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Difficulty: HardJackson and Federal Power Conflicts

Daniel Webster, Speech in the United States Senate, July 11, 1832:

'It raises a cry of danger from foreign influence, and it excites the poor against the rich. It seeks to inflame the passions of the lower classes of society against the higher. It represents the Bank as an engine of aristocracy, and the stockholders as a favored class, who are feeding on the labor of the poor. It is an appeal to the mob; it is an effort to enlist the worst passions of our nature against the laws of the land.'

The conflict described in the excerpt most directly contributed to which of the following political developments during the 1830s?

  1. A
    The decision by the Marshall Court to dismantle federal control over interstate commerce in McCulloch v. Maryland.
  2. B
    The decline of domestic trade between northeastern factories and western agricultural markets.
  3. The emergence of the Whig Party to oppose what critics saw as the expansion of executive power.Answer
  4. D
    The complete adoption of Hamiltonian economic policies by Jacksonian Democrats.

Answer

The emergence of the Whig Party to oppose what critics saw as the expansion of executive power.
The correct answer is correct because Daniel Webster's speech was a direct response to Andrew Jackson's veto of the bill to recharter the Second Bank of the United States. Jackson's unprecedented use of the executive veto and his populist appeal directly contributed to the formation of the Whig Party, whose members united around opposition to what they perceived as executive tyranny ('King Andrew I').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the author, date, and context.
The document is a speech by Senator Daniel Webster on July 11, 1832, criticizing President Andrew Jackson's bank veto message of July 10, 1832.
Understanding the context of the Bank War helps identify the political divisions of the era.
2
Identify Webster's main argument and critique of Jackson's action.
Webster accuses Jackson of using demagogic rhetoric to divide the public (rich vs. poor) and asserts that the veto is a dangerous expansion of executive power that threatens the rule of law.
This establishes the core conflict: executive authority and populist appeals versus legislative and constitutional supremacy.
3
Determine the long-term historical effect of this executive-legislative conflict in the 1830s.
Opponents of Jackson's executive actions (like the Bank veto, deposit removal, and Nullification Crisis response) united to form the Whig Party, establishing the Second Party System.
Connecting the Bank War to the rise of the Whigs answers the question directly based on historical consensus.

Key Concept

The political battles of the Jacksonian Era, specifically the Bank War, led directly to the formation of the Whig Party and the emergence of the Second Party System in response to perceived executive overreach.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Jackson and Federal Power Conflicts

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