Similarities And Differences Between The Whigs And The Jacksonian Democrats

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.

The major parties since early 1830s in the United States of America were the Democratic Party, organized by Andrew Jackson, and the Whig Party, assembled by Henry Clay from the National Republicans and in opposition to Andrew Jackson.

“In spite of the founders’ fears, two major-political factions – the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists were formed even before the Constitution was ratified.” Sidlow, 2015, P 143) Federalists wanted stronger national government and Anti-Federalist (Jefferson Republicans) wanted states’ rights and feared government could become too powerful. In the election of 1796 was the first time candidates from different political party systems held strongly opposed party principles and this time period defined political life as we know it. For the next twenty years the Jefferson Republicans dominated American Politics. In the 1820’s the Jefferson Republicans split into two groups, supporters of Andrews Jackson called their party the Democrats, and the other group called themselves the National Republican Party (Whig Party). During the 1840’s and 1850’s Democrats and Whigs competed for the White House and the two party system fully emerged

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

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 “corrupt bargain” presidential election of 1824 led the entire nation to become increasingly political which led to the rise of the two-party system. The split between Clay and Adams on the hand and Jackson on the other hand was a key step in the development of the two-party system. By 1824, the followers of Jackson called themselves the Jacksonian and they advocated a strong executive branch, and favored continuous westward expansion. Clay and Adams chose the name National Republicans which they later change to Whig, in honor of Britain’s Whigs who had protested the authoritarian actions of the king of England (thus insinuating that Jackson desired to be a dictatorial King). Clay and Adam advocated a strong legislature, and government-funded internal improvements. The expansion of these various political parties saw the public interest toward politic rose. Because of this rise Political Candidates had no choice but to mingle with the masses and earn their respect and

Jacksonian Democracy stretches the previous perception of democracy as far as it could and still continue to be effective. This democratic system inspired much of the dynamic and dramatic events of the nineteenth centaury in America’s history. Furthermore, they believed that Patronage, rotating political appointees in and out of office, was great because it would encourage political involvement by the common man and it would hold politicians more responsible for poor government service. However, these ideas often led to the hiring of incompetent and often corrupt officials because of their emphasis on party loyalty beyond any other qualification. Next is the political party under John Quincy Adams, called the National Republican Party.

First of all, there was a higher participation among voters of the time since it was now not only possible for white, male, property-owners to vote, but also white men who were not property owners. All white males could now have their vote matter in the grand scheme. Whigs wanted a stronger central government, while the Jacksonian Democrats wanted less government. Also, under Henry Clay’s American system, he wanted the federal funds to help create roads and make other internal improvements. Jackson ended up vetoing this, which was the first time a president vetoed something because of personal preference. The Whigs were in uproar over this, which furthered the divide between two

The presidency of Andrew Jackson, 1829 to 1837, was frequently called the Age of the Common Man or the Era of Jacksonian Democracy. It was an era of great growth in population, wealth, and financial productivity. Jackson led the American forces in numerous battles throughout his career, one of the most well-known being the Battle of New Orleans. He used the power of vetoing bills frequently, unlike many other previous presidents. Parties became an important part of the political actions in 1824 to 1844, whether it was in their campaigning efforts or in voter loyalty, which earned the label of “the two-party system.” The one-party system that had once defined James Monroe’s presidency, the Era of Good Feelings, was transformed into a two-party system by Andrew Jackson. The presidency of Andrew Jackson exhibited continuity from the previous era was by maintaining the rivalry between politicians and keeping the precedent of serving only two terms and exhibited change from the previous era by compelling Native Americans to leave their traditional homes and resettle west of Mississippi, the one-party system was changed to a two-party system, and growing federal spending and expenses

The corrupt bargain is well known, however there is no way to prove that it actually took place. Even though Henry Clay threw his support behind John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson was able to win the election in 1828 and 1832. Jackson had different ideas compared to what the American were used to, as a result, two political parties emerged. The Jacksonian Democracy, whose ideas correlated with Andrew Jackson, and the Whigs, whose wanted tariffs and internal improvements (Document H). When Jackson became president, many new ideas came into play. The Jacksonian Democracy disagreed with several American customs, including the Bank of the United States. However, the Jacksonian Democracy protected the political democracy of white male suffrage, protected the glorified liberty of the individual, and protected the economy from the Bank of the United States. Therefore, the Jacksonian Democracy was a guardian of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity.

Jacksonian Democracy led to the creation of the Modern American political culture that is still used in today’s time period. Andrew jackson was elected in 1828’s presidential election and won due to higher numbers of electoral votes. After his inauguration, he was elected as leader of the democratic party. He brought a lot of changes to the government. One of them was the two party system, in which one party holds the majority of legislation in the government and while the other holds the minority. The jacksonian Democrats failed in achieving individual liberty and as the guardian of the Constitution of the Unites States, But were somewhat adequate in defending the equality of economic opportunity and political democracy.

Harry L. Watson’s book, “Liberty and Power, The Politics of Jacksonian America”, takes an analytical look at America and her politics during the Age of Jackson. Watson uses the economy and the ideological mindset of the people, to support a powerful argument about the beginning of American political parties and their importance in defining the political direction of the country. Watson argues that economic inequalities caused by the “Market Revolution” and a threat to American liberty caused Americans to organize politically in support of a

The United States began as a weak, newborn nation that grew into a large, self-supporting country with a governing body unique to this time period. As the government grew and the nation prospered, the rise of leaders and political figures came about and with this, conflicting principles and ideology spawned, thus creating the first of the political parties; the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Although the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans ideology and stances on the power of the federal government, domestic economic policies and the group of constituents they represented differed vastly, members of both parties often compromised their own beliefs for the nation’s best interest as a whole.

In order for the government to be felt as being dedicated to serve its citizens, then it simply means that the party must have well stipulated manifestos which are achievable for the benefits of the entire nation in the event that it has the ability to control the economy.

As the north and south began to separate after the Era of Good Feelings (1815-1825), the Second American Party System was established. This system consisted of two distinct parties, the Democrats and their opponents, who were known as Whigs for the most part. The goal of these two parties was to create a common thought process between the north and the south. Three of the issues prominent in their campaigns to gather votes in these two regions were government, economy, and slavery. Using these topics as foundations, the members of both parties of the Second American Party System aimed establish harmony between the north and south.