment of the common man.
Discuss

Economic and Political developments
Possible conclusion: While the Jacksonians promoted democratization through the rhetoric of helping the
common man, their policies were not designed to help farmers, laborers, women, Indians, or slaves. Instead, the
Jacksonians challenged the power of eastern elites so that the rising entrepreneurs of the South and the West
would have greater chance for success.
2.
What was the "second party system?" How did the ideologies of the Democrats and the Whigs differ? To what
elements of the electorate did each party appeal? How did the rise of this system change American politics?
Possible thesis statement: The second party system arose when the nation again had two powerful and competing
political parties  the Democrats of Jackson and the opposing Whigs.
Discuss

Evolution of second party system.

Democrat ideology and electorate appeal.

Whig ideology and electorate appeal.

Changes in American politics.
Possible conclusion: The short life of the Second Party System brought political issues into the lives of many
common people. By reinvigorating opposition parties and broadening the electorate somewhat, more Americans
became interested in politics  especially at the national level. Additionally, the appeal of both the Whigs and the
Democrats as anti-elitist brought many people into various political arenas.
First Party System—1790-1820: Federalist and Jeffersonian Republican
• Federalist: Leader—Alexander Hamilton—loose constitutional construction, strong central
government, support of the Bank of the United States, and commercial and manufacturing interests,
regional strength in New England and southern ports.
• Jeffersonian Republicans: Leaders—Thomas Jefferson and James Madison—strict constitutional
construction, limited government, states' rights, opposed Bank of the United States, support on
frontier and rural south and west.
Transitional Period—1816-1828
• 1816-1828—As the Federalists disintegrated, the Era of Good Feelings displayed little party strife.
• 1824-1828—Supporters of John Q. Adams were known as the National Republicans and endorsed
active federal government, nationalism, and support for the tariff and internal improvements. Regional support in
New England and the mid-Atlantic.
• 1824-1828—Democrat-Republicans: Leader—Andrew Jackson—support for government reform,
improved opportunity and end of eastern privilege, political patronage, the spoils system, states'
rights but not at the expense of federal supremacy.
Second Party System—1828-1854
• Democrat: see earlier Democratic Republican.
• Whig: Leader—Henry Clay, J.Q. Adams—strong nationalism and strong, active federal
government, support for Bank of the United States, internal improvements, and the tariff. The name
"Whig" derives from opposition to Jackson's policies. Support comes from New England, the mid
Atlantic, and larger commercial interests in the South.