Problem
• Was Andrew Jackson a great president? Opinions are mixed. Consider the words that Jackson biographer James Parton wrote in 1859:
"Andrew Jackson, I am given to understand, was a patriot and a traitor. He was one of the greatest of generals, and wholly ignorant of the art of war... He was the most candid of men, and was capable of the profoundest dissimulation... A democratic autocrat [dictator]. An urbane [sophisticated] savage. An atrocious [awful] saint."
Make a draft about the quality of the Jackson presidency
• American life changed dramatically during the first part of the nineteenth century. The United States' economy changed from a subsistence economy to a market economy. What does that mean and why did it happen?
Write something that:
• Explains the difference between a subsistence economy and a market economy.
• Explains the reasons why the shift to a market economy occurred.
• Briefly describes the adjustments in manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and communication that took place in each section of the country during this period.
• Which of these changes and innovations helped unite the country and why?