American Life 4/7

Key Ideas and Concepts

• Differentiation between the 60s and 70s: Important to identify distinctions in contexts or events from these decades.

• Military Success: Focus on significant battles and locations; identifying key victories is crucial.

• Groundbreaking Parts of the Constitution: Examine the process through which the Constitution became the governing document; it was ratified not imposed.

• Supreme Court Actions: Note actions that could include landmark court decisions and their implications.

• U.S. Expansion: Discuss whether the United States expanded into arid or temperate regions during the 1830s and 1840s.

• Jacksonian Democracy: Understanding Jacksonian democracy as a reaction against perceived elite federal power and pivotal to the formation of the modern Democratic Party.

  • Roots trace back to Jefferson and Madison, opposing Federalism.

• Populism: A reaction to elite power and representation; the movement aimed to return power to the people and reduce the influence of privileged individuals in authority.

• Congressional Power: The House of Representatives, with elections every two years, is intended to reflect the populace's will better than the Senate or the Presidency.

• Presidential Veto Power: Understanding Jackson's use of veto to challenge Congress, particularly regarding the rechartering of the Bank of the United States (BUS).

• Impact of Jackson on Economic Policies:

  • Destruction of the BUS and its consequences, including a subsequent panic in 1837.

  • Shift of banking power from a central institution to multiple state and private banks, resulting in a shifting economy.

• Tariff Policies: Jackson's management of tariffs balanced interests between Southern (low tariff) and Northern (high tariff) constituents.

  • Tariff-related conflicts, especially the South Carolina Nullification Crisis, underscored regional tensions.

• Indian Removal Policies:

  • The Trails of Tears involved forced relocation of Native Americans, resulting in significant suffering and death en route.

  • Supreme Court rulings like Worcester v. Georgia emphasized the rights of Native Americans and the complexities of federal versus state authority.

• The Spoils System: Jackson's administration pioneered the use of patronage by removing federal appointees to favor political supporters, establishing political patronage norms.

• Retirement of National Debt: Under Jackson, the U.S. experienced a temporary period of a fully retired national debt, a historic moment not repeated in subsequent years.

• Historical Cycles: History does not repeat but tends to show cyclical reactions based on shared human experiences. Jackson's era foreshadows later populist movements.