Why did Andrew Jackson oppose the Second National Bank?

• A. He believed it would promote small farmers
• B. He believed it was unconstitutional and favored the wealthy
• C. He thought it would fund the war effort more efficiently
• D. He supported centralized bank control

Answer: (B)

The question tests why Jackson fought against a national banking institution by focusing on who holds power and who benefits. Jackson argued that the federal government did not have the explicit authority to create or renew a national bank, and that concentrating financial power in one private institution was dangerous to liberty and democracy. He believed the Bank favored wealthy bankers and speculators at the expense of ordinary people, especially farmers and frontier settlers, who needed a more accessible and fair financial system. So, the opposition was both about constitutional authority and about fairness in how national power and wealth were distributed. This makes the idea that the Bank was unconstitutional and favored the wealthy the best explanation.