LESSON TITLE AGE OF JACKSON

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will explain the important factors that shaped
Andrew Jackson's life.

2. They will list the ways that he changed the presidency.

3. The students will analyze important events of his day.

LESSON SUMMARY:

This lesson will focus on Andrew Jackson and the Nullification Crisis.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. small group research projects. Lots of essay material

2. recall worksheets. debate about protecting minorities.
minority v. majority

NOTES

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

I. Background to the 1830s

A. Decade of Change

1. America becoming more democratic

2. white male suffrage

a. property qualifications dropped

B. Transportation Changes

1. canal building

a. steamboats

2. paved roads - toll roads

3. railroad building begins

a. spurs industrialization

C. Communication gets faster

1. quicker transportation helps

2. revolution with the telegraph

D. Population boom

1. 1830 population is 11 million

2. 1840 population is 17 million

3. immigration main factor in increase

a. Germans b. Irish

c. Scandinavians

E. First Slums also appear

1. 1840 New York is largest city

2. slums high crime rates

3. slums have sewage problems

a. no sanitation

b. horse problems

4. frequent health problems - disease

5. slums fire hazards

II. Facts about Andrew Jackson

A. Last president to serve in Revolutionary War

1. captured by British

2. wounded by British officer

a. struck by a sword, deep scar

3. brother died in prison camp

a. mother soon died too

4. lifelong dislike of the British

B. Orphaned at age 14

1. blamed British for this

2. had to grow up fast

C. Poorly Educated Man

1. little time for school

2. life experiences main teacher

3. formed strong beliefs

a. had prejudices

4. very hot temper

a. been involved in duels

b. killed men before

D. Tennessee adopted state

1. 1796 represented TN in Congress

2. 1797 elected to Senate

a. resigned 1798

3. served state supreme court judge

E. Won great fame in War of 1812

III. Creator of Spoils System

A. Greatly expanded abuse of power

B. Political patronage

1. giving govt jobs to supporters

C. Fired many govt officials

1. replaced with loyal party hacks

2. helped make more inefficiency

IV. Nullification Crisis 1832

A. Began over the tariff

1. tariff raised in 1816, 1828, & 1832

2. South importer of foreign goods

a. pay higher prices

3. Northeast favored industrial protection

B. Low cotton prices caused economic downturn in
South

1. economy blamed on the tariff

C. South Carolina hardest hit

1. trouble began there

2. John C. Calhoun played major role

a. also Jackson's VP

b. many thought he would succeed Jackson

D. Calhoun's theories of state rights

1. state buffer between federal govt & people

a. protect citizens

b. theory of Interposition

2. state could void unjust federal laws

a. act like the Supreme Court

3. state could also secede from Union

E. South Carolina nullified the tariff

1. stopped collecting import duties

2. threatened to quit the Union if coerced

3. slavery was also an issue in crisis

F. Crisis brings up question of division of power

1. what was superior: states or fed govt

2. minorities v. majorities

a. tyranny of majority

b. majorities hard to change

V. Jackson's Response

A. Personally outraged

1. believed SC acts treasonous

2. prepared to lead troops into battle

a. would have widened crisis

3. declared nullification illegal act

B. Compromise favored course of action

1. Compromise tariff was passed

a. sponsored by Henry Clay

b. slowly lower the tariff

c. pleased South Carolina

2. Force Bill passed

a. authorized use of troops

VI. Results of the Nullification Crisis

A. Falling out between Jackson and Calhoun

1. Calhoun left VP

a. became Senator from SC

b. ended his presidential hopes

c. became chief defender of slavery

B. First clash between states & federal govt

1. settles nothing

2. issue over power

C. Jackson lucky to get out of the crisis

1. South not yet unified

a. SC got little support

2. may have changed had Jackson sent troops

3. Union not yet ready for civil war

VII. Jackson's Treatment of Indians

A. Prejudice clear here

B. Favored forcible relocation west of the
Mississippi

1. Indian Removal Act passed in 1830

2. tribes moved at gunpoint

3. forced marches

C. Five Civilized Tribes resisted, sued

1. Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, &
Seminole

2. greedy whites wanted land in Georgia

a. discovery of gold was a factor

3. 1832 won case in the Supreme Court

a. Jackson refused to abide by decision

LESSON TITLE AGE OF JACKSON

OBJECTIVES:

1. The students will look at all aspects of the Bank war.

2. They will note the positive and negative outcomes.

3. They will also evaluate the Panic of 1837.

LESSON SUMMARY:

This lesson will focus on the Bank war, and what happened after its power was destroyed.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. economic research. economic terms

2. recall worksheets.

NOTES

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

I. Bank War

A. Jackson distrusted banks

1. lost all his money before

2. banks not regulated

a. frequently went out of business

B. Bank of the United States (BUS)

1. most powerful American bank

2. created in 1816

a. given 30 year charter

3. handled the govts money

4. some control over state banks

a. kept state banks honest - notes they
issued

b. controlled speculation

C. BUS mostly good for U.S. economy

D. Nicholas Biddle - president of BUS

1. financial genius

2. arrogance to go with it

3. had made powerful enemies in govt

4. also had powerful friends in govt

a. secured through loans

II. Main Objections to the BUS

A. It had a lot of unregulated power

1. govt had little control over the bank

2. Biddle very powerful man

a. involved in politics too

B. Biddle could ruin banks he didn't like

1. even if they practiced sound business

C. Many lawmakers indebted to the BUS

1. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster

2. could be forced to favors for Biddle

3. looked unethical

III. Henry Clay 1832 presidential aspirations

A. 1832 election year

1. uses BUS as an election ploy

2. thinks it can get him elected

B. Persuades Biddle to apply for recharter in
1832

1. did not have to be done until 1836

2. Biddle happy to help Clay

a. opposed to Jackson

C. Clay's logic

1. BUS good for the country

a. popular institution

b. Jackson opposes it

2. If Jackson vetoes recharter bill Clay will
be elected

a. Clay can than restore the BUS

3. If Jackson passes it Clay can say he made
him do it

a. still has good chance to win

D. Jackson vetoed recharter bill

1. Clay expected this

2. veto popular with the country

a. Clay did not expect this

3. Bank War helped reelect Jackson

IV. Results of the Bank War

A. Guaranteed Jackson's landslide reelection

1. one of the most popular presidents

2. able to designate his successor in 1836

a. only T. Roosevelt & Ronald Reagan
also able to do this

B. Jackson then decided to cripple the BUS

1. slowly withdrew govt money

a. to pay off debts

2. placed new deposits in state banks

a. came to be called Pet Banks

b. many were poorly run

3. speculation began to heat up the economy

a. loans for land, as investment

b. loans for risky businesses

C. Election of 1836

1. Whig party forms

a. alliance of Jackson enemies

2. run three candidates

a. hope to send the election to the
House

3. Democrats run Martin Van Buren

a. Jackson's successor

b. easily wins election

LESSON TITLE Age of Jackson

OBJECTIVES:

1. The students will describe and assess the Panic of
1837.

2. They will note and describe the problems faced by
Martin Van Buren.

3. They will be able to summarize the years of Jackson.

LESSON SUMMARY:

This lesson will cover the years from 1836 to 1840. It will focus mainly on the economic depression faced by the U.S.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. small group research. Discussions on employment.

2. essays on Andrew Jackson

NOTES

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

I. Panic of 1837

A. Panic 19th century name for depression

1. worst one to date

B. BUS weakened by Jackson

1. unable to control state banks

2. increasing numbers of bad loans

3. state banks releasing larger amounts of
paper notes

a. served as money

b. example of inflation, notes losing
value

C. Main reasons for economic collapse

1. vastly increased land speculation

a. buying of frontier land

b. sell later to farmers

2. millions in worthless paper notes

a. credit was too easy

3. Jackson bares most of the blame for the
panic

a. not blamed though

b. Van Buren was blamed for it

c. called Van Ruin

D. Consequences of the Panic

1. Many banks failed

a. depositors lost their money

b. some lost it all

2. helped deepen distrust of banks

3. many businesses failed

4. farmers lost their land, foreclosure

5. growing unemployment

II. Summary of Jackson Years

A. Jackson one of most popular president

1. his popularity got Van Buren elected

B. America became more democratic

1. most adult white males could vote

2. still much discrimination

C. Politics also changed

1. caucus thrown out

2. nominating conventions came in

3. personality became factor in politics

a. Jackson the war hero

D. Jackson increased the president's power

1. an active president

2. often used the veto

III. Election of 1840

A. Two political parties

1. Whigs

2. Democrats

B. Whig Party

1. main factor was opposition to Jackson

2. favored strong national govt

3. favored internal improvements

a. roads and canals

4. favored a protective tariff

5. Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Quincy
Adams main leaders

C. Issue in 1840 Panic of 1837

1. economy was still bad

2. Van Buren on the spot

a. has to defend himself

D. William Henry Harrison nominated by Whigs

1. from the West

2. former war hero

3. John Tyler running mate

a. from VA - South

b. balanced ticket