Chapter 10 - A Changing Nation

Chapter Outline
Section 1: Building a National Identity
Section 2: Dealing With Other Nations
Section 3: The Age of Jackson
Section 4: Indian Removal
Section 5: Finance and States' Rights

Summary

With no major political divisions after the War of 1812, a spirit of nationalism spread throughout the United States. This nationalism was symbolized by the warm relationship between citizens and President James Monroe. Regional differences, however, brought an end to what was called the Era of Good Feelings. Sectionalism grew more intense over the issues of slavery and tariffs.

Three strong leaders emerged in Congress, representing the three different regions: Southerner John C. Calhoun supported state sovereignty, Daniel Webster came from the North and favored the Tariff of 1816, and Henry Clay spoke for the interests of the Western states. Clay was known for solving national disputes and helped pass the Missouri Compromise that preserved the balance between slave states and non-slave states. When the Supreme Court became involved in sectional and states’ rights issues, its decisions strengthened the power of national government.

The candidates who ran for president in the 1824 election were all from the Republican Party, the country’s only political party at the time. John Quincy Adams won the election, but many believed his tactics were corrupt. By 1828, the Republican Party had split over the issue of how strong the government’s role should be. The two parties used mudslinging and sloganeering in their campaigns.

Andrew Jackson won the 1828 election and made the American political system more democratic by expanding voting privileges to those who had not been allowed to vote. Jackson’s supporters also introduced the spoils system and used nominating conventions to select candidates.

During the 1830s, the nation continued to expand westward. However, many Native American groups were still living in the East, on land that settlers wanted for themselves. Jackson approved the Indian Removal Act that allowed the federal government to pay thousands of Native Americans to move west. The Cherokee, however, sued to keep their land. After years of government pressure, the Cherokee relented and were forced to make the brutal journey west, now called the Trail of Tears.

Other Native American groups also attempted to resist relocation. The Seminole people of Florida went to war with the United States, joining forces with African Americans who had escaped slavery. Although they won, many Seminole were caught and forced to move West. After 1842, most Native Americans had been taken from their lands by force and were living on reservations west of the Mississippi.

For years, Jackson attacked the Bank of the United States because he saw it as an institution that benefited only the wealthy. Before the election of 1832, Jackson vetoed a renewal of the Bank’s charter—a popular decision that helped him win the election. An economic depression began with the Panic of 1837 that left thousands jobless and in debt. To prevent further crises, President Martin Van Buren persuaded Congress to establish an independent federal treasury. Criticisms over the new law created a split in the Democratic Party.

The Whigs, a new political party, nominated war hero William Henry Harrison to run in the 1840 presidential election they hoped to gain the support of laborers and farmers. Harrison won the election, but soon after died of pneumonia. Vice President John Tyler took office, but took the presidency in a direction that was opposed to the Whigs’ goals.

Cryptogram Puzzle

Chapter Reading and Study Guide

Vocabulary Builder 1

Vocabulary Builder 2

Chapter 10 - A Changing Nation - Practice Test

Jackson - True or False Practice

Key People and Events - Flashcards

Content Vocabulary - Flashcards

Academic Vocabulary Flashcards

Self-Check Quiz - The Jackson Era

PBS - Andrew Jackson; Good, Evil, and the President

Age of Jackson - Crossword Puzzle Online

Age of Jackson Flipcard Activity

The Age of Jackson - Self Check Quiz

Jefferson, Jackson, and Manifest Destiny

Legacy of an Autocratic Ruler - Video (26 min)