Essential Questions: Chapter 13
The Rise of Mass Democracy, 1824-1840
Election of 1824
1. What was the voter turnout like for the election of 1824 vs. the election of 1828?
2. How was the election of 1824 decided and why? 257
3. What was the “corrupt bargain”? 258
4. Why was John Quincy Adams considered such a failure as a president? 259
The “Revolution of 1828”: the Election of Jackson
5. To what degree was Jackson’s election truly a “Revolution of 1828”? 260
6. How does it compare to Jefferson’s Revolution of 1800? 260
Jackson as President
7. Based on his humble beginnings, in what ways could Jackson be described as of the “common man”? 262
8. In what ways was Jackson an aristocrat? 262
9. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the spoils system? 262
10. How did Jackson defend the spoils system as a “rotation in office”? 262
The Tariff of 1828
11. Why did New England go along with the huge new tariff, and why did the South oppose it so violently? 263
12. What did the Jacksonians hope to gain by proposing it in the first place? 263
13. Who was the real author of the South Carolina Exposition, and why did he write it? 264
The Nullification Crisis
14. Why did South Carolina nullify the tariff reduction of 1832? 264
15. How did Jackson react to South Carolina’s actions? 265
16. What was Clay’s compromise offer and why did he make it? 265
17. What was the Force Bill and how did South Carolina react to it? 265
18. What was the ultimate result of the Nullification Crisis? 265
Jackson’s Native American Policy
19. What was the theory of assimilation and how well did it work? 266
20. What was the primary purpose of the Indian Removal Act? 267
21. Why did Jackson believe that the Indian Removal Act benefited Native Americans? 267
The War over the Second Bank of the United States
22. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Bank of the US at this time? 268
23. Why did Henry Clay want to recharter the Bank of the US four years early? 269
24. How did Jackson’s veto of the recharter bill strengthen the presidency? (other actions?) 270
The Election of 1832
25. What were the important innovations of the election process in 1832? 270
26. Who were the Anti-Masonites? the National Republicans? 271
27. Why did “Old Andy” Jackson win easily over Henry Clay? 271
Killing the Bank
28. After his veto, how did Jackson try to kill the Bank? 271
29. Why did Jackson issue the Specie Circular? 272
New Party—the Whigs
30. From which group did the Whig party emerge, and why did they claim that name? 272
31. Why did Martin Van Buren win the election of 1836? 273
32. What problems to Martin Van Buren inherit from Jackson? 274
A U.S. Depression
33. What led to the Panic of 1837? 274
34. To what extent did Jackson’s policies contribute to the economic problems during Van Buren’s presidency?
274
35. What was Van Buren’s response to the economic crisis and was it effective? 275
36. What was the Divorce Bill/Independent Treasury Bill? 275
Texas Independence
37. Why did Mexico agree to allow US settlers in Mexican Texas, and what was expected of the Americans? 275
38. What incited the independence movement in Texas, and how was it ultimately victorious? 277
39. Why did the US decline to annex Texas? 280
The Election of 1840 & Two Parties
40. How did the Whigs “manufacture” both candidates to achieve victory for Harrison in the 1840 election? 280
41. How had the electorate(voting population) changed since the Critical Period? 282
42. What were the two remaining political parties in 1840, and what were their basic positions? 283
Whigs
Democrats