Comparing The Views Of The Jacksonian Democrats

In the 1800s, the Jacksonian Democrats were a major political group in the United States. This party had great social, economic, and political effects. Jacksonian politics and the biblical belief of honoring God deserve to be explored and compared in order to better understand both views. Once this exploration is complete, it can be concluded that Jacksonian politics, as a whole, cannot be compatible with the biblical view of honoring God because it undermined the value of community and equality, supported manipulative rule, and contradicted its own doctrines through questionable and even sinful actions.

It is important to establish what Christianity says about honoring God in order to compare these two views. 1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “So

Jackson redefined the American presidency and the United States as a whole (Remini 176). He changed America from an elite republic to a true democracy. He altered the relationship between the president and Congress and the president and the American people. He placed himself as the head of everything: the states and nation. He tried to achieve limitless power as president because he viewed himself as the voice of the American people. While this ultimately failed, he did establish, the concept of a strong president (Remini 177). Jackson believed it was up to the president to take charge and decide which issues were most important. He also pushed for popular rule (Remini 178). This meant that government officials were voted in by the people. This system only allowed adult white males to vote, but it acted as the stepping stone to a whole new political tradition. Jackson’s attempts to place power in the hands of ordinary people may have been noble, yet he went about it in a very corrupt way. Jackson was harsh, impulsive, and ultimately conceited. He rarely took other people’s thoughts and feelings into consideration. He was determined to accomplish his goals no matter what. While the Bible encourages people to be perseverant, God does not want people to forget about love and

Jackson believed the Native Americans were “barbarians” (Tindall and Shi 429). The Jacksonian Democrats stood for equality, yet they thought they were better than the Creeks, Choctaws, Cherokees, and other Indian tribes. The Indians were manipulated with bribery and alcohol (Tindall and Shi 429). This deceit lead to some tribes resisting, but these rebellions were soon quelled. Many Native Americans, especially the Cherokee, died because of the Jacksonian government’s view on different people groups and their callous and manipulative actions. This act, manipulative tactics, and prejudice are extremely unacceptable according to the Bible. Scripture continually talks about the importance of uprightness and kindness. God weeps over the evilness and cruelness of debacles like this