Essay/Term paper: Dbq on jacksonian democrats

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Humanities Essays

It is agreeable that the Jacksonian Democrats perceived themselves as strict guardians of the United States Constitution. It is not agreeable with how they went about preserving the political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity they stood for. While trying to create this balance, Jackson used tactics favorable only to his opinion. Jackson"s main idea was to rid of aristocracy, giving the power to the poorer classes, standing against rich white men. The flaw in their scheme was that the people who came up with this idea were all rich white men.

One of the Jacksonian Democrats" attempts to reduce the influence of the rich was by vetoing the charter to the Bank of the United States. Jackson stated his reasons in Document B mainly as a precaution of the rich taking over and bending "the acts of government to their selfish purposes." Daniel Webster"s retaliation article on Jackson"s veto message replied by strongly addressing their hypocritical ways. He states in Document C why the veto was unreasonable. Webster also warns how it may backfire due to the injustice.

Foreign observers viewed that in America everybody is free and independent, as taken from the opinion of Harriet Martineau, a British author (Document D). On the other hand, the outlook from inside the country was opposed according to New York City businessman and Whig politician, Philip Hone. Hone described two riots he witnessed that had broken out between minorities in the country (Document E). Martineau viewed America in the big picture; she saw the country as an outsider, a tourist, seeing the sights. Whereas Hone observed the United States on the streets as what it was, not as it appeared.

Jackson may have felt that all men should have equal say and opportunities, but he failed to recognize all people living there. As displayed in Documents F and G, the black slaves and Native Americans were treated unfairly under his authority. South Carolina was given legal power to ban any pamphlets, newspapers, pictures, or anything of the sort, and to stop the mail received from the United States Post Office in attempt not to give the slaves any ideas of revolting. The Native Americans presiding in Georgia were forced from their homes and moved west of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma by order of the Indian Removal Act, signed into effect by Andrew Jackson. This march is known as the "Trail of Tears" for the many deaths and hardship faced along the way (Document G). Although viewed as defenders of all common people, Jacksonian Democrats shunned minorities and only stood by white men.

Based on the occurrences during Jackson"s presidential term through the early 1800s many of the people of the United States were treated unfairly. Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian Democratic Party may have attempted to be strict guardians of the United States Constitution, but they attempted to do so in a very unconstitutional manner.