Comparing Jefferson And Jackson's Democracy

Jackson’s version of democracy was in fact a democracy. He was not a very wealthy man, he owned a home and some land. Which was more than could be said about most Americans at the time. About ten percent of the Americans living there at that time owned enough land to vote. There was a law, stating that only white males with a good portion of land could vote in the presidential election. Andrew Jackson thought this system was so unfair, he created a new way to govern the citizens of the newly formed United States.

Andrew Jackson was like no other president before him. The previous presidents had one thing in common, they were all part of the founding fathers or in John Quincy Adam’s case was the son of a founding father. However Jackson was a plantation owner from the west who had no connections with the government. He also had different views from other presidents that made his presidency unique. Two things that separated Andrew Jackson’s presidency from previous presidencies were he reached out to the common people and he was disapproving of the Bank of United States.

One reason why Jackson was not democratic is his use of the spoils system. “King Andrew the first...born to command” (cartoon of Jackson that appeared in the presidential election of 1832). This cartoon shows how he felt like he could do whatever he wanted to further himself. “no one man has any more...right to (government jobs) than another” (Andrew Jackson’s letter to Congress). The spoils system gave government jobs to supporters of the political leader, often leading to fraud and inefficiency. Using power to reward people who are your supporters, rather than due to skill and experience, is wrong. It is also excluding certain people from having a say in the government, and getting what should be theirs, which is not democratic.

Jacksonian Democrats help create a more democratic America and because of this, believed themselves to be many things, real and fictional. In most cases they perceived themselves as defenders of equal economic opportunity, even though they sometimes put their own interests before those of the people. They also thought of themselves as guardians of political democracy, while at the same time using class differences to their advantage and emotionalized speeches, lacking real intellectual merit, to stir support. Jacksonian Democrats felt that they were the protectors of the Constitution and of individual liberties but many times they put their rivalry with the Northeastern industry and Whig politics before these things. While Jacksonians

Jacksonian's viewed themselves as guardians of the constitution, political democracy, individual liberties, and equality of economic opportunity. Many of his followers from that time tended to agree but a lot of people today look back and disagree with each of these assumptions. I believe that he was a keeper of the constitution and political democracy. Depending upon your outlook, Jackson was a guardian of individual liberties, even with his oppression of African American slaves, Indians, and women. His equality of economic opportunity was more towards the common man that the elite but gave that common man a larger chance for equality with the elites without allowing the elites a greater chance to increase their wealth.

Jackson was similar to Jefferson because he opposed increasing federal spending and the national bank. He vetoed 12 bills, which was more than the total of all 6 presidents before him. One of the things he vetoed was the use of federal money to make the Maysville Road, because it was entirely in one state. It

     During the administration of Andrew Jackson, the United States was a nation of change both politically and socially. American society was a society of opportunity. Americans felt that, given a chance, they could make a better life for themselves. This was the era of the common people, the era of democracy. Andrew Jackson appealed to the American people because he stood for values many regarded with favor. However democratic Jackson may seem, he was more tyrant-like than any of his predecessors. His major offerings to the nation included majority rule and a popular presidency, however offered no benefits to women, African Americans, nor Native Americans. Jacksonian Democracy was

In addition to creating a more democratic country, Jackson also tried to establish equal economic opportunity for the people of America. The best example of this is the vetoing of the charter of the Bank of the United States. The bank was a huge monopoly. It was ran by aristocrats, most of which were from England. Nicholas Biddle, who was the president of the bank, often used funds from the bank to lend money to the members of Congress, thus wining their support.

Though nearly thirty years separate the time when Presidents Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson were elected into office, the ideas that they brought with them into the White House are very similar. The importance of common man resonated largely with both of these leaders, and they worked extremely hard to make life for them as fair as possible. However, there are many other similarities between the presidencies of these two men, so I believe saying that they had ‘virtually the same political views’ is a very plausible statement.

Jackson based his decisions upon what he thought would most benefit himself, not the country. His cabinet was often called a “kitchen cabinet” because he appointed friends with the same political views as him to fill

Jackson was the most democratic of any president at that time to come to power. In practically all areas of political application there was the existence of liberal thinking. This was especially apparent in his previously mentioned appointment of officials. Jackson considered the roles of officials fairly simple and could and should be carried out by all people not just the members of the socially and intellectually elite. The belief of complete equality is with out a doubt Jacksonian. Despite this already democratic view, Jackson took it one step further and appointed the illiterate and plain incompetent members of society to office.

While there are many notable differences between Jefferson and Jackson, there is one major similarity: their opinions relating to economics. They both firmly opposed a United States Bank that stood in opposition of state banks. Jackson was in favor of state banks and had won a bank war that enabled him to draw out money from the federal standpoint and place these funds into state banks. Jefferson had the same view, as he encouraged state banks. In other words, both Jackson and Jefferson opposed a national bank, and encouraged state banks.

President Jefferson and President Jackson were two complete different people. Though each one had their flaws, they also had some good intentions throughout their presidency. The government was different under each president because each one had their own ideas for America. There is a chain of causes that made America the way it was under each president. Jefferson was a good person but was not the best president because he always thought about himself and never what everyone else wanted. Jackson was not a good person but he was a good president because he got things done as a president. He did thing that were good not only for him but for America 's future.

The presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson were based on similar political philosophies. Both men believed in the common man having a voice in government, and opposed too much power being given to the federal government. Both were educated men, with an extensive knowledge of the law, who believed that an agricultural based economy was the key to America’s economical growth. However, since they were both planters who owned slaves, and Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, it was obvious that their philosophy of defending the common man did not pertain to minorities. Jefferson was raised on a wealthy tobacco plantation, and Jackson, although born poor, was raised by a

Two presidents of the United States, John Adams and Andrew Jackson, couldn’t have had more different views on the topic of slavery. John Adams made a great effort to support the national unity of the United States through a plan he created called the “American System”. He built roads, canals and began a national university, yet most of the programs he wanted to initiate didn’t survive past congress. One action which he did not support was the removal of “Native Americans from their lands to open the lands up for settlement…” (Treese). The hatred he had towards slavery shows in his actions, additionally he shows that he wishes for the freedom of the native people as well as slaves. However, Andrew Jackson loves slavery because it's brought him money and maked him a wealth man. Jackson owned numerous slaves, which he enslaved to grow cash crops at a plantation he owned in Alabama. During his presidency, he actively supported pro-slavery policies in an attempt to keep the American nation together. During one point in his presidency, he ordered “the postmaster general to destroy abolitionist pamphlets mailed to the Southern states” (Escobedo). Because he feared that the newsletters would bring displeasure about slavery and cause a civil war to break out. Finally, Adams strived for unity for the whole American nation, while Jackson wanted the