Examples Of How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson Dbq

Marley Marko Mrs. Hall US History April 12, 2024 How democratic was Andrew Jackson? Andrew Jackson was not born wealthy, but throughout his life, he worked his way to a higher position. He started as a lawyer, then a war hero, and eventually the president of the United States. He is unarguably a man of great achievement, the question that has become controversial is whether or not he is democratic. Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as, “A government of the people, by the people and for the people.” From this definition, it is shown that Jackson wasn’t democratic, but rather undemocratic because of his removal of the national bank, his response to the Native Americans, and the spoils system. The first way Jackson is shown as undemocratic is …show more content…

Andrew Jackson refused to sign the renewal on the bank, against the suggestions of the congress, for many unreasonable reasons. According to Document A, Jackson states, “It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of the government to their selfish purposes.” This shows that Jackson is going against and targeting the rich people of the United States. The main part of democracy is “the people” and Jackson’s bias against the rich people is completely undemocratic. Senator Daniel Webster added in Document B, “[Jackson’s message] extends the grasp of [the president] over every power of the government.” Andrew Jackson was abusing the power of the executive branch and making it too powerful. This shows that Jackson represents more of a monarchy than a democracy. He goes on to say, in Document B, “It (the law) seeks to inflame the poor against the rich.” This means that Jackson is creating tension between the rich and poor people of the United States which is not in the best interest of the people, showing that he is undemocratic. The second way that Jackson proves to be undemocratic is his removal of the Native