Jacksonion Democracy

The early nineteenth century was a time of radical political change in the United States, as the country began shifting in an increasingly democratic direction. While overt legal racial and gender based voting restrictions would not disappear until the late eighteenth and well into the twentieth centuries, the early eighteenth century significantly increased the democratization of the American political process. The result was the election of Andrew Jackson, who served as president from 1829 to 1837. What was the balance between these new rights for some, and a leader who was regarded as a tyrant by his opponents?

Fig. 1: Andrew Jackson

The Rise of Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian Democracy rested upon the many political reforms of the early eighteenth century. At the turn of the eighteenth century, most states only allowed property owning, tax paying, white males to vote. By the 1830s, any white male was able to vote in most states. Further reforms included the switch from open to secret voting and the nomination of candidates by directly elected representatives. These reforms allowed the election of Andrew Jackson, a candidate who would have been unthinkable decades before.

Jacksonian Democracy Summary

The New Democratic Party coalesced nationally around the personality of Andrew Jackson. At the time, many regional political parties existed, but the Democrat-Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson had long held national power. The Democratic Party developed around the personality of Andrew Jackson first and a political platform second.

Andrew Jackson as Personality

Andrew Jackson came from meager beginnings to become a successful lawyer, businessman, and slave plantation owner in Tennessee. He also served as a military officer in the War of 1812 and in conflicts with the indigenous Americans. Around these elements developed the image of Jackson as a fighter and common man. This image resonated with the newly enfranchised white men who viewed Jackson as a relatable and heroic figure, struggling against the old money elites.

New Democracy Andrew Jackson

Jacksonian Democracy centered on ideas of equality and limited government. This equality extended to issues of religion and national origin, but only went as far as white men. Democrats argued that big government allowed elites to enrich themselves and control the nation's interests. They opposed the creation of a national bank on the idea that it was a corrupt monopoly, giving the wealthy elites too much power over the national economy and politics.

Jacksonian Democracy and Race

The equality and freedom of Jacksonian Democracy only applied to White males. White farmers looking to expand their operations supported the Indian Removal Act that forced indigenous tribes to move to land West of the Mississippi River. Jackson was a slave owner himself, and the Jacksonian Democrats did what they could to halt the abolitionist movement. Eventually, this would lose them their supporters, as their silencing of White abolitionists was viewed as a civil rights violation and White Americans in free states viewed human enslavement as a threat to the value of free labor.

Rotation of Office Holders

Jackson believed that the will of the voters should determine the course of government. He believed that appointed federal employees should be rotated with the administration. This political firing and hiring extended not just to cabinet level positions, but to much lower career level employees. The result of this was eventually the Spoils System, where government jobs became the rewards of political supporters instead of merit-based assignments.

Jeffersonian Democracy vs. Jacksonian Democracy

The Democracy practiced by Thomas Jefferson and that practiced by Andrew Jackson had significant differences, yet the men had many similarities. Both of them opposed a national bank for the power they believed it would bestow upon wealthy businessmen. They both favored farmers and opposed industrialists. Still, many differences existed between the democracy of their eras, roughly thirty years apart.

Fig. 3: Political Cartoon Depicting Andrew Jackson as a Monarch

Jacksonian Democracy Era

Two major crises tested the era of Jacksonian Democracy. One would test Jackson's ability to achieve his goals and the other would test his commitment to his own beliefs. Both crises would be resolved with a strong hold on executive power.

National Bank

Andrew Jackson believed that a national bank created too much centralization and would be exploited by the wealthy elite at the expense of White farmers and workers. In 1832, Jackson vetoed a new charter for the national bank, and the action became a central feature of his reelection campaign. While the opposition tried to portray Jackson as overstepping his authority and engaging in class warfare to lure the rabble of society to his side, the bank funneling massive amounts of money to oppose his reelection provided some vindication of Jackson's contention that the bank held too much power over politics. After his reelection, Jackson withdrew federal deposits from the national bank. When the national bank manipulated credit to raise interest rates in an attempt to force Jackson to concede, public opinion blamed the bank for the crisis and reinforced support for Jackson's move to end the institution.

Nullification Crisis

Andrew Jackson was known for his opposition to centralization in favor of states' rights, yet when the state of South Carolina attempted to nullify a 1928 tariff, Jackson found himself on the side of strong central power. Southern planters opposed the bill that they felt aided only Northern manufacturers while increasing the costs of Southern farmers. Upon his election, Jackson had been expected to oppose the bill, but declared that the bill was constitutional. South Carolina attempted to nullify the bill and set off a crisis over whether states could cancel federal laws which opposed their individual state interests. When Jackson threatened to use military force to ensure South Carolina's compliance with federal laws, the state accepted the compromise of a significantly reduced tariff rate.

Indian Removal

In 1830, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. The act forced indigenous people to leave their land because it was coveted by White farmers and gold prospectors. Federal troops forced the indigenous people East of the Mississippi river to move West of the river. Thousands of people died on the forced march known as the "Trail of Tears."

Fig. 4: Andrew Jackson

End of Jacksonian Democracy

Although Jackson himself left office in 1837, his personality and ideas inspired the Democratic party through the 1850s, until the election of Abraham Lincoln and the onset of the Civil War. The party maintained its focus on small farmers and laborers throughout this period. In the election of 1960, the party split over the issue of human enslavement, allowing Lincoln to win the presidency.