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APUSH CH. 13 Essay Questions

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Chapter 13 Essay Questions
1. The presidential campaign for Andrew Jackson had started early—on February 9, 1825, the day of John Quincy Adams’s controversial election by the House—and it continued noisily for nearly four years. Even before the election of 1828, the temporarily united Republicans of the Era of Good Feelings had split into two camps. One was the National Republicans, with Adams as their standard-bearer. The other was the Democratic-Republicans, with the fiery Jackson heading their ticket. Rallying cries of the Jackson zealots were “Bargain and Corruption,’’ “Huzza for Jackson,’’ and “All Hail Old Hickory.’’ Jacksonites planted hickory poles for their hickory-tough hero; Adamsites adopted the oak as the symbol of their …show more content…

The myth of his mediocrity sprouted mostly from a series of misfortunes over which he had no control. From the outset the new president labored under severe handicaps. As a machine made candidate, he incurred the resentment of many Democrats— those who objected to having a “bastard politician’’ smuggled into office beneath the tails of the old general’s military coat. Jackson, the master showman, had been a dynamic type of executive whose administration had resounded with furious quarrels and cracked heads. Mild-mannered Martin Van Buren seemed to rattle about in the military boots of his testy predecessor. The people felt let down. Inheriting Andrew Jackson’s mantle without his popularity, Van Buren also inherited the expresident’s numerous and vengeful enemies. Van Buren’s four years overflowed with toil and trouble. A rebellion in Canada in 1837 stirred up ugly incidents along the northern frontier and threatened to trigger war with Britain. The president’s attempt to play a neutral game led to the wail, “Woe to Martin Van Buren!’’ The antislavery agitators in the North were in full cry. Among other grievances, they were condemning the prospective annexation of Texas. Worst of all, Jackson bequeathed to Van Buren the makings of a searing depression. Much of Van Buren’s energy had to be devoted to the purely negative task of battling the panic, and there were not enough rabbits in the “Little Magician’s’’ tall silk hat. Hard

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