Antebellum America: Transformation of Politics

Question 1

Movement in Rhode Island which held a People’s Convention to write a new state constitution and inaugurate a new, extralegal governor

Movement collapsed

Demonstrated passions around excluding whites from voting – Rhode Island had continued to require land ownership for voting

Answer 1

Dorr War

Question 2

Book based on journey around America identifying the unique characteristics of the country:

democracy was more than the right to vote

culture that encouraged individual initiative, belief in equality, active public sphere

Answer 2

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

Question 3

Blueprint for government investment presented by Madison in December 1815 including:

new national bank

tariff on imported manufactured goods

federal financing of roads and canals

Answer 3

American System

Question 4

Established by Congress in 1816.

Entity that could:

issue paper money, collect taxes, pay government debt, ensure paper money issued by local banks had value, paper money exchanged for amount of “specie” or gold

After economic downturn in 1818, shrank the amount of currency available for loans and helped create the economic collapse of 1819

Answer 4

Second Bank of the United States

or

Second National Bank

Question 5

Surpreme Court case that established government had the power to pass “necessary and proper laws”

States power to tax was the power to destroy an agency

Answer 5

McColloch v. Maryland

Question 6

Monroe defeated Rufus King, Federalist

Federalist field electors in only two states in 1820

Marked end of the Federalist Party

Answer 6

Election of 1816

Question 7

Term used by a newspaper to describe the years between 1816 and 1823

Following the War of 1812, the United States remained generally free of foreign conflicts, while political strife at home was at a bare minimum because of the collapse of the Federalist Party

Answer 7

Era of Good Feelings

Question 8

Proposal by Henry Clay in 1820 to maintain balance between free and slave states

Maine was admitted to the Union as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, while any part of the Louisiana territory north of 36 degrees, 30 inches would be free territory

Answer 8

Missouri Compromise

Question 9

Statement that an attack by a European state on any nation in the Western Hemisphere would be considered an attack on the United States

Reaction to formation of Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru.

US would oppose further colonization in the Americas and abstain from wars in Europe

Established US as the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere

Answer 9

Monroe Doctrine

Question 10

Andrew Jackson was the only candidate to have national support

John Quincy Adams, Wiliam Crawford, Henry Clay only had regional support

Decided in the House after no candidate had electoral college victory

Clay gave support to Adams and became Secretary of State in Adams presidency. Charge of “corrupt bargain” clung to Clay for his career

Laid groundwork for new system of political parties: Democratic Party and Whig Party

Answer 10

Election of 1824

Question 11

Held expansive view of federal power

Proposed national university, observatory, naval academy

Answer 11

John Quincy Adams

Question 12

Martin Van Buren established the political apparatus of the Democratic Party

Jackson won election with 650,000 votes to Adams 500,000 votes

Demostrated how universal white male voting,organized by national political parties had transformed American politics

Answer 12

Election of 1828

Question 13

Patronage system in which an elected official is able to fill government jobs with political allies and former campaign workers

Andrew Jackson began the practice

Answer 13

Spoils System

Question 14

Party that arose in 1834 in opposition to President Andrew Jackson

Opposed Jackson’s great political power and use of the spoils system

Favored an activist federal government that could enhance freedom and create conditions for economic development

Answer 14

Whig Party

Question 15

Party born during the candidacy of Andrew Jackson

Drew principles from Thomas Jefferson and advocated limited government, belived liberty was a private entitlement best secured by local government

Question 16

First president to come from the West

Achieved fame as a general, fighting the Creeks and winning the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812

Founded the Democratic Party and was hailed as the champion of the common man

Answer 16

Andrew Jackson

Question 17

Aroused consideration opposition in South Carolina

Raised prices on imported manufactured goods

South Carolina sought to “nullify”

Answer 17

Tariff of 1828

Question 18

Belief that a state has the right to stop any federal law it believed to be unjust

Andrew Jackson was able to resolve the crisis in 1832

Concept was accepted by many Southerner and controversy over this was a cause of the Civil War

Answer 18

Nullification Crisis

Question 19

Leading theorist of nullification including idea of “concurrent majority” in which each major interest, inlcuding slaveholders, should have veto power over issues affecting it

Lost influence as Vice President

Answer 19

John C. Calhoun

Question 20

South Carolina declared this tariff null and void

Resulted in Jackson persuading Congress to enact the Force Bill authorizing the use of the army and navy to collect duties

Answer 20

Tariff of 1832

Question 21

1832 legislation that gave President Andrew Jackson the power to invade any state if that action was necessary to enforce federal law

Bill was in response to the nullifcation of federal tariff regulation by the legislature of South Carolina

Answer 21

Force Act

Question 22

Part of effort to remove Native Americans from western lands to make way for American settlement

Cherokee, Cickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole

Authorized the president to buy all the Native American lands east of Mississippi and to purchase new lands for the Native Americans west of the Mississippi

Repudiated Jefferson ideas that Indians could be assimilated

Answer 22

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Question 23

1831 Supreme Court case in which the Cherokees claimed that Georgia had no right to enforce laws in Cherokee territory since the Cherokees were a sovereign nation

Chief Justice Marshall ruled that the Cherokees were a “domestic dependent nation” and could not appeal in a federal court

Established Indians as “wards” of the federal government

Answer 23

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Question 24

Political battles surrounding the attempt by President Andrew Jackson to greatly reduce the power of the Second Bank of the United States

Jackson claimed the bank was designed to serve special interests in America and not the common people

Answer 24

Bank War

Question 25

Headed the Second Bank of the U.S.

Engineered bill to extend the bank for 20 years

Jackson vetoed the bill while enhancing the power the presidency through the veto and direct appeal to the people

Answer 25

Nicholas Biddle

Question 26

Nickname for state banks that Jackson influenced the transfer of money to during his 2nd term

Answer 26

Pet Banks

Question 27

Speculative boom that collapsed leading to depression until 1843. Prices fell 25%

Answer 27

Panic of 1837

Question 28

Rule issued by Jackson administration limiting payment for public land to only gold and silver

Answer 28

Specie Circular

Question 29

Van Buren elected

Answer 29

Election of 1836

Question 30

Van Buren could not hold Democratic coalition together

Whigs nominated William Henry Harrison without a platform – “log cabin” candidate and champion of the common man

Harrison won a sweeping victory but died a month later of pneumonia. Tyler assumed presidency and vetoed every Whig measure.

Tyler became referred to The Executive Ass and His Accidency