Andrew Jackson’s ‘Era of the Common Man’ or the ‘Jacksonian Period’ (1824-1845)

Calhoun once strongly supported the tariff of 1816, but around the 1820's he concluded that the tariff was responsible for the stagnation of the state's economy. Although, the real cause was because of the exhaustion of South Carolina's farmland. Many tired Carolinian's started to consider secession as a fix for that problem. With Calhoun's future political hopes residing on how he met this challenge, Calhoun developed the theory on nullification. The theory of nullification stated that any state had the right to nullify, or discredit any federal law which that state found unconstitutional. Calhoun got some of his ideas for nullification from Jefferson and Madison and citing the Tenth Amendment from the constitution. Calhoun argued since the federal government was a creation of the states, the states were the final decision makers when it came down to the constitutionally of federal laws. If a state decided that Congress or the courts had passed an unconstitutional law, then the state could hold a convention and declare that law null and void within the state. The nullification doctrine, and the intention of using it to nullify the tariff of 1828 rapidly attracted the attention and support of South Carolina's

Therefore, it is apparent that it is the citizen’s job to secure the blessings of liberty. The citizen’s began to take action to secure their blessings of liberty prior to the Nullification Crisis, when they attempted to pass the Tariff of 1828 through Congress in hopes to aid Jackson’s re-election. Due to Jackson’s popularity, he was re-elected even without the help of the tariff. Yet the tariff was passed in 1828, and the citizen’s made a firm effort to nullify the tariff as soon as it was enacted. They believed they had the right to nullify the tariff, which sought their own privileges in liberty. The citizens further pushed for the nullification by trying to pass this though South Carolina’s legislature, but another group of citizens seeking to secure their

The Jacksonian Era was often described as a time of “democratization of politics” in the United States. However, democracy, at this time, was only defined as equality and justice for white males. There were improvements that benefited the common people, such as universal male suffrage, but these excluded women, Africans, Indians, and the rest of the population in the country. In addition, Andrew Jackson was not very democratic as he violated the Constitution and used the authority of the government for his personal issues. Meanwhile, today’s American society is a true democracy because every citizen, despite sex and race, is protected and given equal rights and opportunities. Back then, the United States did not achieve true democratization because there was not equality among all the people and Andrew Jackson abused his power as president.

The building nation of the United States of America is built on the central idea of having a democracy, in which people are given opportunity, freedom, and equality. Around the late 1820s to 1840s, the United States of America approached a period commonly known as the Jacksonian Era. The Jacksonian Era is often depicted with its democratization of politics and it is tightly associated Jackson’s two-term presidency. The era also featured him as a prominent, unique white man, but most importantly, a figure of the “common man.” Before the Jacksonian Era, Andrew Jackson had been involved in the skewed Election of 1824, which he had just barely lost to his running mates. Later, after redeeming himself by winning two consecutive elections, Jackson

The Jacksonian period of 1824-1848 can also be celebrated as the era of the “common man” because it lived up to its expectations due to the impact it had on America’s politics. Jackson put

Jacksonian Democracy describes the time from when Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States in 1829 till the end of his second term in 1837 (Shi and Tindall, 319). He was the first president that didn’t come from a prominent colonial family. His “common man” background lead him to being a popular political figure among the common people. This lead to him and his supporters forming America’s democratic party. A democracy is a system of government where the people or citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body. Andrew Jackson and his supporters greatly supported the idea of democracy. They wanted the common people of America to have more power when it came to

Andrew Jackson won the presidential election in 1828 to the horror of Thomas Jefferson, who said, “He is one of the most unfit men I know” (George Brown Tindall 431). Jackson was a very popular general who marched to the tune of his own drum (George Brown Tindall 443). “I was born for a storm,’ the fearless Jackson boasted; ‘a calm dose not suit me” (George Brown Tindall 442). His two terms in office was called the age of the common man. However, the Jacksonian democracy was actually the era of growing economic and social inequality. The growing gap between the wealthy and the poor and open racial behavior are two points that demonstrate how the age of the common man became instead the age of inequality. “While men of moderate means could sometimes turn an inheritance into a fortune by good management and prudent speculation, those who started out poor seldom made it to the top” (George Brown Tindall 407). Jackson often spoke of equal opportunities for all Americans, yet the growing gap between the poor and the wealthy was never resolved.

When Andrew Jackson took office in 1829, he was forced to respond to the growing conflict over tariffs. Vice President John C. Calhoun joined his fellow southerners in protest when Congress passed the Tariff of Abominations. In response to the tariff, Calhoun drafted the South Carolina Exposition and Protest. It urged states to nullify the Tariff of Abominations and used it to argue that since the states created the national government they decided when the national laws apply. Calhoun’s theory was controversial, and it drew some fierce challengers. Many of them were from the northern states that had benefited from increased tariffs. These opponents believed that the American people, not the individual states, made up the Union. Conflict between the supporters and the opponents of nullification deepened. The issue of nullification was intensely debated in the Senate, between Robert Y. Hayne and Daniel Webster. Hayne, senator from South Carolina, defended states’ rights. He argued that nullification gave states a way to lawfully

Voters in 1828 celebrated election day because all white males, no matter how much money or education they had could vote. His campaign told people to vote for him if they believed the people should govern. (Document 1) This evidence helps explain how Andrew Jackson is a democratic supporter of the people because this document shows how Jackson taking away property requirements for voting made there be more voters, the vote being given to the “common man”. Jackson believed in the type of government where the people

In 1828, otherwise known as “The Age of Jackson”, America was a country on its way to the West. America’s revolutionary generation was quickly fading, making room for a new balance of political power. As the class systems were breaking down, the “common man” was better able to cast his vote for the new President. Jackson was glorified by his impressive war accomplishments and humble background of the frontier. This made him the main target for presidency in election 1824. Once coming to power, Jackson no longer portrayed humble beginnings, but became a conundrum to the people he was leading by removing indians from their homeland and forcing them West. His use of power can be debated based on the state of the country thereafter. Although Andrew Jackson was dubbed “The People 's President”, his time in office reflected a very different outcome.

Imagine if we didn’t win the War of 1812 or if the common people felt unwanted? Where would we be without Andrew Jackson? Andrew Jackson’s presidency should be admired because he supported the common man and thought the rich were overrated, he also a well-known war hero.This topic is relevant because Andrew Jackson made it so the people were treated as equals, and how different “groups” shouldn’t be treated better just because of their money status. It also is relevant because our country wouldn’t have double without the War of 182 or our success during the Revolutionary. Andrew Jackson wasn’t born into the richest family, in fact he lived out most of his life an orphan. President Jackson always thought that the rich were over privileged or didn’t deserve what they were given. Andrew Jackson wanted to make sure the common people felt just as equal as the rich. Jackson also was a well renowned war hero for his victory during the War of 1812 which gave the United States the ability to double in size or it wouldn’t have given us the social status that was desired.Because Andrew Jackson was a common man himself, how did he put towards that part of his life into his acts as president?

Considered to be the sparkplug for the formation of the infamous Civil War, the Nullification Crisis of 1832 was a hostile conflict between the state of South Carolina and the United States government over the controversial concept of Nullification. Although the crisis concluded without a physical war or casualties, the impact of the tensions created from the Nullification Crisis would leave a lasting mark on the unsteady nation and highlight the problems rising throughout the country. Occurring during the presidency of contentious American president Andrew Jackson and his fiery vice president John C. Calhoun, this political emergency would also serve as a defining moment towards the legacies of these two American icons. This paper will seek

They set out to form a system which would rotate different people in and out of these jobs. However, the Jacksonians wound up using the spoils system to elect members of their party. By doing this, they had a larger influence in government and could more easily pass laws to help the people. Jackson and his followers were always interested in the rights of the people of the United States. Therefore, when the United States found itself within the Nullification Crisis, Jackson responded immediately and with a just cause. While a threat of rebellion rose in South Carolina, Jackson threatened to send down an army to quash it, before further harm was done. This proves how dangerous nullification could be and how Jackson, a man of the people, would be against it. The threats of South Carolina to secede over such a law threatened the Union. The Union, effectively, was the collaboration of states and the peoples within them made the Union possible. Thus, when a state threatened to leave the Union, and damage it, Jackson was against it. Jacksonian's saw this as a threat to the political democracy within the United States. By breaking up the Union it would make it more vulnerable to a take over from Europe or another foreign country. In addition to this, by destroying the Union, the economic opportunities of citizens would also be hindered. Jackson believed in the voice of the people, but only when it

America’s history is rich and full of countless heroes, scandals, and incredible stories. Perhaps one of the most interesting of those stories is that of Andrew Jackson’s. To some, he was a hero, but to others, he was their worst enemy. Being raised in the mountains of the Carolinas, he became the first “backcountry president” of the United States (Wilentz, 13). His fame, though, began years before his presidency.

As this national pride grew, as too did the United States’s borders. In 1817, with the recent introduction of Louisiana and Indiana and the soon to be state of Mississippi, many American politicians feared that sectionalism would take over. John C. Calhoun was one of these men, as evidenced in Document B. He states that “the extent of the republic exposes us to the greatest of calamities - disunion” (B). It is clear that Calhoun believes that the growth of the US was “our price and danger, our weakness and our strength” (B).