Chapter 13 Essays
- Why was the election of 1824 so ridden with conflict and confusion? What was at stake between the contesting candidates, especially Adams and Jackson?
- In 1816, John C. Calhoun had supported protective tariff legislation. In 1828, he denounced protective tariffs. Why did he switch?
- In what ways was Andrew Jackson a states’ rightist? In what ways was he a nationalist?
- The text’s authors claim the election of 1828 "was a ‘revolution’ more than in 1800." Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- Write your definition of political favoritism. Then use this definition to argue that the rotation in office/spoils system of the Jacksonians was or was not crass political favoritism.
- Write your definition of common man. Then use this definition to
argue that Andrew Jackson was or was not a common man in the presidency.
- If you lived in the 1820s, would you have voted for Andrew Jackson? Why or why not?
- Would you say that Andrew Jackson as president reflected the views, values, and interests of the West or of the South? Explain.
- Which of the following do you suppose would have supported Andrew Jackson and Jacksonian policies: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, George Washington? Why?
- The text’s authors describe the Tariff of 1828 as "dishonest," and it was dubbed by angry southerners the "Tariff of Abominations." Why? What purposes lay behind passage of this tariff law?
- Summarize the major points of each participant in the Webster-Hayne debate. Explain why the text’s authors can claim that Webster "probably did more than any other person to arouse the incoming generation of northerners to fight for the ideal of the Union."