Monday, March 21, 2016

Political Parties: Whigs vs. Democrats

The first political factions were the Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans. As we moved into our second generation of leaders, two new parties emerged: Democrats vs. Whigs.

Visit this website and this website to get a feel for what each stood for in the 19th century.

For the comments section, summarize the beliefs of EACH party. Also, which party would you have joined if you were alive back then?

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Andrew Jackson: His First Inauguration

So...Jackson is somewhat of a game-changer. He was certainly the first of his kind to hit the national spotlight. As you will see throughout the coming weeks, much of what made him unique and popular also led to his controversial actions while President.

This week, you will read this account of Jackson's 1829 Inauguration. Answer the following questions for the blog:
1) Did Jackson's Inauguration seem "presidential" to you? Why or why not?
2) Why were people reacting this way to Jackson when they had not acted this way for Presidents 1-6?