The American Nation A History of the United States, Combined Volume (14th Edition)

Chapter Review 267

Specie Circular An edict, issued by President
Andrew Jackson in 1836, obliging purchasers of
public land to do so with gold coins rather than the
paper currency issued by state banks; it caused the
speculative boom in real estate to collapse and exac-
erbated a financial panic the following year, 260
spoils system A term, usually derisive, whereby
newly elected office-holders appoint loyal mem-
bers of their own party to public office, 251
Trail of Tears The name for the 1838 forced
removal of Cherokee and other Indians from

Georgia and the western Appalachians to Indian

Territory in Oklahoma and nearby regions, 258

Whigs Originally a reference to British politicians

who sought to exclude the Catholic Duke of

York from succession to the throne in the

1760s; in the United States after the 1830s, it

referred to a political party that opposed the

Jacksonian Democrats and favored a strong role

for the national government, especially in pro-

moting economic growth, 260

Review Questions

1.The introduction to this chapter argues that
Jackson’s political revolution was greater than that
wrought by Obama in 2008. How did Jackson
generate so high a turnout in the election of
1828? How did Jackson’s opponents respond to
his success? What techniques used by politicians
today were pioneered by Jackson?
2.How did the Jacksonian Democrats agree with the
principles of the Jeffersonian Democrats? How did
they disagree?
3.How did the Second Bank of the United States
restrain local banks from loaning too much money?
Why did President Jackson seek to “kill” the Bank
of the United States? Was this policy wise?

4.Why did Jackson insist on the removal of Indians

from the Southeast? Was the policy justified? Were

there alternatives?

5.The Jacksonian Democrats stood for “states’

rights” on many issues. Why did Jackson break so

vociferously with fellow Democrat Calhoun’s

claim that states had the right to “nullify” federal

laws with which they disagreed?

Research and Explore

South Carolina’s Ordinance

of Nullification, p. 259

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Connections

Read and Review

Chapter 9

Jackson,First Annual
Message to Congress, p. 251

Jackson,Veto of the Bank
Bill,p. 255

Native American Removal, p. 258

HeartheAudio Van Buren, p. 263

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