Should Andrew Jackson be removed from the $20 bill?
Structured Academic Controversy Plan
11th Grade U.S. History
Examining the perennial issue:
To what extent should our contemporary moral judgments influence
the way historical figures are memorialized?
Perennial Issue: To what extent should our contemporary moral judgments influence the way
historical figures are memorialized?
Case Issue: Should Andrew Jackson be removed from the $20 bill?
Instructional Model: Structured Academic Controversy (SAC)
Brief Description: Working in pairs and teams, students will explore an issue through opposing
positions and eventually try to reach a consensus on the issue. If no consensus can be reached,
they will clearly identify where their differences lie.
Overview:
This case issue will launch a unit covering the Jackson Era.
Historians continue to debate the merits of the decisions and actions taken by President
Andrew Jackson during his two terms in office. Living between the Revolutionary War and the
Civil War, Jackson played a central role in virtually all of the controversial issues of his timeIndian removal, economic reform, states' rights, and slavery.
Overshadowed in popular culture by the Founding Fathers and even wartime Presidents
Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, Jackson nonetheless played a pivotal role in America's
development. In 1929, the Treasury Department replaced Grover Cleveland's portrait on the
twenty-dollar bill with that of Jackson, a nice bit of irony considering Jackson's opposition to
paper money. Andrew Jackson played a significant role in democratizing American government
and society. He increased the power of the president, sparked a significant increase in voting, and
had a personal popularity not seen since George Washington. However, while promoting his
agenda and gaining the respect of white workers and farmers, he ordered the removal of Native
Americans from their ancestral lands and started a dramatic expansion of slavery. While there is
no record of the process that placed him on the $20 bill in the early 1900's, his presence in our
wallets continues to be controversial.
Grade Level: 11th
Materials: Projector, White Board/Pens, Copies of all the handouts (in Appendix)- refer to body
of lesson for necessary handouts, overview SAC procedure – W. Parker (Appendix 9)
Time required: 2 (55 min.) class periods – outlines of days are presented in the procedure
Learning Objectives
ACADEMIC CONTENT
HIGHER-ORDER THINKING
INTELLECTUAL WORK
SOCIAL SKILLS
CIVILITY
 Students will understand
key issues and events during
the presidency of Andrew
Jackson. (GLE 1.2, 4.2)
 Students will be able to
distinguish between a position on
an issue and arguments made for
and against it. (GLE 5.1)
 Students will work
cooperatively with a group
(through deliberation) to seek
consensus on a controversial
issue. (GLE 1.4, 5.3)
 Students will learn
conflicting viewpoints of the
actions and legacy of
Andrew Jackson. (GLE 4.3)
 Students will use dialogical
reasoning to construct an essay
defending their position on the
issue using multiple lines of
reasoning. (GLE 4.2, 5.4)
 Students will evaluate the extent
to which Andrew Jackson
deserves to be celebrated as a
champion of democracy by
selecting evidence to support
one's assigned position. (GLE
2.1)
 Students will interact
respectfully, challenging
ideas, not criticizing
individuals. (GLE 5.3)
Overview of cases for high school US History
Case 1
Content/Topic: European
discovery of the New World –
late 15th Century
Case 2
Content/Topic: Jacksonian
Era – 1830s
Case 3
Content/Topic: The
Conservative Tide –
Contemporary U.S. History
Case Issue: Should Columbus
be remembered as an explorer
or exploiter?
Case Issue: Should Andrew
Jackson be removed from the
$20 bill?
Case Issue: Should Ronald
Reagan Washington
National Airport be
renamed?
Instructional Method:
Structured Academic
Controversy
Instructional Method:
Structured Academic
Controversy
Instructional Method:
Structured Academic
Controversy
Assessment:
Town hall meeting followed by
short position paper assignment
Assessment:
Dialogical essay
Assessment:
Persuasive writing
assignment presenting
arguments to the legislature
Procedure
DAY 1
I. Introduction - Hook/ Engagement
Pull out a $20 bill (if you don’t have a $20 bill, display a picture of the bill on the projector Appendix 1) and ask the students who is pictured on the bill. Engage student in a dialog about
how prominent figures in history are memorialized. Who is pictured on U.S. currency? Why? Is
there any controversy regarding the figures memorialized?
Ask students what they know about Andrew Jackson and list responses on the board.
Next, introduce the perennial issue (overarching issue) they will be addressing over the next
couple days. Ask students what a perennial issue is. Affirm that perennial describes something
that surfaces again and again. (e.g. Does might make right?)
Write the perennial question on the board: To what extent should our contemporary moral
judgments influence the way historical figures are memorialized?
Because of the complex language in the question, be sure to unpack the meaning of the question.
Ask students how might Andrew Jackson’s placement on the $20 bill relate to the perennial
question.
Display political cartoon from 1932 (Appendix 2). Ask students to analyze what the artist is
trying to convey. Note: this cartoon is modeled after a painting of Napoleon by Ingres. Be sure
to address the appearance of Jackson- phrases written around the border, and images under his
feet. Ask students how this portrayal of Jackson relates to his presence on the twenty-dollar bill?
Guide students to the controversy surrounding Jackson.
II. Middle
Tell students that today they will begin learning a strategy for learning called a structured
academic controversy. The purpose of this strategy is to assist them in learning both sides of a
controversial issue and weigh competing arguments. A major goal of this process is to reach
consensus on the issue after assessing the multiple arguments on both sides.
Place learning objectives (included in lesson) on the projector/ overhead, and go over the
individual objectives to ensure student understanding. The ultimate goal is to understand both
perspectives on this issue through deliberation and make an informed judgment. They will work
cooperatively as a group to more fully understand the controversy behind the case issue.
Next, distribute a handout of the format for a structured academic controversy (Appendix 3). Go
over the procedure step-by-step with the students. Emphasize that each pair will be given one
side of the controversy and prepare arguments supporting their position. Each pair is required to
teach the other pair about their arguments.
Now that students have an overview of the objectives and format, tell them the case issue they
will be discussing. Write the case issue on the board: Should Andrew Jackson be removed
from the $20 bill?
Distribute copies of the background information to each student (Appendix 4). Allow students
time to read through the information and ask if they have any questions regarding the
information. (vocabulary, content, context)
III. Closing
Tell students that tomorrow their groups will be broken into pairs to discuss the case issue. Their
pair will receive the information for their side and they will have in-class time to prepare their
arguments.
DAY 2
I. Opening
Display the photo of a $20 bill on the projector along with the case issue question.
Next, arbitrarily break the groups into two teams and assign them pro or con. Tell students that it
is crucial that both members participate equally and that they are responsible to present their
position accurately to the opposite team. Only when the entire group has all the information can
a reasoned judgment be reached regarding Jackson’s placement on the $20 bill.
II. Middle
Distribute PRO (Appendix 6) and CON (Appendix 7) readings to the pairs according to their
assigned position (distribute one copy per pair as a means of encouraging them to work together
from the beginning) and a SAC Worksheet (Appendix 5) to each student. Note: do not distribute
both PRO and CON readings to each pair.
Give students 20 minutes to read the position papers and fill out the SAC Worksheet preparing
their arguments. Instruct students to converse with their partners to prepare their arguments
based on the information received and to develop multiple lines of reasoning to support their
positions.
After students have prepared their arguments, take a moment to review some essential rules
when discussing controversial issues. Write on the board:
Do not forget the rules of a successful academic controversy!
1. Practice active listening
2. Challenge ideas, not the person
3. Try your best to understand the other position
4. Share the floor: each person in a pair MUST have an opportunity to speak
5. No disagreeing until consensus-building as a group of four
When it appears groups are ready, instruct the PRO side to present their arguments (no more than
5 minutes in length). Remind the CON team to record the arguments from the PRO team on the
SAC Worksheet. After the PRO side has presented their arguments, tell the CON side to present
the PRO arguments back to them to their satisfaction and ask any clarifying questions.
The process will now reverse. The CON team will present their arguments (no more than 5
minutes in length). The PRO team will record the arguments from the CON team on the SAC
Worksheet. After the CON side has presented their arguments, tell the PRO side to present the
CON arguments back to them to their satisfaction and ask any clarifying questions.
Circulate while the teams are presenting their arguments to respond to any questions or concerns.
Lastly, invite the students to drop their assigned position and continue discussing the issue as a
group, now reaching for a consensus. Let them know they will have 5 minutes (longer if time
permits) to deliberate and then report out on their discussion to the whole class.
As a whole class, call on each group to report their consensus on the issue, and if they didn’t
come to a consensus, where the disagreement is. Record decisions on the board.
III. Closing
Debrief each learning objective of the SAC with the students. Ask students to what degree each
objective was achieved. Ask students about their experience doing a SAC. What did they enjoy?
What was challenging? Let them know this information will help in planning for other case
issues they will explore in the course.
ASSESSMENT
Students will write a dialogical (persuasive) essay addressing the case issue: Should Andrew
Jackson be removed from the $20 bill? The essay will include an introduction, their position
(at least two detailed arguments), the other side (at least two detailed arguments), and a
conclusion restating their position.
Pass out a copy of the NAEP persuasive writing rubric that will be used to grade their essays.
(Appendix 8)
Students have already written persuasive essays and have an outline and structure to use.
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Structured Academic Controversy (SAC): Procedure
I. Learn Position
● Read materials supporting your position.
● Work with your partner to understand the main points of your position.
● Decide with your partner how to best argue your position.
● Plan a brief presentation to teach the other pair the material.
II. Presenting Positions, Reversing Perspectives
● One pair presents their position and arguments persuasively.
● The listening pair takes notes, then re-states the position of the other pair.
● Second pair presents their position and their arguments persuasively.
● Listening pair takes notes, then re-states the position of the other pair.
III. Discussing the Issue
● At this point, positions may be abandoned if convinced by other arguments.
● Groups should discuss the issue, noting points of difference and similarity in the facts –
as well as in ethics (values), beliefs, and definitions of terms
● Groups should reach for consensus on the issue, or discover where differences lie.
● Groups will report results of the discussion to the class.
IV. De-briefing
● Teacher and students discuss how effectively each of the objectives was met –
identifying which areas need attention during the next SAC.
V. Assessment
● Students will demonstrate understanding of the case material and the larger perennial
issue by writing a persuasive essay or another product that will clearly present their
position on the issue.
Appendix 4
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Background Information: Should Andrew Jackson be removed from the $20 bill?
Historians continue to debate the merits of the decisions and actions taken by President
Andrew Jackson during his two terms in office. Living between the Revolutionary War and the
Civil War, Jackson played a central role in virtually all of the controversial issues of his timeIndian removal, economic reform, states' rights, and slavery.
Life of Andrew Jackson
More nearly than any of his predecessors, Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote;
as President he sought to act as the direct representative of the common man. Born in a
backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in 1767, he received sporadic education. But in his late
teens he read law for about two years, and he became an outstanding young lawyer in Tennessee.
Fiercely jealous of his honor, he engaged in brawls, and in a duel killed a man who cast an
unjustified slur on his wife Rachel. Jackson prospered sufficiently to buy slaves and to build a
mansion. He was the first man elected from Tennessee to the House of Representatives, and he
served briefly in the Senate. A major general in the War of 1812, Jackson became a national hero
when he defeated the British at New Orleans. In 1824 some state political factions rallied around
Jackson; by 1828 enough had joined "Old Hickory" to win numerous state elections and control
of the Federal administration in Washington. In his first Annual Message to Congress, Jackson
recommended eliminating the Electoral College. He also tried to democratize Federal office
holding. Already state machines were being built on patronage, and a New York Senator openly
proclaimed, "that to the victors belong the spoils. . . . " Jackson took a milder view. Decrying
officeholders who seemed to enjoy life tenure, he believed Government duties could be "so plain
and simple" that offices should rotate among deserving applicants. As national politics polarized
around Jackson and his opposition, two parties grew out of the old Republican Party--the
Democratic Republicans, or Democrats, adhering to Jackson; and the National Republicans, or
Whigs, opposing him. Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and other Whig leaders proclaimed
themselves defenders of popular liberties against the usurpation of Jackson. Hostile cartoonists
portrayed him as King Andrew I. Behind their accusations lay the fact that Jackson, unlike
previous Presidents, did not defer to Congress in policy-making but used his power of the veto
and his party leadership to assume command. The greatest party battle centered around the
Second Bank of the United States, a private corporation but virtually a Government-sponsored
monopoly. When Jackson appeared hostile toward it, the Bank threw its power against him. Clay
and Webster, who had acted as attorneys for the Bank, led the fight for its recharter in Congress.
"The bank," Jackson told Martin Van Buren, "is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!" Jackson, in
vetoing the recharter bill, charged the Bank with undue economic privilege. His views won
approval from the American electorate; in 1832 he polled more than 56 percent of the popular
vote and almost five times as many electoral votes as Clay. Jackson met head-on the challenge of
John C. Calhoun, leader of forces trying to rid themselves of a high protective tariff. When South
Carolina undertook to nullify the tariff, Jackson ordered armed forces to Charleston and privately
threatened to hang Calhoun. Violence seemed imminent until Clay negotiated a compromise:
tariffs were lowered and South Carolina dropped nullification. In January of 1832, while the
President was dining with friends at the White House, someone whispered to him that the Senate
had rejected the nomination of Martin Van Buren as Minister to England. Jackson jumped to his
feet and exclaimed, "By the Eternal! I'll smash them!" So he did. His favorite, Van Buren,
became Vice President, and succeeded to the Presidency when "Old Hickory" retired to the
Hermitage, where he died in June 1845.
Overshadowed in popular culture by the Founding Fathers and even wartime Presidents
Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, Jackson nonetheless played a pivotal role in America's
development. In 1929, the Treasury Department replaced Grover Cleveland's portrait on the
twenty-dollar bill with that of Jackson, a nice bit of irony considering Jackson's opposition to
paper money. Andrew Jackson played a significant role in democratizing American government
and society. He increased the power of the president, sparked a significant increase in voting, and
had a personal popularity not seen since George Washington. However, while promoting his
agenda and gaining the respect of white workers and farmers, he ordered the removal of Native
Americans from their ancestral lands and started a dramatic expansion of slavery. While there is
no record of the process that placed him on the $20 bill in the early 1900's, his presence in our
wallets continues to be controversial.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/andrewjackson/
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu/webquest2.html
Appendix 5
Structured Academic Controversy – Worksheet
Case Issue: Should Andrew Jackson be removed from the $20 bill?
Team Members For Removal (PRO)
____________________________
____________________________
Team Members Against Removal (CON)
_________________________________
_________________________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MAIN ARGUMENTS – PRO
1.
2.
3.
4.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MAIN ARGUMENT – CON
1.
2.
3.
4.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Points for Group Discussion:
Circle Group’s Decision:
PRO
CON
UNDECIDED
Appendix 6
PRO – In Support of Jackson’s Removal from the $20 bill.
Jackson: A symbol of Injustice
Awarded the prestigious honor to remain forever engraved on the twenty dollar bill, Andrew
Jackson became a figure in American history never forgotten. Future generations of younger
students will not need to know Andrew for them to assume he was a great man. Unfortunately,
the ignorance of idolizing Jackson because he appears on American currency serves to blanket
the realities of his administration. Jackson should be removed from the twenty dollar bill.
Recognizing the injustices president Andrew Jackson performed, Americans have considered the
dispute over the removal of Jackson 's face from the twenty-dollar bill. The real question remains
why place America 's figures in iconic positions based on fame? Benedict Arnold is famous, yet
he was a traitor to America. Why not place figures that contributed to the well-being of the
country and upheld humane morals? Jackson 's administration only improved the system,
initiating the progress toward a modern democratic government. Under President Jackson, the
elimination of voter property qualifications allowed a variety of citizens from different social
classes to elect government officials. Jackson also ended the national banks that resembled the
greedy monopolies of the late 1800's.
Andrew Jackson, revered as the first common man to become President, symbolized the average
citizen having the opportunity to climb the ranks within America 's democratic system. However,
the profits of Jackson 's administration succeed in concealing his immoral procedures and
behavior. Jackson 's methods worked accordingly to the reasoning of the father of political
science, Machiavelli, who said, “The end justifies the means”. He achieved lucrative results at
the cost of abandoning ethics and destroying the lives of human beings. Replacing Jackson
would be logical to those who support integrity, and understand the values and intentions of a
man America 's chosen to immortalize.
Jackson not only menaced the Native American community, but defied the nation he served. On
several occasions, Andrew Jackson acted rebellious to United States laws and orders. In 1813,
Jackson disregarded Article IX of the treaty of Ghent, which demanded the return of Creek
territory acquired in the treaty of Fort Jackson. Andrew Jackson, a general at the time, existed in
no position to dismiss treaties that the U.S. claimed as “laws of the land”. Fueled with the
American hatred toward Native Americans, Jackson stubbornly refused to acknowledge Creek
ownership of any land. Jackson 's unruly attitude brought him close to making hazardous
international mistakes. Believing British officers were assisting local natives, Jackson “without
any specific orders” invaded Spanish Florida and killed every Spanish-British officer at a central
military fort. His actions angered President Monroe because Jackson created tension between the
U.S. and Western Europe. Exhibiting disobedience to his superiors, Jackson 's actions served as a
precursor to his oppressive authority.
During his presidency, Jackson 's Indian policies transformed the concept of Manifest Destiny
into a reality. Jackson, along with many Americans, possessed a Eurocentric view and failed to
recognize Native tribes as civilized sovereign nations. In 1834, Chief John Ross met with
Jackson in hopes of ending the president's Cherokee removal policy, when Jackson replied, “It is
impossible that you can flourish in the midst of a civilized community”. Because of the
thousands of smaller Native nations compared to the larger European nations, Americans under
Jackson neglected to equate the sovereignty of the two types of civilizations. The refusal to
accept tribes as separate nations justified the stealing of their land. Still, Jackson 's invasion of
Native soil was no different than if he had invaded France or Spain. President Jackson acted like
a bully on the playground, using America 's strength to take land. Jackson also participated in the
treacherous scheme of using treaties to legally gain land. Signing the Indian Removal Act in
1830, Jackson granted the president the power to negotiate treaties with tribes. Jackson
authorized government officials to deceive Natives into signing treaties by either getting Natives
drunk or misinterpreting the documents. The utilization of treaties changed into a method of
modern conquest, yet maintained the same barbaric intentions as a violent siege. By 1838,
Jackson forced 17,000 Cherokees to move west of the Mississippi river and in the process 4,000
to 8,000 died. Jackson stands as a symbolic remembrance of the injustices that occurred during
the age of white expansion.
Andrew Jackson not only represents his own unethical actions, but symbolizes the racism of an
American people in history. Robert V. Remini, biographer of Andrew Jackson, states, “The
American people as a whole sided with the government and approved Jackson 's policy.” Jackson
crushed his opponents during the presidential elections, which displayed the massive support he
received from the land speculators benefiting from his Indian policies. The plan to remove
Indians remained at the top of Jackson 's list in his first address to Congress. Americans strongly
advocated Jackson 's policies to quench their lust for land, and decimate a race they had
developed hatred toward for so many years. The face of Andrew Jackson personifies racism,
hatred, and a time when the U.S. enforced hypocritical policies that morally opposed the
constitution.
Replacing Jackson from the twenty-dollar bill could only benefit America 's image problem.
Acknowledging the injustices of history, America would reflect intolerance for hypocrisy, and a
progress from the past. The replacement would show that America promotes power in both
morality and justice.
Carrie McLachlan - http://www.americanindian.ucr.edu/discussions/jackson/pro_removal.html
Appendix 7
CON – Against removal of Jackson from the $20 bill.
Jackson: A President, Not a Saint
No one can argue that as a president, Jackson made no mistakes; however, they in no way
disqualify him from having a place on the U.S. twenty dollar bill. Jackson made every decision
according to the will of the American people, even the more unsavory ones. He was a war hero
that exemplified the strength and tenacity by which America has defined itself over the
generations. He acted in all ways with concern for the growth of the American nation, both at
home and overseas. Even his now unquestionably negative actions, such as the Indian Removal
Act, were done at the time not only in the interest of the citizens of the United States, but in
regard (however misguided) to the survival of the Indian nations. It is this distinction between
intents that make the comparison of Andrew Jackson to Adolf Hitler unfounded and even
laughable.
The duty of a president, or any elected official for that matter, is to enact policies concurrent with
the views of the voting population that elected him or her to office. In the case of Andrew
Jackson, through no fault of his own, the voting population was white males. In fact, Andrew
Jackson's voting base was closer to the occupational background of today's voters than to the
land-owning aristocratic supporters of his predecessor's and opponents. Supporters of Jackson
included "urban workers, western frontiersmen, southern planters, small farmers, bankers and
would-be entrepreneurs" (Tregle). It is this unusually diverse voting basis, as well as his own
humble beginnings, that sometimes earned Jackson the label of "the People's President".
Jackson's support among voters of disparate backgrounds, as well as a decisive win both in the
electoral and popular vote twice, put a lie to the argument that he was a "tyrant". In fact, the label
of "King Andrew I" was started as a blatant attempt at mudslinging by his opposition for the
presidency. Although Jackson made many decisions with regard to the Native American
population that are, with today's more broad interpretation of "all men", considered immoral, he
acted according the sentiment of the voting populace: that being "the Indians are on our land".
Jackson had a war record that makes him, even today, and example of the strength and tenacity
of the United States. Jackson served in many campaigns, both on behalf of the militia of his
home state, Tennessee, and the U.S. military. It is with the U.S. military in the War of 1812 that
Jackson received his most famous victory; the Battle of New Orleans. There, on January 8, 1815
Jackson defended a British charge that resulted in only 6 American deaths, but over 2,000 British
deaths and injuries (Tregle). Jackson, and this battle in particular, became a symbol of the
"distinctive American strength" (Tregle) that we still prize today.
Jackson made every decision, not for personal gain, but in what he felt was the best interest of
the United States. The ideals of westward expansion (Manifest Destiny) did not begin with
Jackson, nor did they die with him; as a result, Jackson cannot be held solely responsible for
actions taken in the furthering of this goal. Jackson did much to expand the power of the United
States, at home and overseas. He settled disputes with Spain that lead to the acquisition of what
is now Florida. He opened the British West Indian ports to American trade, which greatly helped
the American export business. Finally, he preserved the integrity of the Union by not only
making a "fiery defense of national sovereignty" (Tregle), but by balancing it with the protection
of state's rights as outlined in the constitution.
It has been argued that the Indian Removal Act, and the subsequent Trail of Tears, were attempts
at genocide made by Jackson, with malicious intent towards Native Americans. But Jackson
himself argued that the Indian Removal Act was (as he saw it, anyway) in the best interest of the
long-term survival of the Indian Nations. To leave the Indians in surrounded by hostile white
civilization would, he argued, "doom [them] to weakness and decay", and that
"emigration...alone [could] preserve from destruction the remnants of the tribes still among us.”
The Trail of Tears, often attributed to Jackson, actually occurred two years after his final term of
office. Although Jackson 's Indian Removal Act set the tone by which the Trail of Tears was
executed, the conditions under which it was done (those conditions which led to the deaths of
over 4,000 Native Americans) were out of his control. Indeed, how can it be said that Jackson
harbored malicious intent toward the Native Americans, when he actually adopted a Creek boy
who was treated among his household like a son. In the case of Jackson, although he made many
misguided decisions regarding the Native population, he did so according to the will of the
citizens of the U.S., the interests of that great nation, and without malicious intent.
Jackson, in many ways, is representative of the history of the United States. His strength and
tenacity were well documented, but like our great country, his character and actions are not
without stain. To deny Jackson his place on the twenty dollar bill would call into question the
right of all other figures on our currency: Washington, who not only owned slaves but actively
and openly participated in violence upon the Native Americans with the intent of eliminating
them (a real policy of genocide), Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation only included
slaves in the territory of the Confederacy as an attempt to use the slave populace, Franklin, a
womanizer and a man who abandoned his wife and children for the pleasures of Paris, and Grant,
responsible for one of the most corrupt eras of American politics. Although Jackson's policies
concerning Native Americans were questionable at best, and should in no way be exalted, he
remains and important, and in many ways, a positive figure in American history.
Carrie McLachlan - http://www.americanindian.ucr.edu/discussions/jackson/con_removal.html
Appendix 8
Appendix 9