Download Matt Riegel - Wright State University

Resource Unit
ED 639
Matt Riegel
Wright State University
I. Introduction
The westward expansion of the United States during the Nineteenth century
allowed Americans to realize what was widely considered to be the nation’s manifest
destiny. The Presidency of Andrew Jackson set helped to solidify American attitudes
toward expansion. The struggle for territory involved frequent and often violent struggles
with neighboring countries. What western territories the United States was unable to
attain through peaceful means, such as the Louisiana Purchase, was obtained through
bluff and bluster or outright war. Westward expansion also occurred as regional
differences between the North and South became ever more pronounced. The increasing
population and manufacturing capacity of the North stood in stark contrast with the
backward agrarian South. These simultaneous developments, the realization of America’
manifest destiny and the political religious and social struggle over slavery, set the stage
for the great internal conflagration over slavery known as the U.S. Civil War.
The following unit is intended for eighth-grade history classes, which focus on
American history from 1607 to 1877, and includes two chapters dealing with the
antebellum period in the United States, from 1820 to 1860. The textbook utilized is
Michael B. Stoff and Herman J. Viola’s The American Nation, published by Prentice Hall
in 2003.
II. Content
Chapter Twelve: The Jacksonian_Era ( 1824-1840)
Pages 358-377
Key Terms:
1. Suffrage
2. Whigs
3. Caucus
4. Spoils System
5. “Kitchen Cabinet”
6. States’ Rights
7. Nullification
8. Indian Removal Act
9. Depression
10. Mudslinging
Section 1: A New Era In Politics
The spirit of democracy began to have an impact on views of social class. The
respect that had been shown to affluent individuals in Europe did not apply in this
country. The Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote about his experiences in the U.S.
after returning to France. His book, Democracy in America, lauded the American goals of
freedom and democracy.
During the decade of the 1820s, suffrage was greatly expanded through the
extension of the vote to white males without property. Women, African-Americans, and
men under the age of twenty-one continued to be denied the vote.
The 1824 election featured a tightly contested race between John Quincy Adams,
son of former president John Adams, and Andrew Jackson, the popular westerner who
had become a hero due to his role in the War of 1812.
Jackson won the popular vote, but no electoral majority emerged. When the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Henry Clay, Who had also been a contender for
the presidency, persuaded the House to vote for Adams in order to settle the dispute,
Jackson was furious and insisted that a corrupt bargain had been struck between Adams
and Clay.
Adams’ policies as president were unpopular, however, due to his proposal of
large and expensive projects and programs to be undertaken by the federal government. A
few of these projects were funded by congress, such as the canal system, and the National
Road, but many people feared a more powerful federal government.
The election campaign of 1828 was a bitter one, with Adams once again facing
Jackson. Adams portrayed Jackson as a possible future dictator. Jackson painted Adams
as a wealthy aristocrat. With the election, Jackson won by a wide margin, ushering in
what was considered to be a political climate more amenable to the common citizen.
Out of the political struggle between Adams and Jackson, two new political
parties emerged. Whigs wanted greater involvement on the part of the federal
government in improving the economy, while Democrats, the party of Jackson opposed
such action.
Section 2: Jackson in the White House
Andrew Jackson was the child of Irish parents who had immigrated to the
American frontier. He had joined the American cause during the Revolutionary War at
the age of thirteen. Captured by the British, the headstrong Jackson had refused to clean
the boots of an officer who then slashed him with a sword, injuring his face. This helped
instill a deep seated hatred of the British on Jackson’s part that persisted through the
remainder of his life. After studying law, Jackson moved to Tennessee and became a
successful attorney. He accumulated wealth through land dealings, and was eventually
elected to Congress.
Jackson emerged on the national scene after his stunning defeat of the British at
New Orleans, during the War of 1812. He also became a renowned Indian fighter. In
Georgia and Alabama.
After winning the White House, Jackson promptly dismissed over 200 people
who had been appointed to government employment under previous administrations. The
precedent established through this action became known as the spoils system. Jackson’s
Cabinet members had been drawn from the ranks of his supporters. Their ineptitude
earned them the nickname, the Kitchen Cabinet.
As a Westerner, Jackson had a deep mistrust of the Bank of the United States. As
a government created entity, the bank was run by a few wealthy financiers whose policies
restricted the flow of funds to the burgeoning middle class. When the bank’s charter
renewal was approved by congress, Jackson moved to destroy the bank by vetoing the
bill in 1832. The Whig party promptly made the bank charter a major issue in the 1832
presidential campaign, , but were thwarted due to a resounding victory for Jackson.
Although the charter was not to expire for four years, Jackson ordered a stop to
government deposits in the bank, in favor of less stable state banks, resulting in a
financial crisis.
Section 3: A New Crisis
Tariffs, passed by congress in 1828 in order to protect Northern manufacturers,
became a major point of contention between the North and South. While the tariffs
insured that products made in the U.S. faced decreased competition in the American
market from foreign manufacturers, Southerners who sold their raw cotton on the
European market in exchange for European goods were forced to pay higher prices.
The vice President, John C. Calhoun, became embroiled in this argument when he
insisted that individual states had the right to disregard the tariffs, since technically the
federal government derived its power from the states. South Carolina then passed the
Nullification Act in 1832, which declared the federal tariff to be illegal. Further, South
Carolina threatened to secede from the U.S. if the issue was pressed. Jackson reacted
firmly, forcing South Carolina to repeal the Nullification Act, but the issue of states’
rights would persist.
Jackson, in response to white demands, moved to remove the Creek, Choctaw,
Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Seminole Native American tribes from the Southeast. He
ignored a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in support of the tribes reached in 1832, and instead
enforced the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which provided for all tribes to be displaced to
areas West of the Mississippi River.
Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren, quickly faced a financial panic in 1837.
Land speculators, forced to use gold and silver currency in purchasing Western
government lands caused the collapse of many state banks. Falling cotton prices
compounded the crisis leading to an economic depression. Van Buren’s inability to bring
an end to the nation’s financial woes led to the election of William Henry Harrison, a
Whig who planned to restore the Bank of the United States in 1840. Harrison died,
however, within one month, leaving the Presidency in the hands of John Tyler, who
turned against the Whigs by vetoing the bank’s charter.
Chapter Thirteen: Westward Expansion (1820-1860)
Pages 378-405
Key Terms:
1. Mountain Man
2. Rendezvous
3. Dictator
4. Siege
5. Annex
6. Cede
7. Forty-niner
8. Vigilante
Section 1: Oregon Country
In the early 1820s, settlers began moving into the far west, the Oregon Territory,
in order to satisfy their demand for land. Their hold on the land was tenuous, however,
due not only to the fact that Native Americans already occupied the land, but also
because Britain, Spain, and Russia also had claims to the area. By 1818, the Spanish and
Russians withdrew their claims, and Britain and the U.S. agreed to a joint occupation of
the land.
As word spread of the fertile farmland available, an increasing number of
Americans set off frantically for Oregon, following the Oregon Trail. After 1843, the trail
was packed with settlers moving West in wagon trains every spring. Timing was critical,
since travel through the Rocky Mountains was only possible for five months out of the
year due to winter snowfall.
Section 2: The Republic of Texas
In 1821American Moses Austin received permission from the Spanish to lead a
group of American settlers into the sparsely populated area of Texas. Having died before
the new settlement could be established, leadership fell to Moses’ son Stephen. Before
the settlers could establish themselves in Texas, however, Mexico won independence
from Spain. The new Mexican government agreed to allow the settlers to enter Texas on
the condition that they pledge their loyalty to Spain and convert to Catholicism. Many of
the 300 families that comprised Austin’s party were from the cotton growing areas of the
Southeastern United States. They established large plantations and utilized slaves. Other
groups followed, and by 1830 over 20,000 Americans had settled in Texas.
Conflict arose when the settlers refused to live up to their pledges. The Mexican
government began to worry over the possibly losing its hold on Texas. The U.S.
government made two attempts to purchase the area, but the Mexicans had refused the
offers. Mexico used military force in moving to enforce laws requiring Catholicism, and
banned slavery.
General Antonio de Santa Anna took power in Mexico in 1833. He abolished the
country’s constitution and established dictatorial rule. Allied with many Mexicans in
Texas, known as tejanos, who wished to escape the rule of Santa Anna began violent
resistance in 1835. Near the town of San Antonio, the rebels fortified an old Spanish
mission called the Alamo. Upon hearing of this, Santa Anna moved to crush the
rebellion. The Mexicans laid siege on the Alamo with a force of over 6,000 soldiers. The
Texans, on the other hand, only numbered around 150. They held the Mexican army at
bay for twelve days, however, but were eventually overwhelmed. All of the Americans
were killed either during the attack or were executed afterward.
Infuriated, Texans rallied, and under the leadership of Sam Houston, achieved
victory through a surprise attack on Santa Anna’s army at San Jacinto River on April 21,
1836. Their independence from Mexico having been declared and won, the Texans
established the Lone Star Republic. Living under the threat of continued Mexican
aggression, and lacking in funds, Texas was in a vulnerable position.
Section 3: California and the Southwest
Mexico ruled California and the rest of the Southwest known as the New Mexico
Territory. An increasing number of Americans, however, were settling in Californi. As
with Texas, The U.S. government had more than once offered to buy the area.
Americans during this era began to realize the potential for spreading U.S.
boundaries from the Atlantic to Pacific. This idea came to be known as manifest destiny,
and was an issue in the election of 1844. Henry Clay ran under the Whig party against the
Democrat, James K. Polk. Polk favored expanding the nation by annexing Texas and the
Oregon Territory, while Clay held the opposing position. Polk won the election.
Section 4: The Mexican War
In spite of the threat of war with Britain over the Oregon Territory, a compromise
was reached which divided the area between the U.S. and Britain along a line of 49
degrees North latitude in 1846. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho were eventually created
form the area. Texas had been annexed as well after Congress had become concerned
over the possibility that the Texans might ally with Britain in 1845.
A border dispute erupted into full scale war between Mexico and the U.S. in
1846. The U.S. invaded Mexico from Texas and by sea, eventually capturing the
Mexican capital. As the conflict raged in Mexico, U.S. forces also captured California
and the New Mexico Territory. Through the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico ceded
California, and most of the New Mexico Territory in exchange for a U.S. withdrawal
from Mexico and fifteen million Dollars.
Section 5: Americans Rush West
The Mormons, members of the Church of Latter Day Saints founded by a New
Yorker named Joseph Smith, settled in the Mexican cession; present day Utah in 1847.
This unorganized territory consisting of desert was a refuge for the Mormons who had
been forced out of Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois for their seemingly strange doctrine which
allowed polygamy. Although some difficulties existed in their relations with nonMormons who settled in the area shortly after their arrival, Mormons were able to find
peace. The Utah Territory was organized in 1850, and eventually achieved statehood in
1896.
At Sutter’s Mill, in California, gold was discovered in 1848. News of the find
spurred what was to become a gold rush. Over 80,000 people left their homes and
businesses in other areas of the U.S. and traveled to California in order to try their hand at
mining placer deposits. Very few miners or forty-niners as they became known actually
struck it rich. The most successful persons involved in the California Gold Rush were
actually those who dealt in the sale of provisions and tools needed by the miners.
III. Objectives
Chapter Twelve: The Jacksonian_Era ( 1824-1840)
Students will learn about:
1. The increase in American suffrage during this time period
2. Limits on suffrage during this time period
3. The election and Presidency of Andrew Jackson
4. The political issues of this time period
5. Economic conditions during this time period
6. The development of the Whig and Democratic Parties
7. Andrew Jackson’s war against the Bank of the United States
8. The contentious issue of tariffs
9. The Nullification Crisis
10. The spoils system
11. The plight of Native Americans in the Southeast
12. The debate over states’ rights
13. The Indian Removal Act of 1830
14. The Trail of Tears
15. The Panic of 1837, and resulting depression
16. The election of Martin Van Buren
17. The Presidential election of 1840
18. Mudslinging
19. The election of William Henry Harrison
20. The Presidency of John Tyler
Chapter Thirteen: Westward Expansion (1820-1860)
Students will learn about:
1. Settlement in the Oregon Territory
2. Completing claims to Oregon
3. The joint occupation agreement with Britain
4. American rugged individualism
5. The Oregon Trail
6. American settlement in Texas
7. Wresting Texas from Mexico
8. The Alamo
9. Texas Independence
10. The Lone Star Republic
11. Annexation of Texas
12. The New Mexico Territory
13. Manifest destiny
14. The Presidency of James K. Polk
15. The Mexican War
16. the Mexican cession
17. The Mormons
18. The gold rush
IV. Activities:
The Jacksonian Era
Day 1
Ask students what they already know about Andrew Jackson. Begin in class reading of
first section of chapter 12. Students will write five prompted paragraphs on the susbjects
of suffrage, the election of 1824, the election of 1828, and the development of the Whig
and Democratic Parties. Assign reading section two for homework.
Day 2
Students will receive instruction through Power Point presentation covering the second
section of chapter 12, complete guided notes, and participate in class discussion on the
subject of the Ban k War and its repercussions.
Day 3
PowerPoint presentation over third section of chapter 12. In class handout dealing with
the nullification crisis and complete attached questions. In Class discussion of the states’
rights issue.
Day 4
Begin video: Trail of tears
Day 5
Complete video. Do recall question #1, and Comprehension Question # 4 on page 374 of
the textbook. In class question and answer session. Enrichment exercise using Cherokee
alphabet.
Day 6
Quiz over chapter 12. Complete word search of key terms.
Westward expansion
Day 1
Ask students what they know about the Oregon Trail. In class reading of section 1.
Complete Critical thinking and writing question #8, parts A and B on page 384 vof the
textbook.
Day 2
Play interactive computer simulation: The Oregon Trail. Students use democratic
methods in order to make decisions as a group.
Day 3
PowerPoint presentation and guided notes over section two; Texas independence and the
Alamo. Map exercise. Complete recall question #1, parts a, b, and d on page 389 of the
textbook. Homework: read section three of chapter 13.
Day 4
Discuss idea of manifest destiny. In class reading of section four of chapter 13. Primary
source handout: From the Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Complete writing prompt.
Day 5
PowerPoint presentation on section five of chapter 13, and complete guided notes.
Discuss the gold rush. Map exercise: Routes Westward. Quiz: chapter 13
V. Evaluation
Chapter 12, multiple choice
1. Suffrage in the U.S. increased during the Jacksonian Era among:
A. Women
B. African-Americans
C. Landless white males
2. Andrew Jackson was a national figure before the 1824 election because:
A. His role in the Revolutionary War
B. His victory in the Battle of New Orleans
C. His propensity toward dueling
3. The Nullification Crisis was caused by:
A. The refusal of Jackson to remove the Cherokee from Georgia
B. The election of 1824
C. South Carolina’s reluctance to pay tariffs
4. The corrupt bargain that Jackson was angry about:
A. Allowed John Quincy Adams to become President
B. Was Calhoun’s support of the idea of nullification
C. Was the support of the Supreme Court for the Cherokee
5. The Whig Party:
A. Wanted the federal government to spur the economy
B. Did not support the U.S. Bank
C. Was Jackson’s Party
Chapter 13, True or False objective questions:
1. T / F The Oregon Territory was split along 49 degrees north latitude between
the U.S. and Britain.
2. T / F
150 Mexicans were killed by General Santa Anna’s army at the Alamo.
Chapter 13 and 14 essay questions:
1. Explain the idea of manifest destiny, and why Americans felt that they should
strive for it.
2. Explain the popular appeal of Andrew Jackson.
VI. Instructional Resources
Teacher References:
1. The American Nation, Teacher’s Edition. Stoff, M.B., & Herman, V.J. Glenview, IL:
Prentice Hall, 2003.
Examines the history of America from ancient times to the present.
2. Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant, U.S. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky &
Konecky.
Primary source account of the life of U.S. Grant.
3. THE JACKSON ERA
Lesson topics: "Jacksonian democracy," the spoils system, the controversy over
the Second Bank of the United States, South Carolina and nullification, Indian
removal. $16.99, Social Studies School Service.
4. LEGACY OF AN AUTOCRATIC RULER
President's Jackson's policy related to Native Americans. The Veil of Tears.
Henry Clay's introduction of bill to renew charter of Bank of United States as
ploy prior to presidential election of 1832. Jackson's veto of bill and reelection
victory. Jackson's attempts to deplete power of bank after election. Van Buren,
Jackson's successor, and economic crises. Political battles between the Whigs and
Democrats; Harrison's election in 1840 and his brief tem in office; John Tyler, his
successor. $49.95, Social Studies School Service.
5. AMERICAN HISTORY ACTIVITIES: Hands-on History
Eight simulations include lesson plans, assessment tools, and extensive
reproducibles (scripts, character profiles, data sheets, task assignments, templates,
decision cards, maps, game pieces, and wrap-up questions). Activities are
standards-based and designed for completion within 2–4 class periods. Topics:
life in Jamestown, patriots and Redcoats at war, Jefferson runs for president,
Tecumseh resists new settlers, battle of Fayetteville (Civil War), pushing west on
the Oregon Trail, immigrants and industrialists, and the civil rights movement.
Grades 4–8. Appendix. Illustrated. 8" x 11". Shell. 192 pages. ©2005. $24.99,
Social Studies School Service.
Student References
1. Andrew Jackson / Sean Wilentz Wilentz, Sean
New York : Times Books., 2005
Discusses Jackson and the age of the democratic revolution
2. The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears / Theda Perdue and Michael D.
Green Perdue, Theda, 1949New York : Viking, 2007
Discusses the Cherokees, the Indian removal policy.
3. The panic of 1837 McGrane, Reginald Charles, 1889-1967
Russell & Russell, 1965
Discusses the economic panic of 1837.
4. Presidents from Adams through Polk, 1825-1849 : debating the issues in pro and
con primary documents
Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2005
Discusses John Quincy Adams. American Indians and the U.S. government
5. The Oregon Trail : an American saga / David Dary Dary, David
New York : Alfred A. Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 2004
Discusses the exploration of Oregon
6. Make way for Sam Houston / Jean Fritz ; illustrations by Elise Primavera Fritz,
JeanNew York : Putnam, c1986
Traces the life of the soldier who led the fight for Texas' independence from Mexico,
served as governor and senator, and opposed secession during the Civil War
7. Sleuthing the Alamo : Davy Crockett's last stand and other mysteries of the Texas
Revolution / James Crisp, James E., 1946Interesting look at Sam Houston's speechwriters, Santa Anna in Texas, looking for Davy
Crockett.
8. The presidency of Andrew Jackson / Donald B. Cole Cole, Donald B
Lawrence, Kan. : University Press of Kansas, c1993
Discusses the presidency of Andrew Jackson.
9. Major problems in the early republic, 1787-1848 : documents and essaysSean Wilentz
Lexington, Mass. : D.C. Heath, c1992
Discusses the early challenges of the republic.
10. Bulwark of the republic : the American militia in antebellum West. Rowe, Mary
Ellen, 1953Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2003
Dicusses U.S. settlement of Oregon.
Media References
1. www.phschool.com
American Nation section of the Prentice Hall Publishing website allows students
to take practice tests for each chapter.
2. Indians of North America [videorecording] / Films for the Humanities ; created
by Marie-France Bris
Princeton, N.J. : Films for the Humanities, c1986
Discusses the Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Act
3. 19th century turning points in U.S. history. Episode 3, 1827-1846 [electronic
resource] / Centre Com
New York : Ambrose Video Pub., c2002
Discusses the U.S.-Mexican War.
4. Presidential Inaugurations: Historical Insights, Andrew Jackson's First Inauguration
H i s t o r i c a l I n s i g h t s Andrew Jackson First Inauguration, March 4, 1829
President's Levee, or all Creation going to the White House, Washington, [March 4,
1829]. Library of Congress.
5. The Oregon trail /
Copyright Collection (Library of Congress) DLC | 1996. | moving image
Dicusses The Oregon Trail.
6. millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/jackson
In-depth essays created by the University of Virginia on Andrew Jackson’s life
and
administration.
Digital archive of presidents from the University of Virginia.
7. Slavery in the Americas and the Triangular Trade. VHS Video. 20
minutes. Encyclopedia Britannica. 1992
8. The History of the United States for Young People. CD-ROM. Byron
Preiss, 1996
9. U.S. Government: The First 200 Years. CD-ROM. Clearvue, 1996
10. Legends, Lies and Cherished Myths of American History. Paperback.
Social Studies School Services catalog. $13.00
An excellent sourcebook for anecdotal material from all periods of
U.S. history.
11. The Hermitage - Home of President Andrew Jackson - Home
Information about Jackson's home near Nashville, Tennessee, and about visiting
there.
www.thehermitage.com/
12. The Oregon-Trail
This web site is based on the award-winning documentary film from PBS. Read
about the history of the trail and see the historic sites located along the ...
www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html
The Depression of 1837-1844
The Depression of 1837-1844 ... Act which called for the distribution of the
accumulated treasury surplus be distributed to the states on January 1 of 1837. ...
www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/dep1837.htm
13. The Mexican War
The Mexican War between the United States and Mexico began on Apr. 25, 1846.
www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/mexicow.htm
14. Presidential Biographies
... Ronald Reagan : 1981-1989; George Bush : 1989-1993; Bill Clinton : 1993-2001;
George W. Bush : 2001-. White House Home Page | Contact Us | Privacy.
www.whitehouse.gov/kids/presidents/
15. Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery Bagwell, Orlando,
Susan Bellows, Steve Fayer, Angela Bassett, Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Michael
Chin, contributors.. VHS
16. Digging for Slaves . Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities, 1992. 1
videocassette
Provides many fascinating and surprising details at excavations of 18th-century
slave quarters on Middleburg Plantation near Charleston; at Monticello, the home of
Thomas Jefferson, whose slave holdings seem so irreconcilable with his expressed
views on human freedom; and at Colonial Williamsburg, which until recently
neglected to show the lives of the slaves, who made up over half the town's
population."
17. Social Studies Multimedia Clips. This CD-Rom is a audiovisual library with
over 200 video clips and 300 still images for multimedia purposes. (Zenger Media
$49.95)
18. United States Presidents. This wonderful poster has portraits and great facts
about each of our Presidents. (Social Studies School Service $8.95)
19. American Government: Resource Link. This is a CD-Rom that allows the
students look at 1500 primary source materials and the ability to use them in a
presentation. (Zenger Media $79.00)
20. Portraits of American Presidents. This videocassette covers the Presidents, their
glories, blunders, and crucial decisions. (Zenger Media $14.95 condensed)