Jacksonian Era Dbq

Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. However, the Jacksonian Democrats were in a catch 22. In order for them to protect the interests of the common man, they at times had to violate the very things for which they stood. By doing this, the Jacksonian Democrats stressed the importance of the power of the common man, at times by violating their own principles.

true liberty and equality, the millions of women. Blacks, Native Americans, immigrants, and other minorities in America continued to languish in a society that ignored their rights. Furthermore, during the Age of Jackson, enslavement of Blacks, the ultimate form of inequality, was at a new high in America. At the same time, enormous disparities of wealth existed between rich merchants, industrialists and planters, and their lowly workers: immigrants. Blacks, and the common man. While these contradictions typified America, Jacksonian democrats viewed themselves as guardians of the Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of opportunity. But how could anyone be a successful guardian of these ideals while contradictions such as those previously mentioned exist? The answer is that Jackson and his followers must have been what they said they were only to a certain extent. The Jacksonian Democrats were, to some extent, champions of the Constitution, democracy, liberty, and equality.

Andrew Jackson was the first United States president who did not come from the nation’s elite social class. Andrew Jackson was a president for the “common man” this was a changing point in American politics. Pro Jackson’s would form the democratic party while the elites would be called the Whig

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.

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.

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

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

Although Jackson was a hard money supporter, he was sensitive to his many soft money supporters, and made it clear that he would object to renewing the charter of the Bank of the United States, which was due to expire in 1836. When Jackson could not legally abolish the Bank of the United States before the expiration of its charter, he weakened it by removing the government’s deposits from the bank. Jackson fired two of his secretary of treasury when they refused to carry out the order because they believed that such an action would destabilize the financial system. Jackson got Roger Taney to carry out his order. Taney took the deposits out of the Bank of the

The Jacksonian Democratic Party and the Whig Party each, exemplified different beliefs on the role of the federal government in the economy and towards westward expansion in the 1830s and 1840s. However, the Jacksonian, laissez faire supporting Democrats and the economic nationalistic Whig party shared almost no beliefs except for the removal of American Indians in the areas their supporters wished to settle. The lack of similarities is because the Whigs formed their own party to oppose President Jackson’s strong-armed leadership style and policies which earned him the nickname “King Andrew.” The Jacksonian Democratic Party evolved out of the Democratic-Republican Party in the early 1800s, the core of its membership was composed of farmers, immigrants, and white Southerners. The Whigs formed in 1834 and lasted for 20 years, they were the major political party that opposed Andrew Jackson. The Whigs were created based upon the Federalist beliefs in a strong federal government and adopted many Federalist and National Republican policy ideas, including federal funding for internal improvements, a central bank, and high tariffs to protect the growth of manufacturing enterprises. Overall, the Jacksonian Democratic agrarian Party and the industrialization supporting Whig Party had different beliefs toward the role of the federal government in the economy and towards westward expansion.

The Jacksonian Democrats fought hard for the common man, but in doing so jeopardized the future of the United States. One issue that exemplified how the Jacksonians did not secure the future of the country was when President Jackson vetoed the extension to the second charter of the National Bank of the United States. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was another example of how the Jacksonians failed to protect the Indians’ rights; instead, their self interests the Manifest Destiny, which was the notion that Americans should conquer from East to West Coast. The Jacksonians supported equal economic opportunities because they opposed monopolies, high tariffs, and high land prices. However, they were unable to reinforce the federal government’s presence

The Jacksonian Era is associated with the expansion of democracy and increased voting opportunities. This concept is accurate for certain members of society, but not all. During this time period, white males experienced an increase of political freedoms while social groups including women, Native Americans, and African Americans struggled with gaining basic voting rights.

As president of the United States, Andrew Jackson embodied democratic ideals and worked to benefit Americans of lower or middle class, known as the “common man”, which excluded Indians and African Americans. He believed states should hold power over federal and saw the national bank as “nonproducers” that damaged the economy. While seen as the defender of the “common man”, Andrew Jackson’s presidency shifted between conflicting ideologies, overlooking social and economic consequences.

“A government of equal rights must…rest upon the mind; not wealth, not brute force, the sum of the moral intelligence of the community should rule the State […] the common mind [is] the true material for a commonwealth.” Andrew Jackson strongly believed that social cleavages and unfairness were encouraged rather than improved by governmental intervention, he embraced laissez-faire as the central policy that would be most useful to economic equality and political liberty. In national terms, Jackson and his followers favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of Manifest Destiny. The Jacksonians ordered elected (not appointed) judges and revised many state constitutions to emulate the new values. As a result, during the mid-1800’s, the Jacksonian Democrats paved a lasting legacy and political importance in America.

The Jacksonians had many core beliefs, including a democracy more dependent on “common man”, national expansion and a hands-off economic approach. While Jackson generally followed these beliefs, he was not always able to comply with them. Jackson advocated for less wealthy elite control, and increased presidential power to do so. Jacksonians believed in national expansion and Jackson endorsed the Indian Removal Act, but advocated for a voluntary emigration out West. Also, Jacksonians believed the Constitution gave the federal government limited economical power, and so Jackson adopted a “hands-off” economy approach.

Andrew Jackson was president for only two terms, but he left behind a legacy that lasted for many years. His legacy lasted so long they named an Era after him, the Jacksonian Era. Andrew Jackson was unlike the presidents before him, and he was considered the first modern president. I agree that the Jacksonian Era was a pivotal period in American History when the role of the Federal Government and the President were redefined. Many changes occurred during the Jacksonian Era like the issue of slavery, women’s rights, multiple reforms, the many panics the United States went through and voting reforms occurred.