DBQ 7: Jacksonian Democracy
During Jackson's Presidency suffrage rights were limited to white males that owned property and were wealthy. With Jackson's presidency, a new type of democracy was proposed. This was a democracy that extends the suffrage rights to all white males irrespective of their social/economic status. However, this new and extreme proposal for that time brought a political disagreement regarding whether the extension of suffrage was proper and beneficial for the American society. Suffrage was extended because people were all created equal and all contribute to the society regardless of their wealth and property ownership. Many were in favor of extending suffrage rights, though many were against it to. Among the arguments that were pro extending suffrage, such as how it would be for the common good, the most valid argument was that a person's virtue and morality should determine voting eligibility rather than owning property, while the poorest arguments against extending suffrage were that it would jeopardize property and minority rights, release debtors from prison, and encourage wicked politicians.
Suffrage should be extended to other white males regardless of their wealth and ownership. According to Nathan Sanford, who was a chairman of the committee of the New York State Convention, the virtue and morality of an individual are more important than wealth and property ownership. Nathan adds that virtue and morality should be the qualifications to vote. According to him those that "contribute to public support,” qualify to have suffrage rights and more importantly, this includes most of the white male population. According to him, this plan of extending suffrage rights is safe and beneficial to the whole society...
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...t was of more importance than personal esteem, and truly fine statesmen like John Quincy Adams were voted out by the majority, “both drunk and sober” (Doc. 3 and 4).
Nevertheless, the idea of the extension of suffrage rights still makes much more sense than the arguments provided by the opponents due to the fact that equality is truly represented by giving the right to vote to the individuals regardless of their economic status. Furthermore, one of the issues that caused the American Revolution was taxation without representation. However, if the United States did not let all white men vote, it would mean that the United States was no better than the British. Even if the election results vote out such individuals as John Quincy Adams, the election is still more beneficial to the society because it represents the sincere and open vote of all able bodied white males.
Throughout his presidency, Andrew Jackson was regarded as both a tyrant (Document E) as well a democratic rembrandt. However, by the conclusion of his rule, Andrew Jackson’s America had emerged as a pseudo democracy, strongly supported and advocated for, but falling short and ultimately failing. The drastic reforms during the Age of Jackson brought about radical changes to the young nation that would be felt throughout the country and would set the foundation for politics today. President Andrew Jackson reformed the American voting system, made significant moves against the National Bank, sparked the beginning of democratic reform movements, and most importantly gave the Common Man a voice in the government. These democratic initiatives, however, were not seen everywhere as America was slowly divided by differing views on contentious topics and individualistic ideals. Jacksonian America, did not promote the democratic
The election of Andrew Jackson in 1828 brought a new wave of political ideas, especially since he created the Democratic party and their symbol. Jacksonian Democrats saw themselves as guardians of the Constitution, political democracy and individual liberty (aka social freedoms). I believe that this was not the case for the decisions made in Jackson’s presidency, and he was more of a “King Andrew” than a man of the common people.
The generalization that, “The decision of the Jackson administration to remove the Cherokee Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s was more a reformulation of the national policy that had been in effect since the 1790s than a change in that policy,” is valid. Ever since the American people arrived at the New World they have continually driven the Native Americans out of their native lands. Many people wanted to contribute to this removal of the Cherokees and their society. Knox proposed a “civilization” of the Indians. President Monroe continued Knox’s plan by developing ways to rid of the Indians, claiming it would be beneficial to all. Andrew Jackson ultimately fulfilled the plan. First of all, the map [Document A] indicates the relationship between time, land, and policies, which affected the Indians. The Indian Tribes have been forced to give up their land as early as the 1720s. Between the years of 1721 and 1785, the Colonial and Confederation treaties forced the Indians to give up huge portions of their land. During Washington's, Monroe's, and Jefferson's administration, more and more Indian land was being commandeered by the colonists. The Washington administration signed the Treaty of Holston and other supplements between the time periods of 1791 until 1798 that made the Native Americans give up more of their homeland land. The administrations during the 1790's to the 1830's had gradually acquired more and more land from the Cherokee Indians. Jackson followed that precedent by the acquisition of more Cherokee lands. In later years, those speaking on behalf of the United States government believed that teaching the Indians how to live a more civilized life would only benefit them. Rather than only thinking of benefiting the Indians, we were also trying to benefit ourselves. We were looking to acquire the Indians’ land. In a letter to George Washington, Knox says we should first is to destroy the Indians with an army, and the second is to make peace with them. The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1793 began to put Knox’s plan into effect. The federal government’s promise of supplying the Indians with animals, agricultural tool...
Religion is the substance that produced social morality which bound all elements of society in the Jacksonian Era. Religion produced the moral code all men adhered to. Church leaders were so vocal in pastoring patriotism and loyalty to one's God and country. Church members received the message of liberation and promoted the common man to seek social and political equality. The concept of divine morality in the early-19th century held accountable the behavior of all who were at least partially active in their social environment.
Topic: Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity.
Three specific ways in which American expansion shaped the Jacksonian period was through the advancement of technology, by way of slavery, and the Indian Removal Act. Jackson used any political and economic means necessary in order to see American frontier regions expand across the nation. Jackson’s Indian Removal policy had some of the most important consequences and paved the way toward American expansion. In the beginning of the Jacksonian era, colonial Americans’ settlements had not yet extended far beyond the Atlantic seaboard, partly because bad roads and primitive technology limited their ability to expand, and because both hostile Indians and British imperial policy discouraged migration beyond Appalachian Mountains. However, all of this changed after Jackson was in office and American expansion was well underway.
By the time Jackson came to power, the nation had been drastically changed by the Industrial Revolution. The simple, pastoral, agricultural lifestyle was being replaced by the manufacturing world, of cities and factories. Politically, the nation was in great turmoil. There was still an everlasting debate among men in power, over what should prevail, the rights of the states, or the rights of the Federal Government. If not for several personal reasons, Jackson would have been a staunch advocator of states rights. The right to vote was still a major issue, the middle class feeling robbed of power in governmental decisions, the upperclass feeling threatened by the growth of the middleclass. However, Jackson brought with him many new ideas and principles. Since he himself had very modest roots, he sympathized with the middle and lower classes. He had worked for everything he had of value in life, and he acknow...
When George Henry Evans cited the unalienable rights of the Declaration of Independence and that, “’to secure these rights’ against the undue influence of other classes of society, prudence… dictates the necessity of the organization of a party, who shall…prevent dangerous combinations to subvert these indefeasible and fundamental privileges”, he called for a party to become the sentinel of the original American democracy. And for many, the Jacksonian Democratic Party filled that role. The Democrats, who pursued a democracy that entailed economic and social independence for the common citizen, faced harsh opposition from the Whig Party in the Second American Party System. But apart from the political tensions of the era, the mid-1800’s were host to numerous movements and events that embodied, and didn’t embody, the Democratic ideals. Thus, it would be foolish to claim that the Democratic period merely represented a raising of the American democratic banner and even more foolish to ascribe any other black-and-white evaluation to this period. Rather, during a time of national and individual transformation, of economic missions, and of social revision, the Jacksonian Democrats succeeded in expanding their reality of individual liberty, in creating the circumstances for further change, and in falling short of some of their grandiose ideals for the “common citizen”.
During the 1820’s - 1830’s America went through some would call a political revolution when government issues were diverted from being only for the elite to now they would include the common man as well. This change of power brought a lot of power to the people contributing to the Jacksonian democratic belief of guarding the Constitution. Yet, many of the people under Jackson still saw no change in their liberties, as they did not meet the Jacksonians target audience of white males. Despite expanding the political conversation, Jacksonian Democrats used the Constitution to limit individual liberty and political democracy by only protecting the rights of only a select few of people and seeking to fulfill their goal of obtaining their own gain and maintenance of the then status quo lifestyle therefore not truly guarding the Constitution.
What were the major arguments used, pro and con, in the debate over expanding suffrage during the Age of Jackson? Which arguments were most valid? There was many arguments between the two conflicting sides over the expanding suffrage during the Age of Jackson. So, what is suffrage? Suffrage is the right to vote. It was a major debate during the Age of Jackson. Jackson was born in the Carolinas. Carolina at the time was an agrarian state. Jackson supported both, the agrarian society and the common man. Before Jackson, suffrage was only given to the majority who owned a certain amount of land. It was not a big problem because a majority of people owned land before Jackson. By the time Jackson took his place as president, cities grew and land became harder to own. After Jackson took his place, the western frontier states were the first to start allowing all white males to vote. Politicians in the East were influenced and wanted more voters so they, too, revised their constitution to take away the property ownership requirement for voting. The state that had the most difficult time adapting was Virginia. Virginia was an aristocratic state so the aristocrats rejected the ideas of letting the common people have suffrage. A long time after most states dropped the property requirement for voting did Virginia finally drop the requirement in 1851. This tells us that aristocrats with land supported the property ownership requirement and people with little or no land supported the opposite. Major arguments were made by Nathan Sanford, James Kent, and George Bancroft.
During The Jacksonian Era many different views and ideas were predominant about the United States. The Jacksonian Democrats were a loose coalition of different peoples and interests pulled together by a common practical idea. That idea was that they all were followers of President Andrew Jackson. Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as guardians of the Constitution when in fact they were not. When dealing with politics and ideas within the Democratic Party of the time the Jacksonians proved to be both guardians and violators of the Constitution. Individual liberty is another area in which the Jacksonians were advocates to different sides of the topic at different times. The Jacksonians also proved to be champions for equality of economic opportunity. The Jacksonians demonstrated themselves to be, not the proponents they thought they were, but instead violators of the US Constitution.
"After 1815 Americans transformed the republic of the Founding Fathers into a democracy. State after state revoked property qualifications for voting and holding officethus transforming Jefferson's republic of property holders into Andrew Jackson's mass democracy. Democracy, however, was not for everyone. While states extended political rights to all white men, they often withdrew or limited such rights for blacks. As part of the same trend, the state of New Jersey took the vote away from propertied women, who formerly had possessed that right. Thus the democratization of citizenship applied exclusively to white men. In the mid19th century, these men went to the polls in record numbers. The election of 1828 attracted 1.2 million voters; that number jumped to 1.5 million in 1836 and to 2.4 million in 1840. Turnout of eligible voters by 1840 was well over 60 percenthigher than it had ever been, and much higher than it is now." (Remini, 1998)
Before Andrew Jackson became president, he had a rough life. His parents died when he was young so he grew up without guidance. Jackson was in all the fights he could pick and to many, a wild child. By age 17, he calmed down and began planning his life. It wasn’t until after he had enrolled in the war of 1813 and showed great leadership and strength, that he was in the spot for presidency. (BG Essay) Many people believe in a Democratic nation. Not everyone follows one though. In a democratic nation, the voices of the people are heard. The leader(s) listen and make changes the people want done. Throughout Andrew Jackson’s time in office, he showed his country many undemocratic actions. He made some great changes and some not so great friendships. How democratic was Andrew Jackson? In the eyes of some, Jackson was not democratic. In many of his actions, he is shown to take one side of two things and do anything to make sure that side
The suffrage movement first emerged at the turn of the century and Civil War when African American slaves were denied the right to vote, a benefit that a majority agreed was associated with citizenship, and therefore should be applicable to all freed slaves. This set the grounds for a suffrage movement that later evolved into a larger issue centered on antislavery reform. Joining together to fight for benefits that were being withheld from American citizens, the role of women came into play during this time as the most active abolitionists who came together to organize petitions, conventions, and raise funds to help further the movement. Women played a vital role in being heard through protests and local publications of their thoughts. Novels such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Clotel, along with articles in popular news publications, shed much light and attention on anti-slavery reform, while also sparking the inspiration for women’s rights (Britton, 2006).
During the 1800s many changes took place in both Europe and the United States. This change was a result of the oppressive nature of the government and other types of authority, leading people to taking a stand against them. In order for many movements to happen, a source of influence was needed. This influence would increase the chance that the government would take notice in the cause. There were movements for greater suffrage on both sides of the Atlantic, portraying the need for advertisement in order to help spread the movement. In order to get change in the government, one must have made sure their voice was heard, because otherwise the government would not notice, and change would never happen. From one side of the Atlantic to the other,