Name ______
Jackson’s War on the Bank
Directions: Open up the webpage www.whitehousehistory.org . Click in the link entitled “Classroom”. Click on the link “Primary Document Activities”. Click on “The Bank War”. Read the section entitled “Background “and answer the following questions.
1. How and when was the Bank of the United States originally created? Why?
2. What happened to the 1st Bank of the United States? Why?
3. Why did Madison urge the charter of a new Bank in 1816?
4. Why is it ironic that Madison would recreate the Bank?
5. Why was the Bank blamed for the Panic of 1819?
6. List and explain 2 reasons why Jackson and other like him disliked the Bank.
7. Who was Nicholas Biddle and what role did he play in making the Bank a political issue?
At the bottom of the screen, click on “primary Document Activities”. Click on “Andrew Jackson’s Veto Message”. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?
2. What are Jackson’s first two objections to the Bank?
3. In paragraph 4 what danger does Jackson see about the way the directors of the Bank are chosen?
4. After reading paragraphs 5 and 6, how would Jackson feel about the current political issue of the turning over operations of some U.S. ports to foreign companies? Explain.
5. What is Jackson saying about McCulloch v. Maryland in paragraph 7?
6. What is Jackson saying about the power of judicial review in paragraph 8?
7. What part of the Constitution is Jackson referring to in paragraph 9?
8. How is Jackson making the Bank look like an evil thing in paragraph 10? Give two quotes to backup your answer.
Click “Back Page” Click “Reply of Senator Daniel Webster”
1. Which of Jackson’s arguments does Webster address first? What is his counter argument?
2. According to Webster, why was the Bank’s recharter bill passed by Congress?
3. In paragraph 2, what does Webster say about the stockholders of the Bank?
4. How has the country felt up to this time about foreign investment and why?
5. Why does Webster not think that foreign investors are a “danger to liberty”?
6. In paragraphs 4and 5, how does Webster refute what Jackson said about the power of the Supreme Court?
7. How is the constitutionality of the Bank addressed in paragraph7?
8. During Jackson’s 2nd term, a new political party was formed calling itself the Whigs. The name came from a British political party that was opposed to the power of the king. How does paragraph 8 indicate that Webster will be a member of this party when it is formed?
Close window and click on “Afterward and Facts”
1. What 1st step did Jackson take after his reelection in 1832 to make sure that the Bank died before its charter expired in 1836?
2. Why did Congress consider this action illegal?
3. Because of his support, who does Jackson reward and how?
4. Explain how Jackson’s actions help lead to the Panic of 1837.