Introduction
Imagine how you would feel if the time period or era we are currently living in were to eventually become known as "The [insert your name here] Period."
Wow! What would you have to accomplish in your life to have an era named after you? So far in United States history, there has only been one political era known by a person's name, Jacksonian Democracy. Andrew Jackson was a first-generation American born with no clear prospects for greatness. However, he became a great general and one of the most well-known presidents of the United States.
Watch Andrew Jackson | 60-Seconds Presidents (1:16) for a quick overview of his life and administration.
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Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Explain what Jackson's election in 1828 signaled about the direction of politics in the United States
- Explain key ideas of Jacksonian democracy and their impact on political participation, political parties, and Constitutional government
- Explain the spoils system, the extension of voting rights, the Indian Removal Act, and the common man ideal as they relate to Jacksonian Democracy
Essential Questions
- What were some of the key ideas of Jacksonian democracy and how did they impact political participation, political parties, and Constitutional government?
Enduring Understandings
- American nationalism and the development of a uniquely American ideology influenced the court system, foreign affairs and Westward expansion and shaped the identity of America in the first half of the 19th century.
The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: United States History I standards: 5, 7, 10, and 10.1, 13.3