NNEC - Expanding Democracy in the Age of Jackson (Lesson)

Expanding Democracy in the Age of Jackson

Few presidents have been more polarizing, or popular, than Andrew Jackson. To many of the educated elites, he was a dangerous, poorly educated, and uncultured frontiersman who used populism to assert unprecedented power. However, a majority of the Americans believed he was one of them. He was so popular that he not only won the election to the presidency twice, but he also even received the largest number of votes in the presidential election of 1824 that he lost as a result of a “corrupt bargain.” (More to come on that topic.) Many Americans saw Jackson as someone who understood them and the things about which they were concerned. They admired his tenacity and willingness to use all the means at his disposal to accomplish his goals. In this discussion, you will first learn more about Jackson and his policies and then discuss the pros and cons of some of his major policies.

American politics was transformed in the first half of the 19^th century. The precedent had been established by the founders after the Revolutionary War and that structure had been maintained until the 1820s for the most part. Deference to the established Eastern elites decreased as a more competitive and inclusive participatory electoral process took hold.

These changes are exemplified in Andrew Jackson’s election to the presidency in 1828. The electorate in the 1828 presidential election was much more diverse than previous electors had been. There was also an increased focus on character and personality in this election cycle than was previously present.

After the “Era of Good Feelings,” politics changed---for example, in the 1820s most states removed or at least reduced property qualifications for voting which allowed most free white males to vote. The expansion of democratic participation was most evident in newly admitted states in the west like Ohio (admitted in 1803; Ohio allowed any free white male to vote and to hold office.

Six new states were admitted to the Union between 1816 and 1821—just five years! These states also allowed for greater political participation than the existing states immediately following the Revolutionary War. While there was an impetus toward broader voting rights, there were states that still required voters to be taxpayers.

It's uncertain the exact percentage of males who were eligible to vote in the Early Republic. But by 1840 it’s estimated that about 90% of adult white males were eligible to vote. As a result of the diverse electorate, political candidates had to campaign more strategically—to tailor their appeal to broader audiences.

 

Jacksonian America

Jackson’s presidencies (1829-1837) occurred simultaneously with the expansion of democracy in the United States and also saw the development of a new two-party system as well as intense debates about the extent of the power of the federal government.

As the United States accumulated control of more territory and additional Americans moved into the interior of the nation, conflicts with indigenous people increased again.

 

Democrats and Whigs

The new two-party system developed in the 1830s as a result of the controversial nature of President Jackson. The ‘unity’ of the ‘Era of Good Feelings’ dissolved as the Jacksonian arm of the Democratic Republicans became known as the “Democratic Party;” Henry Clay and his followers (Jackson’s opponents) organized the Whig Party in 1833.

Many of the political conflicts developed during Jackson’s administration. The years 1829-1837 and the years immediately following his presidency are known as the “Age of Jackson” or “Jacksonian America.”

Jackson and his followers were enraged by the election results in 1824.

• As Speaker of the House, Henry Clay was in a position to influence the election.
• Neither Jackson nor Adams got a majority of the votes. Clay despised Jackson, so he coordinated a deal where the House of Representatives voted for and elected John Quincy Adams as president.
• Adams chose Henry Clay as his Secretary of State - traditionally a position that was a stepping stone to the presidency.
• Jackson's supporters immediately denounced the deal as a "corrupt bargain."
• Jackson began campaigning for the 1828 election in 1824 and he won the presidency in 1828.

Jackson’s “backwoods” populist style helped him win the Election of 1828 which is considered by many historians to be the first “modern” election.

1. The electorate was broader than in the previous elections.
2. Most states had removed or at least reduced the property qualifications so that most white males had the right to vote.
3. Candidates had to campaign more aggressively and strategically.
4. There was an increased focus on the candidates’ character and personality.

 

 

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