JACKSONIAN ERATHE AGE OF THE COMMON MAN

THE

By Dan Cho, Derek Hommel and Joe Zurro

“The people is firm and tranquil in its movements, and necessarily acts with

moderation, because it becomes but slowly impregnated with new ideas; and effects no

changes, except in harmony with the knowledge it has acquired.”

-George Bancroft, historian and Jacksonian

“In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no man

has any more intrinsic right to official station than another.”

-Andrew Jackson, President

[The] Introduction:

A very brief history until 1828

By the time General Andrew Jackson was elected into office, America had undergone radical changes, such as the shift

toward a market economy and immense population growth. With this population growth came a shift westward, which in turn brought about the creation of improved transportation,

including canals, highways, railroads and steamships. Regional political divisions had become quite pronounced.

By 1824, the masses were already beginning to favor Jackson, but John Quincy Adams took the election through the House of Representatives after gaining the support of Henry Clay, who became Adams’ Secretary of State (hence the ‘Corrupt Bargain’ accusations from Jacksonians). But Adams was ignorant of the changing political atmosphere, as seen by his proposition to give Federal support for internal improvements. This did not sit well with those who opposed the 'American System', which had grown in number since 1819.

So in 1828, Jackson took the presidential office, much due to his national reputation as a war hero and as a representative to the common man. Jackson used his association with the everyman to in turn help make the government better work for the masses. If anything, the barriers holding people back from influence and power were reduced during Jackson’s presidency, allowing a more democratic functioning of the government. Jacksonian politicians attempted to make decisions that would benefit the majority.

[Political] Aspects of Democratic Expansion:

1828 - 1840

Political Aspects on Expansion Suffrage

By 1821, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Connecticut all reduced voting requirements

By the end of the 18th century, most states had done away with property requirements, instead charging ‘poll taxes’

No new state admitted between 1796 and 1821 had property requirements for voting

Shift from voting out loud (viva voce) to ballots Members of electoral college were selected by

popular vote in most states Blacks and women still lacked suffrage

Political Aspects on Expansion Changing campaign methods

Attempted to appeal to the masses Beginning in the early 1800’s, both Federalists

and Republicans tried to appeal to the common people by hosting free barbecues and clambakes

In the election of 1828, both parties used propaganda; Jackson was accused of being an unlearned man, while Adams was portrayed as too aloof and aristocractic

Jackson used his image as a war hero to increase his popularity

Political Aspects on Expansion The ‘Job’ of Politicians

Politicians now had to serve the ‘common people’, and do away with the previous belief of running the government through a small aristocracy.

Jackson and the “Rotation in office” Jackson believed that:

any man with common sense could undertake government duty

Constant rotation of government staff would prevent corruption by greed and give jobs to more people

Called the ‘Spoils System” by critics Did not cause much uproar

Political Aspects on Expansion The Multi-Party System

Jacksonian Democrats v. Whigs (later the Republicans)

Third parties, such as the Anti-Masonic* and Working Man’s Parties, arose from the belief that some voices were not being heard

This is a democratic aspect because more parties meant that more people had a better chance of voicing more specific wants in government

* Anti-Masonic was a Whig-supporting group that was against the fraternal order of the Masonic Lodges, which were exclusive clubs for the rich.

[Democratic] Issues

Of the Jacksonian Era

ISSUE: The 2nd National Bank

Jackson vetoed the Bank believing that there was too much cash flow and that power was concentrated in the aristocracy.

Jackson took money out of federal banks and placed it into state banks This allowed state banks to make more

loans, namely to speculators.

ISSUE: The 2nd National Bank Jackson wished to limit the power of the

deposit (“pet”) banks, but caved in and eventually signed the Deposit Act, which created more deposit banks and limited Federal control over them.

Was this Democratic: YES, in theory: it attempted to take power

from the rich bank owners NO: it just put power into state banks

ISSUE: Nullification Calhoun argued that only tariffs that

were to raise revenue were constitutional This was despite the fact that the

Constitution gave the federal government the right to levy tariffs

Tariff of 1828 was meant to deter shipping into the US, so it was ‘unconstitutional’ to Calhoun – it didn’t benefit all equally (it helped the North)

Calhoun followed the Kentucky and Virginia compromises in stating that the US was a compact between states and that states had the right to deny, or ‘nullify’ an unjust law

ISSUE: Nullification South Carolina issued the South

Carolina Exposition and Protest, written by Calhoun, arguing against the tariff. SC feared that a government that passed

sectional tariffs would also go against slavery

SC was one of two states to have slaves as a majority of the population

Slave revolts, such as Nat Turner’s, led to fear in slave states like SC

In November 1832, SC nullified Tariffs of 1828 and 1832

ISSUE: Nullification Jackson’s “Olive Branch and the

Sword” Tariff of 1833 – Compromise Tariff

Provided gradual lowering of duties from 1833 to 1842

Force Bill Allowed the federal government to collect

taxes and customs duties by force Made primarily against South Carolina

Called the “Compromise of 1833”

ISSUE: Nullification Was this democratic?

YES: because it preserved the Union

NO: went against South Carolina’s wishes and gave more power to the government

On a side note, this hurt Jackson, since pro-nullification ‘nullifiers’ in the South joined the Whig party after this

ISSUE: Charles River Bridge Owners of Charles River Bridge

connecting Boston and Cambridge declared that their charter granted them a monopoly They sued the proprietors of the competing

Warren Bridge 1837, the Supreme Court ruled against the

Charles River Bridge owners Protected democracy because if the owners

won, turnpike charters could be used against competing railroad and canal construction

[Alexis] de Tocqueville:

A foreign view of American democracy

Alexis de Tocqueville

Born in 1805 in Paris Family was highly aristocratic Learned man – studied law Began to believe that the French aristocracy

was in decline – adapted more liberal views Visited America and Britain in 1831-1832 to

study their governments Published Democracy in America in 1835,

continuing the series in 1840

Democracy in America

Tocqueville saw democracy as the inevitable product of government, and hoped to study it to discover its strengths and weaknesses

Tocqueville was heavily influenced by his own aristocratic upbringing, which made him take a critical look at American democracy

Part I focused on democracy as a whole in America and the institutions created to perpetuate it

Part II focused on the mentality of Americans

Democracy in America cont’d – Pros and Cons PROS:

Progress is encouraged, since there is always hope of excelling, instead of being isolated by class restrictions “Aristocratic nations are naturally too apt to narrow the

scope of human perfectibility; democratic nations expand it beyond compass”

Judicial Review in America Freedom of Press Freedom of Religion

Democracy in America cont’d – Pros and Cons CONS:

‘Mediocrity’ – since everyone has an ‘equal’ chance to excel, but only a few can actually ‘make it’, many people with equal skill are left out “On my arrival to the United States I was surprised to

find so much distinguished talent among the subjects, and so little among the heads of the Government”

Possibility of despotism from the ‘majority rule’ Equality itself – could stifle government’s function

in the search to ‘please everyone’

[Social] Democracy

Women’s Rights

Social Aspects of the Expansion: Women’s Social Aspects of the Expansion: Women’s RightsRights

The Seneca Fall’s The Seneca Fall’s Convention: A women’s Convention: A women’s rights conference pushing rights conference pushing for the passage of twelve for the passage of twelve resolutions in favor of resolutions in favor of women’s rights such as women’s rights such as suffrage.suffrage.

Women’s rights did not Women’s rights did not gain very much attention gain very much attention until after the civil war due until after the civil war due to other problems like the to other problems like the Temperance movement Temperance movement against alcohol, public against alcohol, public school reforms and the school reforms and the abolitionist movement.abolitionist movement.

Women’s Rights: Early Women’s Rights: Early women’s rights advocates women’s rights advocates such as Lucretia Mott and such as Lucretia Mott and the Grimke sisters argued the Grimke sisters argued against both racial and against both racial and gender discrimination. gender discrimination.

The abolitionist William The abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison argued in Lloyd Garrison argued in The Liberator The Liberator against the against the exploitation of women exploitation of women slaves. slaves.

Lucretia Mott

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Conclusion

• The actual electoral processes moved toward democracy by creating ballot voting, eliminating property restrictions, and, in some states, selecting the members of the electoral college through popular vote

• Events such as Jackson’s veto of the Bank, the striking down of monopolies and the limiting of the government offices to reduce corruption showed the movement toward democracy.

• More people had the ability to work in government