Unit 4 LEQs (Long Essay Questions)
LEQ 1: Political DemocracyPrompt: Evaluate the extent to which the Jacksonian Era (1828–1848) expanded political democracy in the United States.
Context: Consider the political changes during this period, including universal white male suffrage, the rise of political parties, and Jackson’s approach to the presidency.
Key Themes to Explore:
LEQ 2: Economic PoliciesPrompt: Evaluate the impact of Andrew Jackson’s economic policies on the development of the United States from 1828 to 1848.
Context: Analyze Jackson's opposition to the Second Bank of the United States, his use of the veto, and policies like the Specie Circular.
Key Themes to Explore:
LEQ 3: Social Reform and Native American PolicyPrompt: Analyze the extent to which the policies of the Jacksonian Era (1828–1848) reflected democratic ideals in relation to marginalized groups.
Context: Consider Jackson’s Indian Removal policies, treatment of enslaved people, and the role of women in society during this period.
Key Themes to Explore:
LEQ 1: Political DemocracyPrompt: Evaluate the extent to which the Jacksonian Era (1828–1848) expanded political democracy in the United States.
Context: Consider the political changes during this period, including universal white male suffrage, the rise of political parties, and Jackson’s approach to the presidency.
Key Themes to Explore:
- Expansion of Suffrage: Elimination of property qualifications for voting among white males.
- Rise of the "Common Man": Jackson’s appeal to ordinary Americans and his opposition to elitism.
- Spoils System: Appointment of political supporters to government positions.
- Limits to Democracy: Exclusion of women, Native Americans, and African Americans from political rights.
LEQ 2: Economic PoliciesPrompt: Evaluate the impact of Andrew Jackson’s economic policies on the development of the United States from 1828 to 1848.
Context: Analyze Jackson's opposition to the Second Bank of the United States, his use of the veto, and policies like the Specie Circular.
Key Themes to Explore:
- Bank War: Jackson’s veto of the recharter of the Second Bank and its implications for financial stability.
- Panic of 1837: Economic downturn following the collapse of the Bank and Jackson’s Specie Circular.
- Tariffs and Sectionalism: The Tariff of Abominations (1828), Nullification Crisis, and states’ rights debates.
LEQ 3: Social Reform and Native American PolicyPrompt: Analyze the extent to which the policies of the Jacksonian Era (1828–1848) reflected democratic ideals in relation to marginalized groups.
Context: Consider Jackson’s Indian Removal policies, treatment of enslaved people, and the role of women in society during this period.
Key Themes to Explore:
- Indian Removal Act (1830): Forced relocation of Native American tribes through the Trail of Tears and its democratic or anti-democratic implications.
- Slavery and Abolition: Jacksonian silence on slavery and its growing divisiveness in American society.
- Role of Women: The emergence of early reform movements, such as temperance and education, led by women but without political empowerment.