“We are in the midst of a revolution, hitherto bloodless, but rapidly tending towards a total change of the pure republican character of the Government, and to the concentration of all power in the hands of one man. The vertical partition of power, between the State Governments and the General Government, and the horizontal distribution of it among the three departments of the latter, have both been shaken and disturbed.”
— Senator Henry Clay, speech in the United States Senate, December 26, 1833
The sentiments expressed in the excerpt were most directly a response to which of the following actions by the Jackson administration?
- AThe Supreme Court rulings under Chief Justice John Marshall that declared the national bank unconstitutional
- The unilateral executive order to remove federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United StatesAnswer
- CThe federal government's refusal to intervene in state-level labor strikes and industrial disputes
- DThe implementation of a national tariff designed to fund infrastructure projects under the Articles of Confederation
Answer
The unilateral executive order to remove federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States
The correct answer is correct because Henry Clay’s speech was delivered in direct response to President Andrew Jackson’s decision to remove federal funds from the Second Bank of the United States without congressional approval. Whigs viewed this as a dangerous expansion of executive authority at the expense of the legislative branch.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Debates over federal and executive authority during the Jacksonian Era
Estimated Time:1m 0s