Students learn how Andrew Jackson’s Bank War affected Americans, showing both short-term benefits and long-term harm, and how these impacts revealed struggles for farmers, merchants, and workers during the Panic of 1837.
Students learn how Andrew Jackson’s Bank War affected Americans, showing both short-term benefits and long-term harm, and how these impacts revealed struggles for farmers, merchants, and workers during the Panic of 1837.
Students view an image of the First Bank of the United States and read introductory text about the role of banks in communities. They respond to two discussion wall prompts about why it is important for people to trust banks and what might happen if many people lost that trust. Students then read a brief overview of the experience and the lesson objectives.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the overall purpose and flow of the experience, review key vocabulary (especially “negate”), and highlight how it will be used in later discussions. Facilitate discussion of student responses to the prompts, emphasizing that banks depend on public trust and that deposits are used in ways that connect to the larger economy. Help students see how the two questions build on each other and connect this reflection to the upcoming study of the Bank Crisis.
Students read What were the First and Second National Banks? and watch The War Against the Bank to build background on why the Bank of the United States became a central political issue and why the conflict was called the “Bank War.” They answer multiple-choice questions about the role of the Second National Bank, Jackson’s reasons for vetoing its charter, and why the conflict is described as a “war.” Students then examine the political cartoon “General Jackson Slaying the Many Headed Monster” and post to a discussion wall explaining who is represented and how the image relates to the term “Bank War,” using visual details as evidence.
Teacher MovesBefore students work with the resources, review the meanings of “veto” and “charter” to ensure they understand Jackson’s constitutional powers and the bank’s legal status. After the questions, clarify the bank’s functions, Jackson’s belief that it favored wealthy elites, and how the “Bank War” reflected deeper struggles over money, power, and the federal government’s role. Guide analysis of the political cartoon by drawing attention to symbolism, such as Jackson battling a many-headed monster representing the bank and its powerful supporters, and explain how political cartoons shaped public opinion. Extend discussion by asking whether Jackson’s reasons for rejecting the bank’s charter support or negate his image as the “Common Man’s President,” prompting students to use evidence from the article and video.
Students examine a political cartoon showing a struggling family and landlord to explore how Jackson’s “Bank War” affected ordinary people. They contribute observations, interpretations, and questions to a collaborative See-Think-Wonder chart about the image. Next, they read Andrew Jackson and the Second National Bank to identify how Jackson’s banking decisions produced both immediate and long-term economic effects. Using a drawing tool, they sort a provided list of impacts (such as easier borrowing, rising land sales, job loss, business closures, and loss of trust in banks) into short-term and long-term categories.
Teacher MovesLead a discussion of the cartoon, highlighting visual details that show hardship and connecting these to the broader “Bank War” and its effects on families. Clarify the difference between short-term and long-term impacts, using examples from the reading. After the sorting activity, review student work to ensure they can distinguish between immediate and lasting effects, emphasizing how Jackson’s policies influenced both short-run conditions and the nation’s economic future. Invite students to compare and justify their categorizations and, if time allows, revisit the See-Think-Wonder chart so students can update their thinking. Conclude by asking whether the impacts of the Bank War support or negate Jackson’s image as the “Common Man’s President,” encouraging use of lesson vocabulary and specific examples.
Students read The Flour Riots of 1837 and watch What were the Flour Riots? to understand how economic instability after the Bank War contributed to public unrest. They consider the claim that the Flour Riots were about anger and despair from an unstable economy, not just food shortages, and post to a discussion wall with an example from the text or video that supports this claim, explaining how their evidence connects to the idea.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene as an opportunity to connect the Bank War’s economic impacts to real-world unrest during the Panic of 1837. When reviewing discussion wall responses, spotlight examples that clearly link specific evidence to the claim about anger, despair, and economic instability. Facilitate conversation about which pieces of evidence best support the claim and why. Then guide students to consider how the Flour Riots relate to Jackson’s image as the “Common Man’s President,” prompting them to weigh arguments that both support and challenge that image and modeling how to connect claims, evidence, and reasoning.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.