Free Essays on Jacksonian Democracy

During Andrew’s Jackson presidency from 1829-1837 many changes in our government took place. During his reign he reduced national debt, became the first president to ride a train, and he extended the right to vote to all males who didn’t own land. This caused a major debate in our great country because suddenly all white men could help determine our nations future. Arguments both pro and con were brought up in the states. To determine the validity of these arguments one must look at who said the quote and when it was said. These arguments came to center stage in New York where a proposal was written to drop the property requirement for voting. The state constitution revision committee chair, Nathan Sanford, supported this proposal. He asserted his position in a report where he states that â€Å"the only qualifications to [to vote] seem to be the virtue and morality of the people.† On the other hand the chief justice of New York’s highest court, state s, â€Å"The tendency of universal suffrage is to jeopardize the rights of property.† These two quotes show the vast differences of opinion during Jackson’s presidency. In the early 1830s a french sociologist, Alex de Tocqueville traveled to America observed American society. Eventually he wrote a book Democracy in America. In this work he praises the American people for their talents as abilities while at the same time criticize the people in government saying† The race of American statesmen has evidently dwindled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc 3) Tocqueville wonders why the best men aren’t always placed at the head of the government and endorses universal suffrage in America. He also states â€Å"Democracy is not only deficient In that soundness of judgment which is necessary to select men really deserving of its confidence but has neither the desire nor the inclination to find them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is telling the reader about American indifference to who gets elected and he is making a p... Free Essays on Jacksonian Democracy Free Essays on Jacksonian Democracy Democracy in Jackson’s Administration In 1828, democracy changed with the election of Andrew Jackson for president. This democracy’s philosophy was that all governing that was necessary would be done directly by the people of America. Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. This self-serving view was exceedingly hypocritical, as shown through the National Bank, the Nullification crisis, and the Native American’s Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson decided not to recharter the National Bank in 1832, stating that it was for the good of economic equality. This started what is known as the â€Å"Bank War.† In his veto message (Doc B), Jackson maintained that he was protecting United States citizens by not passing the recharter. His belief was that the Bank was monopolistic and therefore unconstitutional. However, the bank was declared constitutional in McCulloch vs. Maryland in 1819. He felt that this â€Å"monopoly† would favor only the wealthy and because it only used hard money, would devastate the poorer citizens in America. This is where his reasoning that it was not economically equal was derived from. Although some aspects of his argument were accurate, he failed to recognize the overall benefits of the National Bank, pointed out by Daniel Webster in his reply to the veto. (Doc C) The National Bank issued stable bank notes, expanded the country’s money supply, and produced an abunda nt amount of sound currency. The government benefited because it was a safe place to store, transfer, and distribute currency. Jackson destroyed the Bank, causing class animosity, such as the riots in New York and Philadelphia described by Philip Hone, a businessman and Whig. (Doc E) The controversy over nullification produced a crisis in 1832 over the Tariff of 1828. South Carolina, angry because of the... Free Essays on Jacksonian Democracy During Andrew’s Jackson presidency from 1829-1837 many changes in our government took place. During his reign he reduced national debt, became the first president to ride a train, and he extended the right to vote to all males who didn’t own land. This caused a major debate in our great country because suddenly all white men could help determine our nations future. Arguments both pro and con were brought up in the states. To determine the validity of these arguments one must look at who said the quote and when it was said. These arguments came to center stage in New York where a proposal was written to drop the property requirement for voting. The state constitution revision committee chair, Nathan Sanford, supported this proposal. He asserted his position in a report where he states that â€Å"the only qualifications to [to vote] seem to be the virtue and morality of the people.† On the other hand the chief justice of New York’s highest court, state s, â€Å"The tendency of universal suffrage is to jeopardize the rights of property.† These two quotes show the vast differences of opinion during Jackson’s presidency. In the early 1830s a french sociologist, Alex de Tocqueville traveled to America observed American society. Eventually he wrote a book Democracy in America. In this work he praises the American people for their talents as abilities while at the same time criticize the people in government saying† The race of American statesmen has evidently dwindled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc 3) Tocqueville wonders why the best men aren’t always placed at the head of the government and endorses universal suffrage in America. He also states â€Å"Democracy is not only deficient In that soundness of judgment which is necessary to select men really deserving of its confidence but has neither the desire nor the inclination to find them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is telling the reader about American indifference to who gets elected and he is making a p...