Chapter Ten: The Triumph of White Men’s Democracy, 1824-1840

Practice Quiz:

1. American culture in the Jacksonian period
a. did not reflect the development of a more democratic society.
b. was based in support of elitism and privileges.
c. was primarily the concern of the upper class.
d. accurately reflected the rise of the democratic spirit.

2. The most obvious indicator of the supremacy of democracy in the United States was the
a. high percentages of people who voted.
b. widespread use of the “spoils system.”
c. absence of any kind of social or economic classes.
d. development of universal manhood suffrage.

3. Why did the two-party system of politics develop in the 1820s-40s?
a. The Supreme Court passed changes in the Constitution regarding the party system.
b. Martin Van Buren, its most ardent opponent, lost his bid for reelection..
c. Changes in the method of nominating and electing the president developed.
d. The burgeoning population of the trans-Appalachian West created a need for two parties.

4. The main issue of John Quincy Adams’s presidency was
a. forced relocation of Native Americans.
b. internal improvements.
c. the idea of a continental railroad.
d. tariffs.

5. Andrew Jackson’s attitude toward Native Americans was that they should be
a. removed to areas beyond white expansion.
b. allowed to remain on their tribal lands.
c. assimilated into white society.
d. forced to abide by the Supreme Court ruling in Worcester v. Georgia

6. The nullification crisis was strongly influenced by
a. foreign manufacturing interests.
b. the political maneuvers of the National Republicans.
c. the demands of other southern states.
d. the personal feud between Andrew Jackson and John Calhoun.

7. The nullification crisis of the early 1830s
a. had little impact outside South Carolina.
b. was of little significance for the future of the United States.
c. revealed South Carolinians strong support for the tariff of 1828.
d. was an early indication of dangerous future divisions.

8. The major significance of Jackson’s national bank veto message was that it
a. was the first veto made by Jackson.
b. failed to explain the constitutional reasons for his decision.
c. was the first one that went beyond strictly constitutional arguments.
d. decisively ended the life of the national bank.

9. Andrew Jackson killed the national bank
a. by withdrawing federal deposits from it.
b. through further legislation.
c. by letting its charter expire in 1836.
d. by accusing Nicholas Biddle of treasonous acts.

10. The “kitchen cabinet” was
a. Jackson’s special staff of gourmet chefs who prepared White House meals, demonstrating his hypocrisy with regard to social deference.
b. where Jackson kept his state papers, demonstrating his humility and true “common man” character.
c. Jackson’s circle of unofficial advisors, so low in social rank that he allegedly had to meet with them in the kitchen.
d. the oldest piece of furniture in the White House, saved from destruction by then General Jackson when the British burned the executive mansion in 1814.

11. What rallying cry did the diverse anti-Jackson coalition use to rally voters who believed that the president’s actions amounted to an unconstitutional abuse of power.
a. Executive Usurpation
b. Corrupt Bargain
c. Nullifier in Chief
d. King Jackson II

12. Why was the Panic of 1837 significant for President Van Buren?
a. Van Buren had to respond but was hampered by his own political party’s laissez-faire policies, dooming his re-election.
b. Whigs blamed Van Buren for the crisis, further strengthening their popular appeal.
c. His predecessor, Jackson, had caused the crisis, so Van Buren was taxed with fixing it without insinuating the popular president from his own political party.
d. Van Buren’s successful handling of the crisis assured his reelection in 1840.

13. Belief in a national bank, high tariffs, and federally financed internal improvements best describes the policies of which party in the 1830s?
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
c. Masons
d. Whigs

14. Typically, immigrants, Catholics, freethinkers, and backwoods farmers of the 1840s would be members of the
a. Democratic party.
b. Equal Rights party.
c. Loco-focos.
d. Whig party.

15. In the 1840s, which of the following was LEAST likely to determine a person’s political identification?
a. social class
b. economic issues
c. religious beliefs
d. ethnic identity