Deck 11: The Rise of Democracy 1824-1840

Question 1

The chapter introduction tells the story of politicians Powhatan Ellis and Franklin Plummer to make the point that

A) people had strange names in the 1800s.
B) these two men, frontiersmen who identified with the common folk, typified the democratic-minded politician in the age of Jackson.
C) appealing to common folk was an effective campaign technique in an age that prized equality and opportunity.
D) Andrew Jackson was more a figurehead than a really influential leader.

Answer 1

appealing to common folk was an effective campaign technique in an age that prized equality and opportunity.

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT an important characteristic of politics in the age of Jackson?

A) a dynamic expansion of presidential power and leadership
B) expanded political democracy and increased participation in politics
C) the acceptance of a party system as legitimate
D) end of the spoils system of filling public offices with political supporters

Answer 2

end of the spoils system of filling public offices with political supporters

Question 3

Which of the following statements concerning Jacksonian America is true?

A) Virtually all adult white males enjoyed the rights of suffrage.
B) Because political leaders had to appeal to an expanded electorate, campaigns became less boisterous and more focused on specific policy issues.
C) American society became more tolerant of Indian tribes.
D) Jackson tirelessly worked to abolish the spoils system.

Answer 3

Because political leaders had to appeal to an expanded electorate, campaigns became less boisterous and more focused on specific policy issues.

Question 4

Public interest and involvement in politics grew in the U.S. after 1820 because of a growing

A) public support for equality of condition among all members of society.
B) conviction that government should promote the economic well-being of society.
C) disillusionment with the politics of personality.
D) fear of threats from abroad.

Question 5

The process, championed by John Ross, whereby the Cherokees created a constitution, adopted white ways, and began selling their surplus crops was known as

A) accommodation.
B) acculturation.
C) acquiescence.
D) alliteration.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes the attitude of Jacksonian Democrats toward slavery and blacks?

A) They strongly supported slavery as a positive good for all parts of the country.
B) They accepted the institution of slavery in the South and opposed rights for free blacks in the North.
C) They quietly encouraged the minority among their ranks who worked for the abolition of slavery.
D) They took steps at the state level to improve the condition of blacks, but did not try to abolish slavery.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about the nullification crisis of 1832 is FALSE?

A) The issue under discussion was the tariff, but the right of secession was also debated.
B) Andrew Jackson determined that the president had the right to use force to preserve the Union.
C) The nullification theory, according to Calhoun, gave the South a legal device to justify secession.
D) Jackson eventually backed down from the controversy and gave in completely to South Carolina's demands.

Question 8

Which of the following statements concerning the Bank of the United States is true?

A) It was the critical issue in the 1824 election that threw the election into the House of Representatives.
B) In the 1820s and 1830s it was mismanaged, unresponsive to the nation's needs, and unsuccessful in stabilizing the currency.
C) Andrew Jackson hated it because he thought it was an agent of special privilege, and he vetoed the bill to recharter it.
D) The Supreme Court ruled the bank unconstitutional.

Question 9

Which of the following is an indication that the development of the modern presidency began with Andrew Jackson?

A) He was the first president to effectively use the veto power to shape legislative policy to his liking.
B) He created the offices of secretary of state and secretary of war.
C) He used his office to shape the country's economic direction.
D) He doubled the size of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 10

Which of the following would you expect of the Whigs in the 1830s and 1840s?

A) a pessimistic outlook, especially about the role of government
B) the belief that individual effort alone should be used to protect individual rights and public property
C) support for regulating the new market economy
D) a belief that government should not foster moral welfare

Question 11

Which of the following groups played a rather surprising role in the Whig campaign in 1840?

A) free blacks
B) women
C) Indians
D) Republicans

Question 12

What was the most popular form of entertainment in Jacksonian America?

A) the minstrel show
B) cockfighting
C) camp meetings
D) political festivals

Question 13

In the Jacksonian party system,

A) the Whigs supported a very active role for government; the Democrats generally favored a limited government.
B) the Democrats supported a more active government, the Whigs a limited government.
C) neither party believed moral questions should be injected into politics.
D) both parties promoted the market and commercialization equally.

Question 14

In the Jacksonian Party System, the ________ believed in limited government, and also that religion and politics should be kept clearly separate.

Question 15

List four components of the new democratic political system. How did each of these represent a change in the previous political system?

Question 16

What was Calhoun's theory of nullification? Explain how, according to Calhoun's theory, a law could be nullified.

Question 17

What were two main ways southern Indian tribes tried to resist removal? Why were these methods unsuccessful?

Question 18

Give three reasons people demanded removal of the eastern Indian tribes. Why was the program of Indian removal popular? Why did support for this program become stronger after 1815?

Question 19

Why was Andrew Jackson hostile to the Second Bank of the United States?

Question 20

What powers did the Second Bank of the United States possess that would help it regulate state banks and affect the economy?

Question 21

Give three ways that the Jacksonian era was, and three ways that it was not, an era of the common people. On the whole, which of the two arguments do you think was more important in the Jacksonian era?

Question 22

How did Andrew Jackson change the office of the presidency? Of the different changes you describe, which do you think was the most important?

Question 23

Which of the two major political parties responded most favorably to the growing market economy? Give three examples of how that party showed its support.

Question 24

List three political techniques employed by Franklin Plummer of Mississippi that illustrated the new democratic political system. In what sense could he be considered a product of democracy?

Question 25

Give three examples of the rising tide of racism among white Americans during the Jacksonian era. Why do you think racism increased during an era when democratic values were praised?