Deck 11: The Jacksonian ERA

Question 1

The Jacksonian concept of equality was a belief that:

A) social distinctions should be abolished
B) people should not be addressed by formal titles
C) everyone should have roughly the same amount of money
D) everyone should have an equal chance to succeed
E) there were few meaningful differences in people's abilities

Answer 1

everyone should have an equal chance to succeed

Question 2

Martin Van Buren opposed the establishment of an independent Treasury.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Martin Van Buren was a native of North Carolina and had served two terms as that state's governor.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Andrew Jackson was a true Jeffersonian in his:

A) elitism
B) support for a national bank
C) opposition to slavery
D) religious faith
E) belief in limited government

Question 5

Jacksonians believed in equality of opportunity rather than equality of result.

Question 6

The Tariff of 1828 was also known as the "tariff of abominations."

Question 7

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

Question 8

The Peggy Eaton affair revealed:

A) Jackson's insensitivity toward women
B) Jackson's tendency to favor Calhoun over Van Buren
C) the destructive gossip of the Washington social scene
D) Jackson's willingness to take the political advice of women
E) the increasing equality of women

Question 9

The Whig presidential candidate in 1840, William Henry Harrison, was born in a log cabin.

Question 10

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

Question 11

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

Question 12

Henry Clay was Andrew Jackson's second vice president.

Question 13

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

Question 14

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

Question 15

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

Question 16

Thomas Jefferson considered Andrew Jackson unfit for the presidency due to his:

A) treatment of Indians
B) violent temperament
C) lack of education
D) aristocratic status
E) military background

Question 17

All of the following characterized the United States by the time of Andrew Jackson's election EXCEPT:

A) dramatic population growth, especially in urban areas
B) increasing production for a national rather than a local market
C) an increasing number of wage laborers toiling in factories
D) a dynamic economy absent of panics or depressions
E) greater regional specialization in terms of production

Question 18

John C. Calhoun was born in South Carolina.

Question 19

Most Whigs were states' rights advocates.

Question 20

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

Question 21

The Indian chief who resisted federal policy in Illinois and Wisconsin was:

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

Question 22

Jackson declared his opposition to nullification:

A) in a series of newspaper articles
B) during a dramatic speech to Congress
C) in a meeting with his cabinet
D) only in private conversations
E) in his toast at a Jefferson Day dinner

Question 23

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

A) elation
B) sadness
C) acquiescence
D) defiance
E) nonconcern

Question 24

Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest:

A) powerfully defended slavery
B) argued that states could nullify federal legislation
C) announced Calhoun's resignation as vice president
D) showed that Calhoun no longer supported the union
E) protested Jackson's excessive use of power

Question 25

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) the riot it provoked on the floor of the Senate
E) its negative effect on Jackson's popularity

Question 26

Tariffs passed by Congress in 1830 and 1832:

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

Question 27

In the Webster-Hayne Debate, Robert Y. Hayne argued that:

A) within its jurisdiction, the Supreme Court's authority was "full and complete"
B) the Union was created by a compact of the states
C) Congress had no right to pass tariffs to raise revenue
D) the northern and southern states had to unite against the West on issues involving public lands
E) slavery was divinely approved

Question 28

In response to South Carolina's tariff 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 29

Which of the following figures opposed federal funding of internal improvements?

A) John C. Calhoun
B) John Quincy Adams
C) Henry Clay
D) Andrew Jackson
E) Andrew Johnson

Question 30

President Jackson's policy toward Indians could best be described as one of:

A) extermination
B) salutary neglect
C) integration
D) removal
E) paternalistic

Question 31

Jackson's veto of the Maysville Road bill demonstrated his:

A) belief that the federal government should not fund purely local projects
B) belief that the federal government should assist states with internal improvements projects
C) tremendous respect for Henry Clay
D) initial support for John C. Calhoun's policies
E) lack of interest in western economic development

Question 32

In regard to banks and banking policy, Jackson, like other southerners:

A) wanted to abolish all banks
B) supported banks if strictly regulated by the government
C) much preferred hard money to paper currency
D) gave banks credit for the economy's expansion
E) believed banks had made credit too available

Question 33

The compromise tariff that ended the nullification crisis was authored by:

A) Martin Van Buren
B) Thomas Hart Benton
C) Henry Clay
D) John C. Calhoun
E) Daniel Webster

Question 34

How many states joined South Carolina in repudiating the tariff acts of 1828 and 1832?

A) none
B) two southern states and one northern state
C) three northern states and one southern state
D) five states, all in the South
E) only Virginia and Kentucky

Question 35

Jackson viewed the Bank of the United States as:

A) a valued source of credit for small farmers
B) a "monster" that served the interests of a wealthy few
C) necessary for issuing paper money that stabilized the economy
D) justified by the "necessary and proper" clause of the Constitution
E) a source of national unity because it served the whole country

Question 36

As a result of the Eaton affair:

A) John C. Calhoun became an outspoken advocate of nullification
B) both John Eaton and Martin Van Buren left the cabinet
C) Floride Calhoun was forbidden from attending White House functions
D) John Eaton and John C. Calhoun were fired
E) Jackson became less sympathetic toward women

Question 37

The Indian Removal Act of 1830:

A) allowed Indians who wished to become American citizens to remain on their homeland
B) became law after Congress overrode Jackson's veto
C) proposed moving Indian tribes to areas west of the Mississippi River
D) contained loopholes designed to exclude peaceful Indians from removal
E) showed Jackson's willingness to pursue policies that might hurt his popularity

Question 38

The proposed Maysville Road:

A) would be entirely in Kentucky
B) revealed Jackson's consistent opposition to road building
C) spurred the rise of a western textile industry
D) was clearly permissible under the Constitution
E) was opposed by Calhoun and Clay

Question 39

In Worcester v. Georgia, the Marshall court:

A) backed states' rights over federal authority
B) forced Jackson to protect Cherokee land titles
C) supported Georgia's control of all lands in its boundaries
D) ordered the relocation of the Cherokees to the West
E) took the side of the Cherokees

Question 40

The Trail of Tears resulted in:

A) a sad, but uneventful transfer of Indians to Oklahoma
B) the death of thousands of Indians
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 41

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 42

Pet banks were:

A) state banks that received federal government deposits
B) allowed to issue notes that were not covered by specie reserves
C) those established by Jackson's executive order in 1829
D) chartered in 1832 for the express purpose of handling foreign investments
E) banks owned by Jackson's biggest political cronies

Question 43

All of the following were presidential candidates in 1836 EXCEPT:

A) Daniel Webster
B) Martin Van Buren
C) Hugh Lawson White
D) William Henry Harrison
E) Andrew Jackson

Question 44

By the 1832 election, the Jacksonians had become known as the:

A) Unionists
B) National Republicans
C) Anti-Federalists
D) Whigs
E) Democrats

Question 45

All of the following factors contributed to the panic of 1837 EXCEPT the:

A) withdrawal of European investments
B) failure of the 1836 wheat crop
C) tariff of 1835, which had lowered duties to dangerous levels
D) depression in Britain
E) wave of failures of state banks

Question 46

The Independent Treasury Act provoked opposition from:

A) Whigs and conservative Democrats
B) National Republicans and Whigs
C) moderate Democrats and Whigs
D) liberal Democrats and Whigs
E) Van Buren Democrats

Question 47

William Henry Harrison:

A) was a leader of the states' rights wing of the Whigs
B) was known as the Little Magician
C) had 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 48

In the 1840 campaign, the Whigs:

A) nominated Henry Clay
B) explained in detail how they would fight the depression
C) depended on a catchy campaign slogan
D) lost in a close election
E) failed to use campaign techniques like those of the Democrats

Question 49

After the panic of 1837, working-class Americans could expect all of the following EXCEPT:

A) government assistance
B) massive joblessness
C) wage cuts
D) high prices for food and clothes
E) numerous bank failures

Question 50

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

A) miraculous election as president in 1836
B) skill as a professional politician
C) ability to get the country out of a depression
D) success in building the Whig coalition
E) seeming ability to read the mind of Jackson

Question 51

The Anti-Masonic party was the first to:

A) nominate a Catholic for president
B) endorse violence as a legitimate political tactic
C) carry several states in its first election
D) call for a total halt to immigration
E) hold a national nomination convention

Question 52

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 53

As a result of Jackson's bank policies:

A) sales of public land instantly declined
B) banks printed new bank notes with abandon
C) worried investors pulled out of risky projects
D) many common men opened their own banks
E) the Supreme Court declared his actions unconstitutional

Question 54

The Specie Circular:

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

Question 55

According to "progressive" historians, Jackson:

A) led a vast democratic movement against the abuses of the "Monster" bank
B) promoted democratic reforms only for political expediency
C) caused a decline in voter turnout during the 1830s by his lack of concern for issues touching the daily lives of the common man
D) supported the national bank and federal aid to internal improvements because he stood to benefit financially from them
E) unsurprisingly supported elite interests, since he was himself a man of great wealth

Question 56

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 tyrannical qualities
E) distinguish themselves from the National Republicans

Question 57

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 58

In 1840, the Whigs:

A) feared splitting their party and hence had no platform
B) nominated Winfield Scott for president
C) campaigned for a program of economic nationalism
D) tried to play down their candidate's war record
E) aimed their appeal at elite voters

Question 59

Least likely to become Whigs would be:

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

Question 60

All of the following were prominent Whig politicians EXCEPT:

A) Martin Van Buren
B) Henry Clay
C) Daniel Webster
D) William Henry Harrison
E) John Tyler

Question 61

Examine the role of violence in Andrew Jackson's life and how he incorporated that into his presidency.

Question 62

Discuss President Jackson's Indian policy. How did Indians fare under his administration?

Question 63

Why was the banking controversy so important in the 1830s? What actions did Jackson take toward the Bank? Why?

Question 64

What was Jackson's most important accomplishment as president? What was his greatest failure?

Question 65

The irony of Jackson's political philosophy is that:

A) the special privileges he urged for business led to wide-scale abuse
B) his opposition to an independent Treasury was based on his belief in centralizing the functions of government
C) his laissez-faire rationale for republican simplicity became the justification for the unregulated growth of centers of economic power
D) his concern for the common man came at a time of extremely low voter participation
E) despite his elite status, his policies inspired many Americans to become socialists

Question 66

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

Question 68

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 69

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

Question 70

The Tariff of 1828 proved to be the impetus behind the entire nullification controversy. Examine the process that brought this about.

Question 71

The Peggy Eaton affair divided Jackson's cabinet. Discuss the events in question paying particular attention to Jackson's handling of them.

Question 72

Ultimately, the Jackson presidency was revolutionary. Discuss the major political changes brought about by Jackson's administration.

Question 73

Discuss the presidential elections of 1832, 1836, and 1840, describing the candidates and the major issues.

Question 74

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 75

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 76

How did Jackson's early life shape his development into adulthood?

Question 77

Trace the rift between Andrew Jackson and John
C. Calhoun. Be sure to include both policy and personal differences that strained their relationship.

Question 78

Describe the new party system that emerged in the 1830s.

Question 79

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.