Deck 10: The Jacksonian Era

Question 1

Most Whigs were states' rights advocates.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

President Jackson's response to the nullification crisis was to ask Congress to raise the tariff.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Match each description with the item below.
What was Jackson's legacy regarding the status of Indians in American society?

A)plotted an unsuccessful slave revolt near Richmond with the false expectation that "poor whites" would join
B)was hanged for killing her master while he was sexually assaulting her and, because she was enslaved, was kept from testifying
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)was a plantation mistress and a critic of gender roles within the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue, the world's richest colony, terrifying many whites
F)plotted an unsuccessful slave rebellion in South Carolina in which blacks were to capture the city's arsenal
G)was a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South and later wrote Twelve Years a Slave
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history north of New Orleans, resulting in the torture and killing of participants
I)is the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, portraying southern planters as cunning capitalists who brutalized slaves
J)led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, that led the Virginia legislature to debate the abolition of slavery and states to create more armed patrols

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

Match each description with the item below.
What were Andrew Jackson's major beliefs regarding democracy, the presidency, and the proper role of government in the nation's economy?

A)plotted an unsuccessful slave revolt near Richmond with the false expectation that "poor whites" would join
B)was hanged for killing her master while he was sexually assaulting her and, because she was enslaved, was kept from testifying
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)was a plantation mistress and a critic of gender roles within the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue, the world's richest colony, terrifying many whites
F)plotted an unsuccessful slave rebellion in South Carolina in which blacks were to capture the city's arsenal
G)was a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South and later wrote Twelve Years a Slave
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history north of New Orleans, resulting in the torture and killing of participants
I)is the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, portraying southern planters as cunning capitalists who brutalized slaves
J)led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, that led the Virginia legislature to debate the abolition of slavery and states to create more armed patrols

Question 5

Jackson's vice president was John
C. Calhoun.

Question 6

Osceola led the Seminole resistance to their removal from their lands.

Question 7

One argument by opponents of Jackson was that democracy remained more an ideal than a
reality for most Americans by the mid-nineteenth century.

Question 8

Jacksonian democracy involved the extension of voting rights to blacks, Native Americans,
and women.

Question 9

Andrew Jackson was the most openly partisan and politically involved president up to that
point in history.

Question 10

The Cherokee Indians were forced westward on the route that came to be known as the
Trail of Tears.

Question 11

Henry Clay was Andrew Jackson's second vice president and was the man who would be
president after Jackson.

Question 12

During Jackson's presidency, the national debt grew smaller until it was paid off entirely in 1835.

Question 13

Despite his championing of the people and democracy, Jackson was a slaveholder.

Question 14

Match each description with the item below.
How did Jackson respond to the nullification crisis?

A)plotted an unsuccessful slave revolt near Richmond with the false expectation that "poor whites" would join
B)was hanged for killing her master while he was sexually assaulting her and, because she was enslaved, was kept from testifying
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)was a plantation mistress and a critic of gender roles within the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue, the world's richest colony, terrifying many whites
F)plotted an unsuccessful slave rebellion in South Carolina in which blacks were to capture the city's arsenal
G)was a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South and later wrote Twelve Years a Slave
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history north of New Orleans, resulting in the torture and killing of participants
I)is the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, portraying southern planters as cunning capitalists who brutalized slaves
J)led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, that led the Virginia legislature to debate the abolition of slavery and states to create more armed patrols

Question 15

In the midst of the nullification crisis, John
C. Calhoun resigned as vice president.

Question 16

Martin Van Buren opposed the establishment of an independent Treasury.

Question 17

Match each description with the item below.
What brought about the economic depression of the late 1830s and the emergence of the Whig party?

A)plotted an unsuccessful slave revolt near Richmond with the false expectation that "poor whites" would join
B)was hanged for killing her master while he was sexually assaulting her and, because she was enslaved, was kept from testifying
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)was a plantation mistress and a critic of gender roles within the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue, the world's richest colony, terrifying many whites
F)plotted an unsuccessful slave rebellion in South Carolina in which blacks were to capture the city's arsenal
G)was a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South and later wrote Twelve Years a Slave
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history north of New Orleans, resulting in the torture and killing of participants
I)is the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, portraying southern planters as cunning capitalists who brutalized slaves
J)led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, that led the Virginia legislature to debate the abolition of slavery and states to create more armed patrols

Question 18

The Bank War demonstrated that Andrew Jackson was exceedingly knowledgeable
regarding the national bank's role and policies.

Question 19

The Distribution Act provided for each veteran of the War of 1812 to receive 360 acres of
land in the West.

Question 20

Match each description with the item below.
What were the strengths and weaknesses of Jackson's transformational presidency?

A)plotted an unsuccessful slave revolt near Richmond with the false expectation that "poor whites" would join
B)was hanged for killing her master while he was sexually assaulting her and, because she was enslaved, was kept from testifying
C)ran away from slavery in Maryland and became an outspoken critic of the institution
D)was a plantation mistress and a critic of gender roles within the plantation system
E)led a successful slave revolt on Saint-Domingue, the world's richest colony, terrifying many whites
F)plotted an unsuccessful slave rebellion in South Carolina in which blacks were to capture the city's arsenal
G)was a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South and later wrote Twelve Years a Slave
H)led the largest slave revolt in American history north of New Orleans, resulting in the torture and killing of participants
I)is the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, portraying southern planters as cunning capitalists who brutalized slaves
J)led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, that led the Virginia legislature to debate the abolition of slavery and states to create more armed patrols

Question 21

When Congress rechartered the Bank of the United States in 1832,

A) the economy went into a depression.
B) Jackson made Nicholas Biddle its new director.
C) western farmers revolted in anger.
D) Jackson vetoed the recharter.
E) Jackson announced plans to nationalize it.

Question 22

The Whig presidential candidate in 1840, William Henry Harrison, was the hero of the Battle
of Tippecanoe.

Question 23

The 800-mile journey known as the Trail of Tears resulted in

A) a nostalgic but uneventful transfer of Indians to Oklahoma.
B) the death of thousands of Indians who made the journey.
C) Jackson's change of heart about Indian removal.
D) the complete eradication of the Creeks and Seminoles.
E) Jackson's diminished popularity in the South and West.

Question 24

The Sauk and the Fox Nations resisted federal policy in Illinois and Wisconsin and were led by

A) Osceola.
B) Tecumseh.
C) Hiawatha.
D) Black Hawk.
E) Sitting Bull.

Question 25

Jackson viewed the Bank of the United States as a(n)

A) valued source of credit for small farmers.
B) entity to distrust, as it served the interests of a wealthy few.
C) necessary evil for issuing paper money that stabilized the economy.
D) important institution for the monitoring of state banks.
E) source of national unity because it served the whole country.

Question 26

During Jackson's presidency, southern slave owners feared

A) an influx of cheap Irish labor due to fewer immigration restrictions.
B) the possibility that democracy would cause the demise of slavery.
C) the fact that democratic activism was at an all-time low.
D) Jackson's promises to protect the interests of the wealthy.
E) a decline in economic and political opportunities for workingmen.

Question 27

Which of the following was true of the Indian Removal Act brought before Congress in 1830?

A) It allowed Indians who lived in areas east of the Mississippi River to remain on their homeland.
B) It became law after Congress overrode Jackson's veto.
C) It provoked heated opposition and only passed in Congress by one vote.
D) It contained loopholes designed to exclude peaceful Indians from removal.
E) It showed Jackson's refusal to pursue policies that might hurt his popularity.

Question 28

Which of the following statements identifies a way in which Jackson's inauguration was significant?

A) During the inauguration, a drunken mob of people from various walks of life engaged in wild celebration and destruction, which appeared to symbolize the democratization of political life.
B) The inauguration was such an impressive and welcoming affair that those who had been skeptical of Jackson's qualifications began to warm up to his presidency.
C) The inauguration prompted organized and united reactions from the crowd that grew so violent that the new president needed to deploy troops his first day in office.
D) During the inauguration, elite politicians were so impressed with the attitudes of the western Democrats present that new opportunities for collaboration between the parties emerged.
E) The inauguration turned into a public scandal because rather than properly mourning his recently deceased wife, Jackson was seen dancing with many different women.

Question 29

Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman traveling through the United States in the 1830s, claimed that "the only pleasure an American knows" was

A) business.
B) alcohol.
C) money.
D) politics.
E) boxing.

Question 30

Why did Jackson veto the proposed Maysville Road, an internal improvement in Kentucky?

A) He argued that Congress could only approve multi-state projects that fell under interstate commerce.
B) He consistently opposed the building of roads and showed a preference for canals.
C) He feared that the road would fail to compete enough with the riverboats on the Ohio.
D) He worried that the approval of such a project would limit the role of the federal government.
E) He wanted to do everything in his power to maintain the support of Calhoun and Clay.

Question 31

The second two-party system emerged during the Jacksonian era and included Democrats and Whigs.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about the growth of democracy during the Jacksonian era is true?

A) Land ownership guaranteed a person's right to political participation.
B) Race had less meaning as a national voting qualification than it had during Jefferson's time.
C) Women were commonly voting in state and local elections, but not yet in national races.
D) Politics was no longer just the realm of the prominent and wealthy.
E) Although Jackson touted democratic gains, the reality was greater restriction.

Question 33

Why did Van Buren oppose federal funding for the Maysville Road?

A) He disagreed with Jackson's belief that the road was a federal rather than local government project, because it helped all of the United States.
B) He wanted to maintain the Erie Canal's monopoly as sole connection between the East Coast and the West.
C) He was afraid that the federal government would go into debt to build the road after paying off the debt so recently.
D) He opposed it simply to spite Calhoun and the state of South Carolina after what happened during the Eaton affair.
E) As a southerner, he worried that the building of the road would give too much power to northern industry.

Question 34

Which of the following statements about the Second Bank of the United States is accurate?

A) It was a public corporation mainly owned by the government.
B) It disbursed payments for federal debts.
C) It was exclusively supported by state governments.
D) It held only the funds of major private corporations.
E) It was forbidden from using government deposits as collateral for loans to businesses.

Question 35

During the Jacksonian era, and for the first time in American political history,

A) a president assumed his position to be superior to that of Congress.
B) Whigs won a majority in Congress.
C) a third-party candidate finished second in a presidential contest.
D) a state effectively nullified a federal law.
E) black men in some northern states were permitted to vote for president.

Question 36

The two biggest issues that hampered Van Buren's bid for reelection were financial problems
and the annexation of Texas.

Question 37

The Eaton affair revealed

A) Jackson's failure to defend Peggy Eaton in any way.
B) Jackson's tendency to favor Calhoun over Van Buren in matters of politics.
C) the influence that the personal opinions of Washington elite can have on federal politics.
D) Jackson's willingness to prosecute his political opponents.
E) the increasing equality of women during the Jacksonian period.

Question 38

President Jackson's attitude toward the Supreme Court's decision in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) was

A) elation, as it had ruled that he had the executive power as president to intervene and send aid to the Cherokee Nation.
B) anger, as it formally ended the Indian Removal Act and undid most of his policies regarding western expansion.
C) acquiescence, as he knew the Cherokees were the least likely of the southern tribes to adopt the customs of white America.
D) defiance, as he refused to enforce it and claimed that he had no constitutional authority to intervene against the anti-Cherokee laws in Georgia.
E) nonconcern, as he believed that the Christian missionaries in Georgia had the right to interact with Native Americans as they saw fit.

Question 39

What was one way in which Jackson's approach to politics was significant?

A) He established a precedent for U.S. presidents to rely on their record rather than campaigns to win votes.
B) He ended the powerful Democratic party "machine" because it contradicted his idea of the "common man."
C) He was known first and foremost as an intellectual who happened to have produced the nation's first reliable dictionary.
D) He showed unprecedented concern for the undemocratic constraints on African Americans and Native Americans.
E) Jackson was the first president to see campaigning as an acceptable tactic and to aggressively use it.

Question 40

President Jackson's removal policy toward Native Americans

A) upheld all commitments made by previous presidents and thereby earned Native American leaders' trust.
B) was far from a political priority of his, as he had campaigned on the protection of Native American lands.
C) focused on integration and assimilation to maintain consistency with his other democratic initiatives.
D) was based on his belief that Native Americans were barbarians who were to be treated as "subjects."
E) was highly transparent in its intentions, especially during negotiations with Native American leaders.

Question 41

Pet banks were

A) state banks with ties to Jackson.
B) institutions allowed to issue notes that were not covered by specie reserves.
C) credit unions championed by Henry Clay in the Senate.
D) institutions chartered in 1832 for the express purpose of handling foreign investments.
E) banks owned by Jackson's biggest critics.

Question 42

After his reelection, Jackson moved to destroy the Bank of the United States by

A) firing its director.
B) withdrawing its federal deposits.
C) getting the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.
D) selling its stock to private investors.
E) opening new state banks.

Question 43

In response to South Carolina's passage of an Ordinance of Nullification, Jackson

A) said South Carolina was free to leave the Union.
B) privately threatened to hang Calhoun.
C) backed down by telling Congress to repeal the tariff.
D) was unusually indecisive.
E) declared South Carolina in a state of rebellion.

Question 44

Martin Van Buren was known as the "Great Magician" due to his

A) miraculous win in a very close presidential election.
B) skill as a professional politician exploiting his connections.
C) ability to get the country out of a depression.
D) success in building the Whig coalition.
E) seeming ability to read Jackson's mind.

Question 45

Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest argued that states could nullify federal legislation. Calhoun feared that the Tariff of 1828

A) was a major roadblock to emancipation for enslaved Africans.
B) helped northern industrialists and hurt southern agriculture.
C) weakened northern mill owners to the detriment of the national economy.
D) showed that Calhoun no longer supported the Union and would cost him the next election.
E) would lose support because it was unfairly called the Tariff of Abominations.

Question 46

Jackson's opponents called themselves Whigs to

A) express their admiration for the British political system.
B) state their belief in complete human freedom.
C) confuse voters about their true political objectives.
D) denounce what they saw as Jackson's monarchical qualities.
E) distinguish themselves from the National Republicans.

Question 47

What was the so-called "kitchen cabinet," and what was one reason why it proved significant?

A) a faction of Calhoun's supporters that actively undermined Jackson's presidency behind closed doors
B) a committee within Jackson's cabinet that morphed into a new political party known as the anti-Masonic party
C) a gathering of expert advisors without ties to the media that helped guide Jackson in making nonpartisan economic decisions
D) an informal group of Jackson's close friends and supporters that convinced him to go back on his pledge to be a one-term president
E) Jackson's cabinet early on in the Eaton affair that provided such sound guidance that he maintained a relatively smooth first term

Question 48

What practice did the Democrats and National Republicans adopt from the third party that also entered the presidential race in 1832?

A) holding a national convention
B) vigorously campaigning
C) forming close ties with newspapers
D) keeping all messages secret from the public
E) adopting a vague stance on most issues to avoid alienating voters

Question 49

In the face of the growing coalition of the Whigs, the Democrats still gained members from

A) admirers of Henry Clay.
B) economic nationalists.
C) social reformers, such as abolitionists.
D) southern planters.
E) German and Irish Catholics.

Question 50

Jackson's efforts to kill the bank resulted in

A) a vote in the Senate that nearly removed him from office.
B) a global recession.
C) the first assassination attempt of a sitting president in American history.
D) the removal of his secretary of the Treasury.
E) American industries' abandonment of their factories.

Question 51

The first third-party presidential candidate in American history arose from a party that built itself on mistrust toward

A) Catholics.
B) Freemasons.
C) Jews.
D) free blacks.
E) immigrants.

Question 52

The Webster-Hayne debate is best remembered for

A) its ultimate effect on federal land policy.
B) Hayne's outspoken defense of slavery.
C) Webster's eloquent defense of the Union.
D) Jackson's distrust and questioning of the Constitution.
E) its disastrous effect on Jackson's popularity.

Question 53

Which of the following was true of Whig politicians?

A) They were economic nationalists increasingly divided over the issue of slavery.
B) They believed all financial decisions should rest with the states.
C) They mostly attracted Catholic voters from Germany and Ireland.
D) They were solidly in support of slavery and against Prohibition.
E) They argued against the promotion of manufacturing because it would hurt agriculture.

Question 54

Which of the following was true of the Specie Circular?

A) It paid off the national debt.
B) It gave excess federal money to the states.
C) It required gold or silver payment for public lands.
D) It outlawed paper currency.
E) It stabilized the economy for the rest of the 1830s.

Question 55

What federal law(s) did South Carolina nullify?

A) Marbury v. Madison
B) the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832
C) the Indian Removal Act
D) the Monroe Doctrine
E) the fugitive slave law

Question 56

Why were some southerners surprised by Jackson's views on nullification?

A) He strongly believed that the president should take a backseat when it came to legislative matters, refusing to ever exercise veto power over congressional bills.
B) He refused to openly support nullification throughout his presidency and relied on Calhoun to make any speeches endorsing it for him.
C) He had long believed that states should be able to pick which federal laws they adhere to, but he abandoned this view at the end of his presidency.
D) He agreed with Vice President Calhoun on all other policy matters except nullification, and the pair had a remarkably close working relationship.
E) He was a southern cotton planter who owned many slaves but, upon threats to nullify federal laws, strongly exhibited an ardent sense of nationalism.

Question 57

What was the legislation in 1833, sparked by the nullification crisis in South Carolina, that authorized the president's use of the army to compel states to comply with federal law?

A) the Indian Removal Act
B) the Distribution Act
C) the Independent Treasury Act
D) the Maysville Road Bill
E) the Force Bill

Question 58

The one thing that united all members of the new Whig party was opposition to

A) the Bank of the United States.
B) Andrew Jackson.
C) internal improvements.
D) high protective tariffs.
E) money backed by gold and silver.

Question 59

A tariff passed by Congress in 1832

A) lowered rates on some items.
B) was vetoed by Jackson.
C) ended talk of nullification.
D) was intended strictly to raise revenue.
E) was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 60

In the Webster-Hayne debate, Robert Y. Hayne believed that

A) the Supreme Court's authority was always superior to the power of the states.
B) states' rights were more sacred than the Union because the states had created the Union.
C) the U.S. Constitution had been formed not by the states but by the American people.
D) the northern and southern states had to unite against the West on issues involving public lands.
E) slavery should be illegal and made the United States look like a nation of hypocrites.

Question 61

Discuss the diverse coalition of the Whigs. What were the major characteristics of "Whiggery"?

Question 62

Which of the following statements about Martin Van Buren is accurate?

A) He divulged the secret rituals of the Masonic order, leading to the formation of the anti-Masonic party and his rise to the presidency.
B) He failed to win the presidency because the Whigs crafted the successful strategy of nominating three regional candidates.
C) He enjoyed a strong economy during his single term as president, in many ways due to Jackson's economic decisions.
D) He promised to follow in Jackson's footsteps, but lost popularity due to his perceived ambition and inherited issues in the financial sector.
E) He was considered too principled and unwilling to take risks, which had prevented the economy from growing enough to stay stable.

Question 63

One undebatable fact about the Jacksonian era is

A) Jackson's sincere commitment to equality for all Americans.
B) the wisdom of Jackson's destruction of the "monster" bank.
C) Jackson's place as one of the greatest presidents in American history.
D) the dramatic increase in voter participation by 1840.
E) the degree that common men lessened the power of elites.

Question 64

William Henry Harrison

A) was a leader of the states' rights wing of the Whigs.
B) was known as the "Little Magician."
C) was respected for having defeated the Shawnees at Tippecanoe.
D) directed the Bank of the United States until Jackson destroyed it.
E) like Jackson, was born in frontier poverty.

Question 65

Why was the banking controversy so important in the 1830s? What actions did Jackson take
toward the
B.U.S.? Why?

Question 66

With so much opposition to Jackson's Native American policies, how did he still manage to get them passed and enforced?

Question 67

In the face of the Panic of 1837, working-class Americans could expect

A) federal government assistance.
B) a large number of good jobs.
C) cooperation between Democrats and Whigs.
D) high prices for food and clothes.
E) easy bank loans.

Question 68

Martin Van Buren became convinced during the Panic of 1837 and its aftermath that an Independent Treasury Act was necessary to

A) stabilize the American banking system by taking federal deposits out of shaky "pet" state banks.
B) stop National Republicans and Whigs from uniting and overthrowing his administration.
C) give state banks more control over the nation's supply of gold and silver.
D) create manufacturing and banking jobs in the face of the worsening economic crises.
E) fund a massive unemployment insurance program to help millions of Americans suffering from the economic depression.

Question 69

How did the Eaton affair reveal the role and influence of personal lives and decisions in helping to shape politics?

Question 70

What was Jackson's vision of American democracy, and how did that vision relate directly to
his own political power?

Question 71

Describe the election of 1832. What were the major political parties, and what were the significant issues involved in the campaign? What was the outcome?

Question 72

How did Jackson's early life shape his development into adulthood and the way he conducted
himself during his presidency?

Question 73

The Panic of 1837 began with

A) a change in the policies of the Bank of England regarding loans, which led to a decline in the demand for U.S. cotton.
B) a surplus of American wheat due to the gradual reliance on European trade throughout the Van Buren administration.
C) the tariff of 1835, which had lowered duties to dangerous levels and resulted in a rise in American spending.
D) a depression in France that negatively impacted the market across the Atlantic and increased reliance on the Specie Circular.
E) a lack of American infrastructure projects, which in turn caused a surge in unemployment across the United States.

Question 74

Jackson's attempt to censor the mail revolved around which issue?

A) tariffs
B) western land claims
C) slavery
D) Indian threats
E) South Carolina's nullification

Question 75

How might the insults lobbed at Andrew Jackson's wife during the 1828 campaign have influenced how he dealt with the Peggy Eaton controversy?

Question 76

What issues led to the creation of a new party system by the end of the 1830s?

Question 77

What were the causes and results of the Panic of 1837? What impact did this economic crisis
have on the Van Buren administration?

Question 78

In the 1840 campaign, the Whigs picked William Henry Harrison to run for president

A) and won the votes of aristocrats by portraying him as a business titan.
B) and explained in detail how they would fight the depression.
C) and offered few policy details despite their catchy campaign slogan.
D) but lost in a close election because so few Americans made it to the polls.
E) and won support due to his promise to keep the Republic of Texas its own nation.

Question 79

What led Jackson and Calhoun to go from close friends and political allies to bitter enemies
and rivals? Trace the rift between them. Be sure to include both policy and personal
differences that strained their relationship.

Question 80

How did the Tariff of 1828 serve as the impetus for the Nullification Crisis?