4.8 Jackson and Federal Power
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Hosting a Dinner Party?
Remember that infamous and AWKWARD dinner party in 1830 where Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun each made toasts? If you don’t, here was the highlight:
Andrew Jackson raised his glass, directed his eyes towards his vice president, John C. Calhoun, and made the toast, “Our federal Union, it must be preserved.”
John C. Calhoun stood up after the toast to make a toast of his own, “The Union -- next to our Liberty the most dear; may we all remember that it can only be preserved by respecting the rights of the States, and distributing equally the benefit and burden of the Union.”
Imagine being at that dinner table…awkward...
It’s too bad that the host of the dinner party was not able to prevent that cringey exchange from occurring.
For this dinner party activity, you must research the following statesmen:
❖ John Quincy Adams
❖ Andrew Jackson
❖ John C. Calhoun
❖ Henry Clay
After conducting brief research, you will look at a variety of “Dinner Table Topics.” For some of the topics, you must determine which of the following two individuals you would NOT want to be seated next to each other at a dinner party because they would most likely disagree, begin an argument, and upset your other guests!
For other topics, you will want to seat two individuals near each other because they agree on similar issues. You must provide specific reasons or evidence to support your reasoning/justification for each dinner table assignment. Quotes are appreciated (but not required). Follow the example. You must use each statesman at least once!
Research Timer (10 min total)
Example
Dinner Table Topic: Infrastructure
Who SHOULD NOT sit near each other? | |
Statesman #1: Andrew Jackson | Statesman #2: Henry Clay |
Attitudes or views on infrastructure:
Andrew Jackson was very aware of his executive and constitutional authority. He was wary of using federal funding for infrastructure because he did not think it was within the jurisdiction of the federal government to financially support roads. | Attitudes or views on infrastructure:
Henry Clay was the creator of the “American System.” He believed that infrastructure would improve the economic and trading system of the United States. At one point, he wanted to build internal improvements in the state of Kentucky through the passage of the Maysville Road Bill. |
Justification on NOT SITTING them near each other:
Sitting Jackson and Clay near each other during a discussion on infrastructure would be a TERRIBLE idea! Similar to Alexander Hamilton, Clay was interested in encouraging the United States’ economic growth. His legacy of the American System (which offered to expand the American economy) was poorly received by President Andrew Jackson. Jackson vetoed Henry Clay’s Maysville Road Bill. This caused the intensification of the rivalry between Jackson and Clay. |
Attitudes or view, justifications timer
