American History Connecting with the Past 15th

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American History Connecting with the Past 15th Edition Alan Brinkley Solutions Manual

Chapter 9
Jacksonian America

Learning Objectives

• Describe the political philosophy of Andrew Jackson and how this was reflected in the
policies and actions of his administration.
• Explain who benefited from Jacksonian democracy, and who suffered.
• Explain the evolution of white attitudes toward Native Americans and their impact on the
Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears.
• Identify who supported and who opposed the Bank of the United States; explain their
reasons and which side you think was right.
• Describe how Andrew Jackson changed the office of the presidency.

Chapter Overview
At first glance, Andrew Jackson seems a study in contradictions: an advocate of states’ rights
who forced South Carolina to back down in the nullification controversy; a champion of the
West who vetoed legislation that would have opened easy access to part of the area and who
issued the specie circular, which brought the region’s “flush times” to a disastrous halt; a
nationalist who allowed Georgia to ignore the Supreme Court; and a defender of majority rule
who vetoed the Bank after the majority’s representatives, the Congress, had passed it. Perhaps he
was, as his enemies argued, simply out for himself. But in the end, few would argue that Andrew
Jackson was not a popular president, if not so much for what he did as for what he was. Jackson
symbolized what Americans perceived (or wished) themselves to be⎯defiant, bold, independent.
He was someone with whom they could identify. The image may have been a bit contrived, but it
was still a meaningful image. Thus, Jackson was reelected by an overwhelming majority and was
able to transfer that loyalty to his successor, a man who hardly lived up to the image. But all of
this left a curious question unanswered: Was this new democracy voting for leaders whose
programs they favored or, rather, for images that could be altered and manipulated almost at
will? The answer was essential for the future of American politics, and the election of 1840
gave the nation a clue.

Themes

• How mass participation became the hallmark of the American political system
• The growing tension between nationalism and states’ rights
• The rise of the Whig Party as an alternative to Andrew Jackson and the Democrats

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Lecture Strategies
Symbolic and Politic Significance of Andrew Jackson
One or more lectures could be given on Andrew Jackson and his impact on American politics.
Jackson is, of course, an extremely colorful individual, and few presidents have been as intensely
loved and hated. A charismatic figure, he was important as a symbol of democracy, as an activist
president, a strong nationalist, and as both a southerner and a westerner. Robert Remini’s three-
volume biography is always a good source for fleshing out the color in Jackson’s career, and
John William Ward’s Andrew Jackson: Symbol for an Age is a fascinating explication of cultural
symbols. This could be followed by a more concrete examination of the policies Jackson pursued
as president. The nullification crisis could be treated from the viewpoint of both Jackson and
South Carolina (William Freehling’s Prelude to Civil War is especially good on the latter). The
basic question of federal authority and states’ rights would become increasingly important in the
years before the Civil War.

The Bank War

Jackson is also at the center of the storm over the role of banking in the Republic. An analysis
of the topic would include Biddle’s role in the struggle over the Bank’s recharter, why Jackson
(and those who followed him) feared and opposed the Bank, and the economic and political
consequences of the Bank’s destruction. (Remini has the best short treatment on this, in a
separate book, Andrew Jackson and the Bank War.) More than any other question, the issue of
banking defined the essence of the two parties’ popular appeals and support. Harry Watson,
Liberty and Power, is a good introduction to this and other important controversies in the recent
historical literature.

Teaching Suggestions
Relationship between Politics and Economics
It is fruitful to treat the interrelationship of social and political change from several perspectives.
One way to open a discussion on this theme is to ask students about the relationship between
equality and opportunity in this period. It is important that they understand why the opening of
opportunity (treated in the previous chapter) inevitably undermined the equality of condition
celebrated by Crèvecoeur. You might also raise the question of how economic concerns shaped
politics in this period (note the importance of the panics in 1819 and 1837 in the development of
the Jacksonian party system), and discuss to what extent Jacksonian politics revolved around the
question of the proper role of the government in the economy.

Political Equality after 1820—Inclusion and Exclusion

The new democratic political system also merits a lecture. What changes occurred after 1820 that
were associated with the rise of democracy? How was the Jacksonian political system different
from that of the Federalist-Jeffersonian era? It is important, too, for students to understand why
certain groups—Indians, blacks, and women—were excluded from this system.

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American History Connecting with the Past 15th Edition Alan Brinkley Solutions Manual

Andrew Jackson’s Significance in American History

A look at Jackson’s broader significance in American history may be warranted. Jackson came to
symbolize the new democratic system, and he skillfully portrayed himself as the champion of the
common people. Does the fact that Jackson was a wealthy slaveowner invalidate this
identification? Students could also evaluate Jackson’s political skills in the handling of three
major events in his presidency: Indian removal, the nullification crisis, and the Bank War.
Certainly his forceful temperament and approach infused the institution of the presidency with
new power. In what sense does the modern presidency derive from Jackson’s conception of the
office, rather than from that of Washington or Jefferson?

The 1840 Presidential Election

One way to conclude is by considering the significance of the 1840 presidential campaign. It has
been called the first modern presidential campaign in our history. In what ways does that
campaign resemble those of our own time? How did the 1840 campaign differ from that of 1824?
There are many similarities between Jackson and Harrison: Both were popular military heroes,
had limited political records before becoming president, were quite wealthy, and had popular
images as champions of the people. Students might discuss the role of symbols in presidential
elections (again, the 1840 campaign provides excellent examples). Does the use of such symbols
mean issues had no significance? You might note that the two parties took sharply contrasting
positions on banking and elucidate the significance of this point, both in terms of public policy
and popular support. It should also be remembered that the 1840 campaign took place during a
serious depression. You could ask whether in hard times voters are likely to be more interested in
campaign pageantry or economic programs. Michael Holt’s essay on the 1840 election in
Political Parties and American Political Development from the Age of Jackson to the Age of
Lincoln presents interesting material on this theme.

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