Andrew Jackson

Learn about Andrew Jackson's presidency! Sort good/bad actions, define terms like Nullification Crisis & Trail of Tears.

Sort the events and actions of Jackson's presidency onto the "Good" side or the "Bad" side. Good Things Expanded suffrage (more common people could vote) Jackson believed the government should not tax or control the people too much. Jackson helped keep the country together, even though a civil war almost happened. Bad Things Jackson ignored the Supreme Court and forced thousands of Cherokees to leave their homes and walk to Oklahoma. Spoils System: Jackson gave government jobs to his supporters (even if they weren't very good at it) Nullification Crisis of 1828: South Carolina threatened to leave the U.S. if a tariff was not cancelled. Match the vocabulary word with the definition Protective Tariff This is a tax on imported goods. It makes foreign stuff more expensive so people will buy things made in American factories. State's Rights A belief that the tenth amendment gives states significant power and they can limit the federal government in some ways Nullify This means a state can ignore a federal law. Slave States & Free States Some states allowed slavery and others did not. Many people were afraid that slavery would take over the country if there was not a balance between these two types of states. Bank of the United States Hamilton created the Bank to help loan money to new businesses. Jackson thought it unfairly helped the rich and he ended the bank. Veto The president can cancel new laws if he does not like them. Jackson vetoed more laws than any other president before him. Nullification Crisis: Fill in the blanks using words from the word bank Nullification Crisis:Tariffs were loved in the Northern United States because they caused people to buy more goods made in northern factories. In the Southern United States, people were mostly farmers and did not have factories. They bought most of their goods from foreign countries because it was cheap. The Southern states hated tariffs because it made their favorite foreign goods too expensive and they were forced to buy goods made in northern American factories.The Nullification Crisis occurred when congressman, John Calhoun, argued that South Carolina could nullify (or ignore) the federal tariff. He said they had the right due to "states' rights." They were not respected, however, and South Carolina threatened to secede (or leave America and create their own country). They were ready for a fight. Jackson threatened to send the military in to stop them but Henry Clay created a compromise that ended a near civil war. Trail of Tears Remember that the Cherokee went to the Supreme Court and the Court decided Jackson could not force them to leave. He did it anyway. Do you believe this decision still affects America and Native Americans today? Explain why.