President Andrew Jackson was an influential, “common man” of the people. And though Jackson’s opponents, the National Republicans and the Whig party, have accused him of being despotic through his use of vetoes, expansion of presidential power, and neglect of constitution, it was clear to Jackson and the public that he had merely sought to follow the will of the people. Therefore his presidency had, indeed, reflected an era of democracy. President Jackson himself was a symbol of democracy of the Egalitarian Age. This is clear in his election in 1828. During the three elections that had preceded before his, presidential electors were chosen almost exclusively by this legislature, which was mainly controlled by the wealthy elite. Document A/1 indicates a gradual change when the power of legislature is slowly being shared with the more lower classes of society. The fact that Jackson’s election was primarily done by majority of the people themselves, the movement toward a democracy was virtually complete. His …show more content…
Jackson’s opponents have often labeled him as King Andrew the first, arguing that he had repeatedly disregarded the separation of powers and had overstepped the constitution (Document E/3). This was especially true when Jackson had vetoed the renewal of the Second Bank of the United states. Because all previous vetoes lied on the question of constitutionality, his critics believed that Jackson had dismissed the bill solely because he personally found it damaging to the nation. But in the eyes of Jackson, his attack was justifiable because the national bank was a private institution, gave an extensive amount of power in the hands of few elites over the poorer lower classes of farmers and laborers. As a democratic leader, Jackson showed that he had wanted to do what would best benefit the non-native, American people and put the them as his first
During the 1820 's and 1830 's, American political life was transformed as more and more working men were allowed to vote and hold office. Jacksonian Democrats expanded economic opportunity and political participation for the "common man" (white factory workers, craftsmen, and mechanics, small farmers, and land-hungry frontiersmen). Jackson was the first president to view himself as a representative of "the people". As such, he expected to exercise expanded executive powers as the expense of the legislative and judicial branches. The ruling political and economic elite must be removed, he said for "the people" are "the government, the sovereign power" in the United States, and they had elected him president.
The Jacksonian Democrats correctly viewed themselves as the guardians of the US Constitution, individual liberty, political democracy, and equality of economic opportunity through Jacksonian emphasis on the rights of the working man, Jacksonian priority to demolish Clay’s
It is clear from the documents that Andrew Jackson acted like a king. One reason that Andrew Jackson acted like a king was he forced the Cherokee out of their homelands. In document 4, the political cartoon depicts Andrew Jackson is stepping on two controversial issues, The rechartering of the National Bank and the Supreme Court ruling against the Indian Removal Act because it was unconstitutional. Mr. Jackson clearly ignored the Constitution and the Supreme Court completely because the law was passed anyway. Because of this, many Cherokee families were forced from their homes and moved west to Oklahoma through a march known now as the Trail of Tears.
They began to realize that the government was mostly controlled by the wealthy and mostly benefitted them. The 1824 presidential election results proved their sentiments even more because even though the War Hero of the West Andrew Jackson had the most electoral votes, the wealthy New Englander John Quincy Adams became President. When the next election came, the
During the “Age of Jackson” in the 1820’s, the argument over whether or not to expand American suffrage was a conflicting one. Those who opposed the expansion of suffrage argued that it was a “dangerous expansion of democracy”, while those who favored the expansion believed it to be morally correct and helpful to the democratic system. Those who favored the expansion of American suffrage believed it to be a natural right that should be utilized by able white men. This expansion of suffrage was believed to lead to a stronger and healthier American democracy.
The creation of the United States is considered by many to be a great experiment in democracy. After the War of 1812, America was filled with tremendous nationalism and as the young country grew, many nations look to it as both an inspiration and a warning. Americans seemed united behind their president James Monroe, who was elected in 1816 and then ran uncontested for his second term in 1820. However, even during this time there were many discussions and arguments within the nation’s own government regarding the benefits of democracy.
America’s promise is to make sure that all men are created equal and that if any form of government seems destructive it is then the right of the people to institute a new government that effectively promotes the people’s safety and happiness. The Jacksonian Democracy was a time period which embodied the people’s will. It significantly contributed to shaping the American nation, promoted the strength of the presidency and the executive branch, and developement of the public participation in the government. There were a lot of attributes made to develop a nation that was not only based on stability but also on the restoration of independence for every individual. The period of the Jacksonian Democracy showed many attributes politically and economically.
In the year 1828, Andrew Jackson, America’s seventeenth president, was inaugurated into office. President Jackson brought about a significant number of changes that would later beset the nation in grave peril. Throughout his presidency, and after, his followers were known as Jacksonian-Democrats. They believed in a greater democracy for the common man. Jacksonian democrats were able to partially protect political democracy and the equality of economic opportunity, however they were not guardians of the constitution and its individual liberties.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman, ventured through America during Andrew Jackson's presidency. In the first volume of his work, Democracy in America, Tocqueville provides a clear understanding of the nature of modern democracy. In the work that he published about the United States after his adventuring, Tocqueville describes the attributes of which the United States possessed which classified a distinct, coming-to-be more modernized form of democracy in the early nineteenth century. In that time period, beginning with Andrew Jackson's presidency, rapid changes occurred in many different concepts which shaped and formed the nation into newer forms that were modified as time progressed and different ideas and plans were passed around throughout
Andrew Jackson was seen as a common man the voice of the people by some. By others he was King Andrew, trampling the constitution and instigating tyranny. Jackson’s presidency impacted democracy, through his use of the veto power, and his claim of Clay creating a “corrupt bargain”, which is not a turning point for a rise in democracy despite him giving white male suffrage. During Jackson’s use of executive power weakened voice of the people.
He also thought that the National Bank stood in the way of opportunity for capitalists in the west and other regions. This clearly shows that Jackson had the interest of all people, the cornerstone of democracy. The article “Jackson’s Inauguration”, is another document that shows how democratic Andrew Jackson really was. This article shows how Andrew Jackson opened up the White House in celebration of his upcoming presidency. Some people saw this as a bad thing.
He showed unifying leadership during the Nullification Crisis and the Tariff laws of 1828 and 1832, he showed a generous approach of governing through the “Kitchen Cabinet” and the “Spoils System”. Lastly, his concern for economic equality was shown through the veto of the Second Bank of the United States Recharter and his concerns for the common men. All of these qualities that Jackson had shown during his presidency are why Andrew Jackson should be remembered as a hero of the common
The Jacksonian Era was the time period of Andrew Jackson’s presidency. This began in 1828 when Jackson was elected president. The era is sometimes described as a time when the United States experienced the “democratization of politics.” In a democracy every citizen has an equal say in the government's decisions and actions. Some people of this time period believed that Jackson is notable for democratizing the United States during the Jacksonian Era.
The procedure of attaining a position in government dramatically changed in the United States between 1820 and 1840, and the rise of mass democracy was responsible for this. Many social changes occurred that changed the way officials were elected into government. Unfortunately, voting was still limited to free, white men, and it was the same white, wealthy men running for office, but these officials had to gain the respect of the common man to gain power. Along with an increased interest in politics, there was also a growing influence and respect that the rest of the population had in the voting process. Between 1820 and 1840, the rise of mass democracy changed the political stage, and men such as John Marshall, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and William Henry Harrison played a role in this process.
“Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman is an unconventional poem that promotes and celebrates democracy through its groundbreaking style of writing. Throughout his 52 sections, he embraces diversity and invites his readers to join him and revel in the beauty of common people, to partake in their aspirations and adversities. One of the major aspects of American Ideology during the early nineteenth century was Democracy. It is the “political system that follows from the concept of the free individual (and) assumes that the people…have the moral sense and critical intelligence to make informed political decisions.