How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson?
Looking at the ballots of 1828 and 1832, Andrew Jackson was clearly labeled as a Democratic Republic, a party founded by Thomas Jefferson. These Democrats supposedly believed in the ideas of a limited central government, states’ rights, and protection of the liberty of individuals. However, based on these principles, tyrannous “King Andrew I” may not be as democratic as one may think. Jackson shifted the Presidency to a more personal style, by vetoing anything that disagreed with his own beliefs, rather than the beliefs of the people. Through the Indian Removal Act, the Spoils System, and the Bank War, Andrew Jackson revealed himself to be a non-democrat who cared more about himself than the people. And among these people, natives and slaves were given the least liberties out of all the racial groups in America at the time.
If Democrats believed in more humanitarian ideals, then Jackson definitely wasn’t one. Andrew Jackson was known as the Indian fighter, for his participation in the Creek War of 1814 and the First Seminole War of 1816. Indians were seen as subhuman obstacles to America’s goals of Westward expansion, and they must be disposed of. In 1830, Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act, which planned to move all tribes to the west of the Mississippi River. At the time, there were over 125,000 natives living east of the Mississippi. The removal was supposed to be voluntary, but knowing from
According to his enemies, Andrew Jackson behaved more like a dictator/king than a democratic president. Jackson and his followers became the basis of the Democratic-Republican party, later known as the Democratic party. He believed in the spoils system, supported the common man, and equality for all people regardless of their social class. Although he had such positive features, he had some negatives as well. Jackson removed Native Americans from their homeland by signing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which created the “Trail of Tears,” vetoed the National Bank (B.U.S), and was pro-slavery. Although a common man himself, Jackson became successful as president. This was one of his biggest motives to support the common man, rather than the
Andrew Jackson was democratic in geographic ways because according to Document letter J in the Indian removal Act Andrew Jackson wanted to set apart a territory for the Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River and outside the limits of any state or territory now formed. Also if they remain within the limits of the states they must be subject to their laws. Although some people might think he is not democratic because he forced the Indian tribes out of their land and they went on the Trail of Tears, he is democratic because he found them new land west of the Mississippi River and according to American Journey History textbook he adopted a small Native American boy who was left from the rest of the tribe.
According to several historical documents, President Andrew Jackson was not democratic because he used the “spoils system”, ignored other government officials input, and refused to recognize certain groups, such as the Native Americans.
Jacksonian Democrats believed that they were protecting individual liberty, political democracy, the equality of economic opportunity, and upholding the rights of the Constitution of the United States. In my opinion, the Jacksonians were, to some extent, guardians of the United States. However, the Jacksonians did have their flaws.
During Andrew Jackson presidency, he acted more like a king. When he was president Jackson had many reasons that would show he was more of a king than a president. Some reasons would be a War on Bank of US, American System, and Indian Removal Act. All these events will show how he was king just by the way he thought of the events.
The creation of the Democratic Party and the abolishment of the national bank are a few of the several decisions Andrew Jackson made that benefited the U.S. Using the time between elections, Jackson’s supporters created the Democratic Party which would represent common people, such as ordinary farmers, workers, and the poor (Hart et al 259). The creation of this new political organization gave common people the right to
Andrew Jackson’s form and thought of democracy was very different from the democracy the founding fathers originally wanted for our country. The founding fathers wanted a country mostly ruled by Congress and they didn’t want “average Americans to have a role in choosing… [the] president” (Reinventing the Presidency). The founding fathers thought of the presidential branch as being weak and only good for doing what Congress wanted. Andrew Jackson the seventh president of the united states quickly showed the people how powerful his government position was by enforcing his right to veto bills Congress passed. Over Jackson's presidential term, he was a very different president than the founders originally wanted in office, and many people thought of his presidency as being very democratic. Jackson’s term as president may have seemed democratic, but when you look deeper into his laws and policies you can realize how his term wasn’t really that democratic.
As America’s most influential political figure during the 1830s, Andrew Jackson left a permanent imprint upon American politics and democracy. Born on the border of North and South Carolina, Jackson was left to confront the world on his own after the death of his parents. By the age of 29, he involved himself in law and politics as he was elected as Tennessee’s first representative in the U.S. Senate. Jackson’s first success came from war, specifically when he commanded American forces in the defense of New Orleans against the British in 1815. Soon after, Jackson decided to make his first run for the President of the United States and won both the electoral and popular vote in 1824. Jackson is often connected to a new spirit of democracy
Was Andrew Jackson the democratic figure our great nation needed in the mid 1800’s? From 1828 to 1836, Andrew Jackson served as president in the United States of America. During that time, the country was torn in half due to controversies such as the eviction of the national bank, the Indian Removal, and the spoils system. Although some people believed Jackson was fair to the common man, Jackson acted undemocratically during his presidency because he was not fair to everyone and only listened to his supporters.
The Jacksonian democracy of the 1820s-1830s is often associated with an expansion of the political influence, economic opportunities, and social equality available to “the common man,” a concept of the masses which President Andrew Jackson and his newly founded Democratic party came to represent. The new administration certainly saw gains for the majority; namely, public participation in government increased to unprecedented levels, and several economic decisions were made to favor the people over monopolies. Beginning with their exaggerated portrayal of the “corrupt” 1824 election however, the Jacksonian democrats also left a legacy of substantial miscalculations
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
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.
Democracy is the staple component of freedom. Andrew Jackson was a wild kid. He drank fought, and gambled every where he went. When he became older he studied law and became a lawyer. He then acquired land and bought slaves to become a farmer in Tennessee. After this he became that state’s first representative at the age of twenty-nine. A year later, he was elected into the senate. Jackson became a war hero known as Old Hickory in The Creek war. In 1824, Jackson became president with the promise that he would help the “Common Man”. The “Common Man” to Jackson were the uneducated men that worked. The definition of democracy is that every branch of the government listens to and obeys the wishes of all domestic people. From this definition a question can be raised: How democratic was Andrew Jackson? Andrew Jackson was not democratic because he created the spoils system, he supported the Indian Removal act, and hypocritically vetoed the National bank.
How Democratic was Jacksonian Democracy? Society identified the United States as a representative democracy that elected officials to make decisions for the citizens. Several leaders in the course of history had tried to change America’s government. Andrew Jackson, one such leader, wanted a true democracy for his chosen people, the common men, which were white males only. He made several changes within the economy and politics that furthered his dream of freedom despite many being against him.
A period of nearly 30 years are associated with the Presidency of Jefferson, his successors and his ‘democracy’ from 1801 until Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828. A vision of a united, equal America, limited government and natural aristocracy ruled the Jeffersonian style of democracy. However, with the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828, a new form of democracy, differentiating in multiply ways to the Jeffersonian America, engulfed the American political and social scene. Jacksonian Democracy, a dream of the common man, the use of the Presidential veto, and Anglo-Saxonism as well other elements dominated this form of democracy and era. Despite this, many