■ COMPARATIVE QUESTIONS ■

1. Question

   What conclusions can you draw from the sources in this chapter about the extent of “democratization” during the Jacksonian era? To what degree did different groups of people during these years benefit from this egalitarian ethos?

2. Question

   Contrast the competing political philosophies spurring the Whig and Democratic parties during the 1830s and 1840s. How did these policy disputes manifest themselves in policy differences?

3. Question

   Compare Van Buren’s attitude toward parties with those views expressed by James Madison in Federalist No. 10 (Document 6-6) and George Washington in his Farewell Address (Document P3-4). How might you explain the differences you see?

4. Question

   What can you infer about the argument historians make when they label the years 1800 to 1844 a Democratic Revolution? What comparison do you see between these years and those years of the American Revolution during the 1770s?