UNIT 4: JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY

Question 1

Corporations

Answer 1

Early corporations were mostly developed by wealthy landowners who invested in joint-stock companies for the building of new infrastructure (ie, railroads and canals).

Question 2

Commonwealth v. Hunt

Answer 2

A Supreme court case that peaceful labor unions were constitutional and could negotiate labor contracts with their employers

Question 3

Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge

Answer 3

The Charles Bridge, a toll-bridge already existed. Massachusetts wanted to build the Warren Bridge in the same area, a free bridge, which the Court permitted. Signified that public interest > private interest and encouraged competition among businesses (discouraged monopolies) to allow the economy to thrive.

Question 4

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Answer 4

A Cherokee leader challenged the state of Georgia because they were dividing and selling Cherokee land. The Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee were a “domestic dependent nation,” so the Court was not able to hear the case.

Question 5

Worcester v. Georgia

Answer 5

A Supreme Court case in which Worcester (a Georgian citizen) and other missionaries were tried by the state of Georgia for being white people living on Cherokee land. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Worcester, stating that laws made by the state of Georgia didn’t apply to Cherokee land because they were a foreign nation - only the federal government could make deals with foreign nations.

Question 6

Panic of 1819

Answer 6

An economic panic during Monroe’s presidency in which the price of agricultural goods fell steeply (demand decreased after the Napoleonic Wars ended) and people over-speculated land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.

Question 7

Webster-Hayne Debate

Answer 7

Senator Webster (Massachusetts) believed South Carolina should not secede so the Union could be preserved.
Senator Hayne (South Carolina) argued that it was a state’s right to nullify laws they didn’t agree with.

Question 8

Whig Party beliefs

Answer 8

Stemmed from Federalist beliefs & led by Henry Clay / Quincy Adams
- Supported national bank
- Supported tariffs
- Supported internal improvements
- New Englanders, mid-Atlantic citizens, urban professionals

Question 9

Democratic Party beliefs

Answer 9

Stemmed from Democratic-Republican beliefs & led by Jackson
- Opposed national bank
- Opposed tariffs
- Opposed internal improvements
- Concerned about high land prices in the W and monopolies
- Southerners, Westerners, urban workers

Question 10

Distribution / Deposit Act

Answer 10

An act proposed by Jackson that distributed $30,000,000 in total from the federal government’s surplus to state banks.

Question 11

Panic of 1837

Answer 11

An economic depression occurred due to factors like over-speculation of Western lands, closing of the National Bank, Nicholas Biddle (the leader of the National Bank) calling in loans, and inflation (and the subsequent depreciation in value of the American dollar).

Question 12

Independent Treasury Act (1840)

Answer 12

An act proposed by Van Buren that would create a Treasury Department to manage government funds, rather than commercial or state banks. This act was meant to stabilize the economy due to the Panic of 1837 and reduce wild speculation that had arisen due to the Distribution Act, which gave great sums of money to the states.

Question 13

Market Revolution

Answer 13

The economic shift in the 1800s from one with artisans and self-sufficient farms to industry/factories replacing artisans, a connected economy (within the US and to other nations), and a more free-market/capitalist system.

Question 14

Immigration

Answer 14

Increase in immigration 1830 - 1860 due to famine/economic issues in home countries, improved overseas transport, and the American image of opportunity/freedom. German immigrants mostly worked on farms in the West and Irish immigrants mostly worked in factories in the NE.

Question 15

The age of the common man

Answer 15

• Driven by Jackson
• Supported by universal white male suffrage (removed property qualifications)
• Aided by universal education

Question 16

King caucus

Answer 16

A political system in which a political party’s leaders met to nominate their next leader, which changed in the 1800s to common people nominating political leaders.

Question 17

Nullification crisis response

Answer 17

1) Force Bill - military collection of tariffs
2) Compromise tariff (1833) - reduced tariffs
3) Proclamation to the People of S Carolina - declared that their actions were treasonous

Question 18

Fletcher v. Peck

Answer 18

Fletcher sued Peck because he had bought land from Peck that was now declared fraudulent due to the Yazoo Land Fraud. Fletcher wanted his money or land back, but the Court ruled in favor of Peck because Fletcher had signed a contract and the lands were his responsibility. It reinforced the contract clause / sanctity of contraction and promoted commerce.

Question 19

Gibbons v. Ogden

Answer 19

Ogden sued Gibbons because Gibbons was operating in the same waterway (through NY and NJ) without a license. The Court ruled in favor of Gibbons and decided that only the federal government could regulate interstate commerce. This also led states to be more united/decrease competition between them.

Question 20

Contributor to steam engine/steam boat

Answer 20

Robert Fulton