Andrew Jackson - Great President or Bad President?
Step 1 - Socrative
Step 2 - Video
The election of Andrew Jackson in 1828 marked a change in American politics. For the first time a presidential candidate had been elected from west of the Appalachian Mountains, marking an end to the streak held by wealthy eastern elitists. Jackson represented the emergence of a new middle-/working-class America. The war hero from the Battle of New Orleans who did not have a college education, chewed tobacco, and dueled with pistols to defend his wife’s honor reflected the ideals of the western portion of the United States. The appeal of Jackson to the ordinary man helped lead to the new period known as “the common man era.”
As president, Andrew Jackson embraced the role of protecting “common men”—his decisions in matters such as the rotation of office holders can be argued as being in their interest. By limiting a federal office holder’s tenure to one term, Jackson could make room for another deserving candidate, promoting the concept that one man is just as good another. However, some might argue that rotating office holders left room for government corruption, as party loyalty played an important role in the replacement of office holders from previous administrations.
President Jackson’s title as “the common man president” often detracts students from looking further into his decision-making to unveil contradictions. The question we must ask is, "Should Andrew Jackson be considered a great president or a villain?"
As president, Andrew Jackson embraced the role of protecting “common men”—his decisions in matters such as the rotation of office holders can be argued as being in their interest. By limiting a federal office holder’s tenure to one term, Jackson could make room for another deserving candidate, promoting the concept that one man is just as good another. However, some might argue that rotating office holders left room for government corruption, as party loyalty played an important role in the replacement of office holders from previous administrations.
President Jackson’s title as “the common man president” often detracts students from looking further into his decision-making to unveil contradictions. The question we must ask is, "Should Andrew Jackson be considered a great president or a villain?"
Step 3 - Station Questions
Go through the 6 stations about Andrew Jackson - should he be considered a great president or a bad president?
Step 4 - Answer Poll Question and Comment