The Age of Jackson
Unit Title: The Age of Jackson
Essential Questions: How did changes in voting laws contribute to Jacksonian Democracy?
Why was Andrew Jackson considered the “People’s President?” Did Andrew Jackson’s
presidency expand democracy? Should Andrew Jackson’s face appear on the twenty-dollar
bill?
Length: Two Weeks
Grade: 9th
Student population: heterogeneous grouping, racially/ethnically diverse classroom, many
first generation students, 30% IEPs, 10% ELLs
Guiding Massachusetts Framework: USI.23, 24, & 26
Major Topics: Andrew Jackson, expansion of suffrage, spoils system, nullification crisis,
Bank of the United States veto, Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears.
Comprehensive materials
1) Hart, Diane. (2002). History Alive! The United States. Palo Alto, CA: Teacher’s Curriculum
Institute. [TEXTBOOK/Teachers edition]
 Andrew Jackson and the Growth of American Democracy (pp. 189-199)
 Student edition of textbook is written at a middle school reading level and contains
lots of photos, art, diagrams, maps, and cartoons. Content focuses on the elections of
1824 and 1828, Jackson’s life, and Jackson’s policies. Teacher resources include
scripted lessons, handouts, worksheets, overhead projector transparencies, and
audio recordings of songs (such as Jackson’s campaign song “The Hunters of
Kentucky”).
 In my unit plan, I used the political cartoons of Jackson, songs related to the
federalist era and Jacksonian era, paintings representing the inauguration of
President Washington and Jackson.
 Students who struggle with reading will find text more accessible; full of pictures,
maps, and political cartoons that may help engage visual learners; graphic
organizers at the beginning of each chapter for conceptual learning.
2) McDougal Littell, Inc (1999). The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century, Teacher’s
Edition. Evanston, IL: Houghton Mifflin Company. [TEXTBOOK]
 The Age of Jackson (pp. 124-132)
 Student textbook written at high school reading level. Content covers Jackson and
his policies, regional economies, and competing national and sectional interests.
Activities on the side of each page to build geography, critical thinking, and
perspective taking skills. Key terms, summarizing, making inferences, and making
prediction activities at the end of chapter.
 In my unit plan, I will use “Difficult Decisions in History” activity on p. 128 that asks
students to pretend they are a legislator in NY during debating whether to expand
the franchise to non-property holders.
 Ideal for homework or independent learning so long as students have strong
reading skills.
3) History Channel. (2007) Andrew Jackson.
 This video can be purchased for 29.95 through the History Channel’s website at:
http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=70239&v=All
 This 100 minute long video uses vocabulary at a 9th grade level. It is ideally for high
school students, but could also be appropriate for middle school students.
 Biography covers Andrew Jackson’s life from the age of 14 up until his death in
1845, caters towards an audience that is primarily interested in military history,
great coverage of Battle of New Orleans and reenactments of wars with Native
Americans.
 For the purposes of teaching a survey high school course, I would use the first
twenty minutes of the video that introduce viewers to Jackson’s personality and
early life experiences. The beginning of the video show Jackson getting slashed by
British soldier, duels, and recounts how he rose from a common man to lawyer, to
military hero, to public official. To keep students engaged in the video, it may be
useful to create a handout that encourages students to analyze, and apply, and
reflect on what they are learning. Examine activity 1 at end of ARL to see my
particular worksheet questions and sample answers.
 Auditory and visual learners, along with students who struggle with reading, would
particularly learn well from this activity.
Expansion of suffrage
4) “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics.” National
Endowment for the Humanities.
 http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=538
 This website provides a lesson plan on teaching the expansion of White suffrage in
addition to a number of lessons related to Andrew Jackson’s presidency.
 Provides excerpts from three state constitutions in the 18th century and in the
1820s, ideal for comparing and contrasting, helps students see how suffrage laws
changed.
 I used this activity in my unit plan. Students should answer: “How did voting laws
change in from the first constitution to amendments?” Once students had
determined how the state laws changed, students were asked if they could answer
who could vote in 1800 election and who could vote in 1828. Students then asked
to predict how these laws may have changed the power structure. Examine activity
2 at end of ARL to see the particular questions I asked my students.
 Great for students who like to work in groups. The Old English language in the state
constitutions may be a barrier to some students, so may want to come up with an
glossary of words to assist reading.
Election of 1828:
5) “An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and other Printed
Ephemera.” Library of Congress.
 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rbpehtml/
 Primary source documents related to Jackson’s 1828 campaign. Mostly
advertisements and newspaper articles in support or against a Jackson presidency.
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Contains old English and pictures. Resources can be used for their headlines and
pictures if vocabulary is beyond students.
There are not direct links to these resources so you need to search for the following
headlines in the Ephemera search engine:
o Supplemental account of some of the bloody deeds of General Jackson, being
a supplement to the "Coffin handbill."
o Murder will out !! Truth is mighty and shall prevail!
o Jackson a negro trader. From the Nashville Banner and Whig. To the public.
o Address of the General Committee of Republican young men of the City of
New York, friendly to the election of Andrew Jackson
Teacher can use these resources when exploring the beginning of modern electoral
campaigning.
Artifacts may particularly appeal to visual learners.
6) The Hunters of Kentucky: A Popular Song Celebrates the Victory of Jackson and his
Frontier Fighters over the British, 1824. New York: Andrews, Printer, 38 Chatham St., N. Y.
[n. d.].
 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6522/
 Three to four minute song, only text is located on website, some old English
vocabulary and names of people may need to be explained, high school reading
level.
 This song was used during Jackson’s campaign to rally voters. Song could be used to
explore campaigning strategies in the 1820s. Students could use information in the
song to deduce information about Jackson and who might have voted for him.
 Students who enjoy singing, poetry, and listening to music may find this activity
particularly engaging.
Spoils System and Kitchen Cabinet
7) Howe, D. W. (2007). What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 18151848. New York: Oxford University Press. Pp. 328-445. [NON-FICTION for ADVANCED
STUDENTS and TEACHERS]
 Excellent secondary source for teachers, leading contemporary non-fiction on
Jacksonian Era, 125 pages long, college reading level, mainly focuses on major
political battles and sectional division through examination of spoils system, Eaton
Affair, Indian Removal Act, Maysville Message, Bank War, and Nullification crisis.
Few photos, maps, or graphics.
 Detailed, but not overwhelming, coverage of spoils system and the Kitchen Cabinet.
Ideal for homework reading p.331-335. Should scaffold by providing
handout/guided reading questions.
 Could be used for research projects. Great quotes from multiple perspectives, good
for sparking debate over different Jacksonian policies.
 Suitable text for strong readers.
Nullification and The Bank War:
8) Political Battles of the Jacksonian Era: The Bank War and the Nullification crisis. 2006.
Digital History: Using New Technology to Enhance Teaching and Research.
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http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us13.cfm
Seven extracts from primary sources, most are either one or two paragraphs in
length. Extracts from Jackson, Webster, Boston newspaper, Clay, Calhoun, and
others. High school reading level.
Teachers can quickly locate rich primary sources from this website and most of the
quotes are at an appropriate reading level for high school students. Only
shortcoming is that quotes are not put in context. Quotes can add depth to teacher
created activity, but probably shouldn’t be used on their own.
Quotes are great for analyzing Jackson’s policies from multiple perspectives.
Primary source reading is great for text-based learners. Students who have
difficulty focusing on reading will need extra attention/support/scaffolding.
9) Primary Documents in American History: Nullification proclamation. Library of
Congress. July 27, 2009.
 http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Nullification.html
 Links and pointers of how to search the 22nd Congressional Record and the Library
of Congress (Ephemera) for primary sources related to the nullification crisis.
 Direct links to: Madison’s response to nullification crisis, Jefferson’s writings on the
right to nullify, Jackson’s private correspondence with Van Buren on the issue, and
coverage of the incident in periodicals.
 Students could use this website for research on the nullification crisis.
 Teachers could use this resource to learn more about the nullification crisis or to
find quotes, multiple perspectives, etc.
 This website is good for research and indepth analysis of multiple perspectives. It is
not ideal for a quick summary of the crisis and doesn’t lend itself to any easy lesson
plan activity.
Jackson and Native Americans, Indian Removal Act, and Trail of Tears
10) Loewen, J. W. (1995). Lies my Teacher Told Me. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pp. 98136 [NON-FICTION for STUDENTS and TEACHERS]
 40 pages of non-fiction expose many myths about Native Americans. Describes
shortcoming of major textbooks through examination of Native American
enslavement, the multi-decade fighting between Native Americans and
Colonists/Americans, and acculturation.
 Great graphics. Picture of wealthy Cherokee plantation owner’s mansion could be
used to counteract myth the “native as savage” myth.
 Possible classroom activity: challenge students to find where the textbook and
Loewen’s book disagree about a fact. This could be an entry point into discussing
what history is and why there are conflicting versions of history.
 Appropriate for most students who read at high school level.
11) Zinn, H. (1995) A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. New York:
HarperCollins. Pp. 124-146 [NON-FICTION for ADVANCED STUDENTS and TEACHERS]
 Critical secondary source of U.S. policy. Contains great quotes from “the people” and
“the elite.” Quotes from Cherokee and Choctaw leaders, Jackson and his cabinet
members, writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Christian Missionaries.
 Quotes can be used for Do Now activities, free journal response, and to support role
playing in debates.
 Text can be used to supplement simplistic textbook accounts of Trail of Tears. Text
can also be used as counter narrative to patriotic—or false—accounts of Native
American-U.S. relations.
12) Indian Removal: Extract from Andrew Jackson's Seventh Annual Message to Congress,
December 7, 1835.” (2001). The Archives of the West. PBS.
 http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/removal.htm
 Jackson’s statement justifying the Indian Removal Act.
 Three paragraphs long. High school reading level.
 I set this primary source against Chief John Ross’s statement. The purpose was to
get students to question why the government wanted to remove Indians to the
West.
 This primary source is more accessible than most because Jackson’s writing style is
fairly colloquial. Students struggling with reading will likely need some support
when interpreting this document.
13) “Our Hearts are Sickened: Letter from Chief John Ross of the Cherokee, Georgia, 1836.”
History Matters. The American Social History Project / Center for Media and Learning
(Graduate Center, CUNY) and the Center for History and New Media (George Mason
University).
 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6598
 Principle Chief John Ross of Cherokee Nation is responding to Andrew Jackson’s
statement supporting the Indian Removal Act. Ross also explains that illegitimate
representatives of the nation forged a fraudulent treaty with the U.S. government
and that this treaty should be annulled.
 This is an incredibly rich text but needs to be heavily scaffolded for many high
school students. About two pages in length.
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For my class, I took two paragraphs from Ross’s statement and contrasted them to
two paragraphs of Jackson’s statement (see source number 12). The purpose of this
activity is to encourage students to evaluate and explore Jackson’s reasons for
forcing Native Americans Wet.
14) Trail of Tears. Cherokee Nation.
 http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/History/TOT/Cat/Default.aspx
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Compilation of primary sources about the Trail of Tears (mostly specific to
Cherokees). Contains internal and external Cherokee responses to U.S. and State
government action, white individual and group protests of government’s actions
towards Indians, and other documents condemning Indian Removal Act.
Most documents require advanced reading level.
Most documents would need to be contextualized.
Documents expressing white protest to the Indian Removal Act can be very valuable
when teaching about the Trail of Tears so as not to generalize it as a White v. Native
American affair.
Documents can be scaffolded by underlining important sentences and having minidictionary of challenging words. Documents will have to be heavily scaffolded for
ELLs and for students who struggle with reading.
15) Montiero, L. (Ed.). (Undated). Family Stories from the Trail of Tears. American Native
Press Archives and Sequoyah Research Center.
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http://anpa.ualr.edu/digital_library/Family%20Stories%20from%20the%20Trail
%20of%20Tears.htm
35 extracts of interviews with Native Americans. Extracts are of stories passed
down to interviewee about his/her family’s experience on the Trail of Tears.
Great primary sources. Brings out human dimension to inhumane policy. Can feed
into discussion about right and wrong, justice and injustice. Can be used by teachers
to discuss how the textbook/historians learn about history.
Interviewees’ stories vary in length and level of vocabulary. Dozens of ways to
differentiate.
Through the use of these stories, students can investigate what life on the Trail of
Tears was like. Teacher can jigsaw stories so that students can share what they
learned about one person’s experiences on the Trail of Tears with another.
Examine activity 3 at end of ARL to see how I used this resource in my unit plan
16) Samuel’s Story. Cherokee Nation.
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http://cherokeehistory.com/samuel.html
Child tells the story of his experiences on the Trail of Tears. Account written by
grandson of narrator. Middle school vocabulary. About 5 pages in length.
Story can be used to expose injustice and investigate Indian-United States relations.
Students can draw vivid events the boy experienced during his time on the trail of
tears. Activities around this text are great for perspective taking.
This story could be used in special education and ELL classes were students are
behind grade level in reading a vocabulary.
17) Deloria Jr., Vine and Junaluska, Arthur (Speakers). (1976). Creek Chief Red Eagle:
Address to General Andrew Jackson. Great American Indian Speeches, Vol. 1 (Phonographic
Disc). New York: Caedmon.
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http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/nativeamericans/chiefredeagle.
htm
Audio transcription, 3 minutes in length
Creek chief is surrendering to Jackson in 1814. Explaining resistance to United
States government, documenting white man’s crimes against his people, asking
Jackson to take mercy on the Creek women and children.
Speech can be used to set the stage of the Indian Removal Act. Also, speech facilitate
perspective taking.
Great for auditory learners.
Evaluative:
18)”Should Andrew Jackson be on the Twenty-dollar bill.” Andrew JacksonL Good, Evil, and
the Presidency. WebQuest published by PBS. [WEB 2.0 RESOURCE and SIMULATION]
 http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu/webquest2.html
 Designed for a high school classroom. Small group activity that takes 4-6 days.
 WebQuest where students are asked to answer the question “Should Jackson be on
the 20 dollar bill” from one of many perspectives. Students are asked to research
the perspective of the person/group they are role playing and then come up with
the strongest arguments either in favor of, or against, Jackson being commemorated
on legal tender. Students are asked to write an essay and present their argument to
the class.
 This WebQuest is a great summative assessment. The numerous videos, articles,
primary sources, and external website links could be used apart from the WebQuest
if teacher has another summative assessment in mind.
 Ideal summative assessment. I altered the essay and presentation requirements to
better meet my classroom context. I developed supplemental outline sheets and
instructions to scaffold the essay and presentation portions of this activity.(Examine
activity 4 at end of ARL to see how I used this resource in my unit plan.)
 This is a truly fantastic resource for all students. Activity allows for independent and
student directed learning. WebQuest provides learners with flexibility to select
their own preferred style of learning (reading, listening, or watching).
19) Quia Online Activities and Games. Quia Corporation. San Diego, CA.
 http://www.quia.com/shared/search
 Teachers create activities and games for students on this website. Simply type in
“Andrew Jackson” and a handful of activities appear such as Jackson relevant word
searches, flashcards, hangman, scavenger hunts and games of Battleship.
 Anyone can buy a subscription and publish activities for public use. Activities range
in difficulty and in quality (beware!). Age of targeted audience depends on
particular activity and game.
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Teachers continue to add new activities to website. This activity has students list
events in Andrew Jackson’s life in chronological order:
http://www.quia.com/pp/12414.html?AP_rand=285278267
Activities and games are best used for student self-assessments and
studying/review.
Activity 1:The Life of Andrew Jackson
Video questions with answers in italics
Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p63Dvdrggns (0-9:28)
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Why does Andrew Jackson have a crease in the side of his head? Andrew Jackson has
a crease in the side of his head because he was cut by a British soldiers sword during
the Revolutionary War. (2:38)
Where did Andrew Jackson grow up? Andrew Jackson and his family lived on the
American frontier in the Waxhaw region of the Carolinas. (3:50)
How would you describe Andrew Jackson’s early life? Cite one fact to support your
description. Jackson’s early life was full of misfortune. He lost his father, mother, and
brother all before he was a teenager. He also contracted small pox after getting
slashed in the side of the head by a British soldier. (5:00)
Did Jackson go to college? What was his profession? No. He became a lawyer. (7:15)
Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsV3hJtriBE&NR=1 (start @ 5:30-End @ 7:05)
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One historian says that Jackson “did not play well with the other children.” What is
the historian saying about Jackson’s performance as a politician? The historian is
saying that Jackson did not get along with other politicians.( 7:05)
Clip 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PukT4cVwUI&feature=related (0-9:16)
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What is your reaction to Jackson’s duel? Personally, I think Jackson must have been
one tough as nails to have been able to concentrate enough to shoot Dickinson after
sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest. I am also shocked by the brutality of duels.
Old ways of showing honor superficially seem grand, but this reenactment betrayed
the sheer brutality and utter stupidity of the act. (1:35)
Why did soldiers nickname Jackson “Old Hickory?” Cite one example to support your
opinion. Soldiers gave Jackson this nickname because he was tough. Despite being ill,
he gave up his horse to sick soldiers and walked from Alabama back to Tennessee.
(4:05)
Did all the Creek Indians maintain their traditional ways? No, many assimilated to
the ways of the white man. One historian said some of the Creeks were
indistinguishable from plantation owners. (5:54)
Clip 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FydZiVGTKRc&feature=related (3:44-4:46)
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Jackson’s troops beat the British during the Battle of New Orleans. What larger
victory did many Americans attribute to Jackson? Many Americans called Jackson
“the hero” because they heard about the treaty of Ghent (the end of the war of 1812)
immediately following Jackson’s victory at New Orleans. (4:46)
Why do you think Jackson was popular among the people? Cite specific facts to
support your opinion. Jackson was extremely popular because he was a military hero
for winning the battle of New Orleans. Successful military leaders, such as George
Washington, are generally revered by the people. Also, I think that people admired him
for being so tough (giving up his horse to sick soldiers and walking back to Tennessee
during the early 1800s) and being courageous (refusing to polish the British soldier’s
shoes when he was a POW).
Activity 2: Expansion of Suffrage (for some)
Expansion of White Suffrage
1. According to the state’s original constitution, who is permitted to vote?
2. After amendments were made to the voting law, what new group was permitted to vote?
3. How might a rich landowner respond to this new law? Draw a facial expression and explain
what they may be thinking.
4. How might a property-less, white, male, wage-laborer respond? Draw a facial expression and
explain what they may be thinking.
5. How might a property-less, black, male, wage-laborer respond? Draw a facial expression and
explain what they may be thinking.
Activity 3: Trail of Tears
Working in groups of two or three, select one of the six documents to pick. Read through the author’s description of what life was like
on the trail of tears. Then independently select one event during the story that you find particularly moving. Title your picture “The
Trail of Tears”, colorfully draw your event, and then write the quote that inspired your picture beneath your picture. Your group of two
or three students will then nominate someone to present it in class. Teachers will be circulating the room for assistance. Pay
attention to the clock because we will stop 15 minutes from the end of class for presentations.
Activity 4: Summative Assessment
Should Andrew Jackson be commemorated on the twenty-dollar bill?
It is 1922 and the Treasury Department is trying to determine whether Andrew
Jackson’s portrait should be placed on the twenty-dollar bill. Your task is to role-play a
historical actor from Jackson’s era and argue why his face should, or should not, be
commemorated on the twenty-dollar bill.
You and three other students will be assigned to role play one of the four roles
below. Your first task is to determine who your character is and how Jackson impacted
their life. If Jackson and his policies negatively affected you and your group, then you will
attempt to persuade the Treasury Department (Mr. Roth, Mr. Wilkenson, and Mr. Walker)
not to commemorate Andrew Jackson on the front of the twenty-dollar bill. If, on the other
hand, Jackson and his policies benefited your group, you will attempt to persuade the
Treasury Department to commemorate Jackson.
Once you and your peers pick a side, you will have to support your argument with
two reasons. Your reasons should be further supported by three details. For your
convenience, I have listed President Jackson’s most prominent policies (your two reasons
could be related to these policies). You will conclude by urging the Treasury Department
one last time to heed your advice on this debate over commemoration. You and your group
will be responsible for writing a four paragraph persuasive essay and then presenting your
case in front of the class.
Roles:
Chief John Ross & Native Americans
Nicholas Biddle & the Bank of the United States
Martin Van Buren & the Democratic Party
A White Southern Farmer
Jackson and His Policies
Jackson’s Background
Bank Veto
Nullification Crisis
Spoils System
Indian Removal Act
Battle of New Orleans