Lesson 4: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Issues in the Election of 1828 (and Beyond)

NCSS.D2.Geo.2.9-12. Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their political, cultural, and economic dynamics.

NCSS.D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.

NCSS.D2.His.2.9-12. Analyze change and continuity in historical eras.

NCSS.D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.

NCSS.D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

NCSS.D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.

• Review the lesson plan. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and other useful websites. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.

Activity 1. The Campaigns of 1828

1.Share with students background information on the campaigns of 1828 from the class textbook or other sources, such as these EDSITEment resources:

• The Old Hickory Campaign on American Studies at the University of Virginia. Focuses on the Old Hickory image. Somewhat difficult, but substantial.
• Elections the American Way: Issues on American Memory. Straightforward writing. A brief biography of Jackson dovetailing with a very brief account of the elections of 1824 and 1828.
• Andrew Jackson: Campaigns and Elections on The American President. Rather long, but readable, textbook-like account of the campaigns of 1824, 1828, and 1832.
• Marketing a Candidate on the website of the White House Historical Association, a link from Explore DC. One section of a longer, complete account of Jackson's rise and how his handlers capitalized on Jackson's image and popularity.
• An Emerging Party and a Long Campaign also on the White House Historical Association website. Another section of a longer, complete account of Jackson's rise and how his handlers capitalized on Jackson's image and popularity.
• For relatively brief yet comprehensive background on the election of 1824 and the election of 1828 and its aftermath, read the following one-page articles on Digital History, a project of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a link from History Matters:
  • Emergence of a New Party System
  • The Presidency of John Quincy Adams
  • The Presidency of Andrew Jackson

Review and list the important issues of the campaigns.

2. The following optional activity uses brief passages from historian Frederick Jackson Turner as a way of entering into a discussion of Jackson's image and popularity. Communicating the heroic, common-man image of Andrew Jackson was central to the campaign of 1828. On one hand, that image was created—at least in part—by the candidate's astute handlers. But why did that image resonate so strongly with the American people at that particular time? Since Frederick Jackson Turner published his text The Frontier in American History in 1893, historians have wondered about the effect of the frontier on American politics and the American psyche, and the effect of the frontier persona on the election of 1828. Though historians coming after Turner have made "significant correctives of this thesis, it has had an exceptional impact upon the study of the roles of environment and geographical sections in U.S. history" (Morris and Morris, Encyclopedia of American History, New York: Harper Collins, 1996, 863).

What factors made Andrew Jackson widely popular? Was he the very model of a new American identity that was emerging, or did he inspire it?

If desired, review biographical information about Jackson from the class text or a source such as Andrew Jackson: Biography on the EDSITEment-reviewed website The American President. Then, if desired, read the brief excerpts about Jackson in the handout "From The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner" on page 6 of the PDF (see "Preparation Instructions" below for download instructions).

Turner calls Jackson "the very personification" of "frontier democracy."

• What are the most important characteristics of "frontier democracy"?
• What elements of frontier democracy does Jackson personify? In what ways?
• What other aspects of Jackson's reality and/or image may have had special appeal?
• Was Jackson's appeal as the "common man" related to his image as a man of the frontier? In what ways?
• Jackson also appealed to people as a self-made man, planter, and military man. In what way, if any, does each of these relate to the frontier?
• Are any of the following images cultivated by politicians today? (NOTE: Avoid discussion of specific politicians.)
  • Believer in the Individual over Institutions
  • Common Man
  • Self-made Man
  • Military Man
• Based on students' present knowledge of Andrew Jackson, what aspect(s) of the Jackson persona would they say had the most appeal in 1828? As the students learn more about the campaign and election of 1828 and more about Jackson, they should continue to consider what made Jackson so popular.

3. While Jackson and Adams did not make campaign appearances, Jackson did have professional handlers from a variety of states who mapped out strategy, organized campaign rallies, and produced campaign materials.

Discuss the various kinds of political advertisements we see today, such as:

• Image ads that solely try to establish an image with very little content.
• Ads that emphasize the candidate's qualifications.
• Ads that portray the candidate as the outsider who will bring something new to the office. Such ads often depict the candidate as anti-corruption.
• Attack ads.
• Issues-based ads.

The purpose of discussing contemporary campaigns is to make the 1828 campaign more understandable and to provide a vocabulary students can use in their analysis. As you lead the discussion, avoid discussion of specific issues in current campaigns.

Distribute the "Chart for Analyzing 1828 Campaign Materials" on page 7 of the PDF (see "Preparation Instructions" below for download instructions) and/or the Written Document Analysis Worksheet on the EDSITEment resource National Archives Educator Resources to guide the following discussion. Model the process of document analysis for the class by working together on the document Jackson triumphant in the great city of Philadelphia on the EDSITEment-reviewed website American Memory. Help students understand how negative accusations can reflect the issues or image that Jackson was attempting to communicate (for example, an accusation of profiting from land deals would contradict the image of Jackson as a common man). Look for examples of issues reflecting regional differences, such as the tariff. Use specific information from the document to support the conclusion that it fits one or more of the categories on the chart.

Students will now work in small groups to analyze campaign materials and locate statements that reflect the issues and tone of the 1828 campaigns. Each group should receive at least one piece of pro- and one piece of anti-Jackson material from the 13 documents listed below. Each link from American Memory leads to a digitized image as well as access to bibliographic information, larger images, and a full-text transcription. Many of the documents listed are image files. Documents with more text are followed by asterisks. The political cartoons, which are considered campaign materials for the purpose of this exercise, are from American Political Prints 1766-1876 on the EDSITEment-reviewed website Harp Week. Each of the prints is accompanied by an explanation. If desired, have student groups complete an initial analysis of their document(s) using one of the Document Analysis Worksheets, including the Written Document Analysis Worksheet and the Cartoon Analysis Worksheet, on the EDSITEment resource National Archives Educator Resources.

Web Links:

• From American Memory
  • Pro-Jackson Material
    • Address of the General Committee of Republican young men of the City of New York, friendly to the election of Andrew Jackson ... [New York 1828] *
    • Genl. Andrew Jackson. 1828. Protector & Defender of Beauty & Booty. Orleans
    • To the Free Voters of the State of Maryland *
    • Immorality
• Anti-Jackson Material
  • Jackson a negro trader. From the Nashville Banner and Whig. To the public. [Signed] Boyd McNairy. 14th July 1828 *
  • The Governor of Florida [Regarding the administration of General Andrew Jackson in Florida]. [Florida? 1828?] *
  • To the Public *
  • The Voice of Virginia! *
• From American Political Prints 1766-1876, an exhibit of Harp Week.
  • Pro-Jackson Material
    • Jackson Delegate Ticket. No "favored few, booted and spurred, ready to ride us legitimately by the grace of God."
    • To sweep the Augean Stable. For President, Andrew Jackson. For Vice-President, John C. Calhoun
    • Jackson Ticket. Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures.
    • Jackson Ticket. American System. Speed the plough, the Loom & the Mattock.
• Anti-Jackson Material
  • Some Account of some of the Bloody Deeds of General Jackson *

It has been said that presidential campaigning in 1828 was almost completely based on image-making.

• Do students agree?
• What indications are there that issues were also important?
• Which issues?

Students should be able to respond effectively to the following questions:

• What were the important issues in the campaign of 1828?
• How were these issues reflected in the campaign materials?
• How would students characterize the tone of 1828 campaign materials?
• What image did Andrew Jackson and his campaign create? Was the attempt at image-making effective?

In a whole-class setting, small groups, or individually, have students analyze an archival document such as To the freemen of Maryland. Read, pause, and reflect. facts! Stubborn facts! on the EDSITEment-reviewed website American Memory. How does it reflect the issues and images of the 1828 presidential campaign?

EDSITEment offers the following complementary lessons on the campaign of 1840 that you may want to use with your class: The Campaign of 1840: "William Henry Harrison and Tyler, Too".

Selected EDSITEment Web Sites

• American Memory 
  • Address of the General Committee of Republican young men of the
    City of New York, friendly to the election of Andrew Jackson ... [New York 1828]
  • A Century of Lawmaking
  • Elections the American Way: Issues 
  • The Governor of Florida
  • Immorality
  • Jackson a negro trader. From the Nashville Banner and Whig. To the public.
  • Jackson triumphant in the great city of Philadelphia
  • Serious appeal!
  • To the Free Voters of the State of Maryland
  • To the freemen of Maryland. Read, pause, and reflect. facts! Stubborn facts! ...
    [Signed] Anthony Wayne. [blank] [1828] Full Text Version
  • To the Public (accusing General Jackson and others of fraudulent land deals, 1828)
  • The Voice of Virginia!
• The American President
  • Andrew Jackson
  • Andrew Jackson: Biography
  • Andrew Jackson: Campaigns and Elections
  • Andrew Jackson: Domestic Affairs
  • The Power of the People
• American Studies at the University of Virginia
  • Old Hickory Campaign (background)
  • Territorial Expansion Map for 1790
  • Territorial Expansion Map for 1830
  • Territorial Expansion Maps
• Explore DC 
  • White House Historical Association
  • An Emerging Party and a Long Campaign
  • Marketing a Candidate
  • VOTER PARTICIPATION IN PRESIDENTIAL
    ELECTIONS BY STATE: 1824-1836
  • Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
  • Interactive Election Results for 1820
  • Interactive Election Results for 1824
  • Interactive Election Results for 1828
  • Interactive Election Results for 1832
  • Interactive Elections Results for 1836
• Harp Week
  • American Political Prints 1766-1876
  • GENL. ANDREW JACKSON. 1828. PROTECTOR & DEFENDER
    OF BEAUTY & BOOTY. ORLEANS
  • JACKSON DELEGATE TICKET. No "favored few, booted and spurred,
    ready to ride us legitimately by the grace of God."
  • JACKSON TICKET. Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures.
  • JACKSON TICKET. AMERICAN SYSTEM. Speed the plough,
    the Loom & the Mattock.
  • Some Account of some of the Bloody Deeds OF GENERAL JACKSON 
  • To sweep the Augean Stable. FOR PRESIDENT, Andrew Jackson.
    FOR VICE-PRESIDENT, JOHN C. CALHOUN
• History Matters
  • Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
  • Digital History
  • Document List Page
  • Emergence of a New Party System
  • The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
  • The Presidency of John Quincy Adams
  • The Tax History Museum