WorksheetsEOC Spot Check Jackson
Total questions: 5
Worksheet time: 15mins
Source #1 Graphic of the 1824 Presidential Election Results
Source #2 Excerpt from the 12th Amendment
“If no person have such majority [of electoral votes], then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.”
Source #3 Electoral House Vote Map 1825
Source #4 The Columbian Observer 1825
“The will of the people has been cast aside. The man who received the most votes has been denied his rightful office, while Mr. Clay is rewarded with a place in the Cabinet. This is not democracy — it is a bargain struck in the shadows.”
Based on sources #1 & #2, which statement best explains why the House of Representatives had to choose the president in this election?
No candidate received a majority of electoral votes, so the House had to decide the outcome.
The candidates received equal numbers of electoral and popular votes in the election.
The Constitution required Congress to decide close elections based on state population.
The popular vote count did not match the electoral vote totals, so the results were disputed.
Based on Sources #1, #3, and #4, what do the reactions to the 1824 election suggest about the views of Jackson and his supporters?
They believed secret political deals had ignored the people’s choice for president.
They accepted the result and encouraged trust in the electoral process.
They thought the 12th Amendment gave Jackson the right to become president.
They believed the House of Representatives followed a fair constitutional process.
Use the following quotes to help you answer the questions.
Source #1 Amos Kendall, U.S. Postmaster General under Andrew Jackson
"The mass of the people of the United States have been more benefited by the democratic principles which have been carried out under Jackson’s administration than by all the administrations which have preceded it."
Source #2 George Bancroft, Historian and Politician, 1837
"Andrew Jackson’s election has ushered in a new era in American politics. For the first time, the government truly represents the common man, rather than the elite."
Source #3 Andrew Jackson Presidential Campaign Poster
Based on Sources #1 and #2, what conclusion can best be drawn about how Amos Kendall and George Bancroft viewed Andrew Jackson’s presidency?
They both believed Jackson’s presidency weakened the power of government institutions.
They both believed Jackson’s presidency mostly benefited wealthy landowners and elites.
They both believed Jackson's presidency expanded democracy and gave more power to ordinary citizens.
They both believed Jackson’s presidency had little effect on American political life.
Use the following quote to help you answer the question
"The small landowners are the most precious part of a state... They are the most vigorous, the most independent, and the most virtuous citizens."
— Thomas Jefferson, Letter to James Madison, October 28, 1787
Based on the Jackson campaign poster (Source #3) and the quote from Jefferson, how did Jacksonian Democracy differ from Jeffersonian Democracy?
Jackson’s supporters believed all white men should vote, while Jefferson believed only landowners should.
Jackson’s supporters wanted elite leaders to control elections, while Jefferson believed in popular sovereignty.
Jackson’s supporters supported slavery’s expansion, while Jefferson called for immediate abolition.
Jackson’s supporters believed in limiting democracy, while Jefferson expanded voting rights to all citizens.
Use the following excepts to help you answer the questions
Source #1 John C. Calhoun, Fort Hill Address, 1832
“If the government be the exclusive judge of the extent of its own powers, then of necessity it will grow... until it terminates in a complete consolidation of all powers in itself.”
Source #2 Jackson, Proclamation Regarding Nullification, 1832
“Disunion by armed force is treason. Are you really ready to incur its guilt?”
Source #3 Jackson’s Bank Veto Message (1832)
“It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes... the humble members of society... have a right to complain of the injustice of their government.”
Source #4 Political Cartoon
Based on the quotes from Calhoun and Jackson, what was the central disagreement during the Nullification Crisis?
Whether Congress should create tariffs to protect northern manufacturers
Whether the president could declare war without the approval of Congress
Whether states had the right to cancel federal laws they believed were unconstitutional
Whether the Constitution allowed new western states to permit slavery
Based on Jackson’s response to the Nullification Crisis and his opposition to the National Bank, how did his view of federal power differ in these two situations?
He supported federal authority to preserve the Union but opposed it when he believed it benefited the elite.
He supported federal power in both cases to expand the rights of southern states.
He opposed federal authority in both cases because he distrusted centralized government.
He supported state authority in both cases to protect the rights of common citizens.
Use the following information to help you answer the two questions.
Source #1 John Marshall, "Worcester v. Georgia," 1832
"The Cherokee Nation... is a distinct community, occupying its own territory... in which the laws of Georgia can have no force."
Source #2 Attributed to Andrew Jackson, in response to the Supreme Court ruling in "Worcester v. Georgia," 1832
"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it."
Source #3 Map of Native American Removal
What does Jackson’s response to Worcester v. Georgia reveal about his use of presidential power, and which principle did it challenge?
Jackson ignored the Court’s ruling, challenging judicial authority and federalism.
Jackson respected the ruling but left enforcement to the states.
Jackson enforced the decision to protect Native American rights.
Jackson followed the Court’s ruling to support separation of powers.
According to the map in Source #3, how did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 affect Native American religious practices?
It displaced tribes from sacred lands central to their spiritual traditions.
It banned the use of traditional religious language and ceremonies.
It required tribes to convert to Christianity before relocating.
It created government missions to replace Native religions with Protestantism.
Use the following sources to help you answer the following questions
Source #1 Political Cartoon
Source #2 Daniel Webster, Senate debate, 1834 (responding to Jackson’s actions during the Bank War)
“The President is not the country. He is but its servant… The people, and the representatives of the people, are above him.”
Based on the cartoon and the quote by Daniel Webster, how did Jackson’s critics view his leadership during the 1830s?
They believed he acted like a king who placed his will above the law.
They praised him for reducing corruption and limiting Congress’s power.
They thought he was too weak to challenge the Supreme Court’s authority.
They supported his efforts to remove obstacles to economic growth.
