Preview

Andrew Jackson Was Not a Democrat

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
542 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Andrew Jackson Was Not a Democrat
People voted Jackson as president with the title of a democratic. He was completely the opposite; his ruling was more like the practice of tyranny. Democracy is a political system in which supreme power depends on citizens who can elect people to represent them, and believe in majority rule. Jackson’s Presidency was not democratic because he lacked the with “the power of the people” concept, He practiced the Indian Removal Act, the spoil system, and inflames the poor against the rich for the National Bank. (DOC G)

Democracy is basically known as power to the people, and the majority rule. Methods of electing presidential electors changed when Jackson started ruling. Even though more people were voting instead of legislative (DOC A), Natives were still not allowed to vote. The common people were universal-white-manhood which only benefitted them.
(DOC B) To be democratic, all offices must fall under absolute control of the people, (DOC D) which it wasn’t. Jackson didn’t represent power to the people.

When Jackson was president, they had the spoil system. The spoil system doesn’t represent democracy what so ever. In the politics of the United States, a spoil system is a system where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters. (DOC C) If Jackson were a true democratic, he would give jobs to people who qualified and deserve them, not just because they are of the same affiliation. (DOC I)

Another reason why Jackson was not democratic is because he practiced the Indian Removal Act. (DOC J) You can tell it wasn’t democracy because he had one thousand Seminoles, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Cherokee Indians forcibly moved to Indian Territory West of Mississippi. (DOC L) In democracy, it means everyone is entitled to be equal, and Jackson sending people away and taking their land is obviously not treating someone equal.

Jackson didn’t support being a democratic because (DOC F) Andrew Jackson claims that out of
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Andrew Jackson as President
    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Andrew Jackson as President

    The way that Jackson appealed to the common man was that he expanded the idea of democracy. Previously, the rich, white and educated were the only people voting in the United States. Power was held by a select few. Jackson expanded this system, calling on every white citizen to vote, from the rich and educated to poor farmers. Jacksonian democracy took power away from a select few and distributed it to the whole white population. It is a step towards the countries modern system, where the ability to vote is given to every citizen.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Andrew Jackson DBQ
    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Andrew Jackson DBQ

    First, Jackson was not democratic for political reasons. During his presidency many of his actions were viewed as tyrannical and his behavior reflected that of a king rather than of a president. One person drew a cartoon of Jackson, where he is wearing a crown, holding a scepter in his hand, and trampling on the Constitution (Doc 11). This represents that people saw Andrew Jackson as “King Andrew” because he did whatever he wanted and acted like a dictator by disobeying the Constitution. Another example was when Jackson implemented the Spoils System, which was when the President appointed his supporters with government jobs. Jackson argued that there aren’t many major qualifications necessary for government jobs and that anyone can do it (Doc 4). However, opponents of Jackson considered him a tyrant because he replaced experienced politicians with illiterate farmers who had no political experience just because they supported his campaign. Jackson was not democratic for many political reasons.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jacksonian Era
    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Jacksonian Era

    Jacksonian era Few time periods were as critical to the course of American history as the Jacksonian Era. In the 1820’s Jacksonian Democrats rose to power by promising to protect states’ rights and ensure economic equality for all. In order to abide by what he had promised the people, Jackson made the following changes in hope that he would be able to live up to what he had preached. Jackson created the “spoil system,” altered the relationship with Native American tribes and dismantled the National Bank. Though the Jacksonian Democrats believed they were the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and economic opportunity, their actions disproved their beliefs. They violated the Constitution by removing Native Americans from their land, were not responsible for increases in voting rights, stripped many of their rights and made unwise economic decisions.…

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Andrew Jackson Dbq
    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Andrew Jackson Dbq

    Andrew Jackson was a highly respected man of his time. He possessed loyal followers, the Jacksonian democrats, who championed Jackson’s constituency both before and during his presidency. The Jacksonians placed a high value on the common man and his worth to the American government, so they made a large effort to protect him. In the eyes of the Jacksonians, they fully worked towards guarding the constitution; however, although they made many successful progressions, there were certain shortcomings that couldn’t be overlooked.…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Andrew Jackson's Presidency
    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Andrew Jackson's Presidency

    As the Jeffersonian era began to decline, a new era began to form. The Jacksonian Democracy brought in a surge of energy to people across the United States. Energy driven by both the quest for westward expansion and the excitement of a young and developing nation. The previous one-party system dominated by the Democratic-Republicans had been snuffed out and Andrew Jackson and his crowd of supporters rose from the ashes. Andrew Jackson redefined Presidency by founding the still-existing Democratic party, by going against the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Worcester v. Georgia, and by his effective campaign strategies.…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jacksonian Dbq
    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jacksonian Dbq

    Political democracy was also what Jacksonian Democrats considered themselves to be guardians of. Before the Jacksonians only white land owning men were able to vote but when Jackson became president he granted suffrage to all white men. This made the common people happy and made the people better as a whole. As Harriet Martineau said in Society in America “The striking effect upon a stranger of witnessing, for the first time, the absence of poverty, of gross ignorance, of all servility, of all insolence of manner cannot be exaggerated in description”. Giving suffrage to all white men made them feel better about their standing in society and got them involved in national issues. Martineau said in the report “I had seen every man in the towns…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    DBQ: Jacksonian Democracy
    • 764 Words
    • 2 Pages

    DBQ: Jacksonian Democracy

    I agree with the Jacksonian Democrats on the topic of Political Democracy. As Andrew Jackson points out in Document B, "It is easy to conceive that great evils to our country and its institutions might flow from such a concentration of power in the hands of a few men irresponsible to the people" and further more, "It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes.". He was criticized for his own actions by Daniel Webster in Document C, where he called him hypocritical and irresponsible. Webster claimed that Jackson was bad for the country and was not satisfying the needs of the majority. However, this is less fact, as it is pure criticism by Webster, one of Jackson's biggest critics. In spite of these claims of power abuse, Jackson used a system of rotation of office to keep the members of equal power. Regardless of Jackson's efforts to give power to the people, "the grand question of the time was 'whether the people should be encouraged to govern themselves, or whether the wise should save them from themselves.'" As stated in Document D. Political Democracy was a priority for Andrew Jackson and he successfully established a government to protect it.…

    • 764 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?
    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?

    How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson? Andrew Jackson was a democratic man by supporting the people’s choices and wanting their voices to be equally heard, however that is not the case throughout his presidency. He is considered “Democratic” because he wanted everyone’s opinions to be heard and equally represented. Democracy can have different meanings, but ultimately they all correspond with each other. A democracy is a government ran by the people through the representatives that were elected. The democracy has a principle of equality between social classes and between individuals. Jackson believed that the rich and powerful people got away with bending the acts of the government to get what they wanted, as shown in document F. He wrote a bank veto message to congress on July 10th, 1832, Jackson is worried that the more than one fourth of the stock is in foreign hands and the rest is in the hands of the richest class citizens. Jackson believes that the rich and powerful people bend the acts of the government to fulfill their selfish needs. Andrew Jackson wants the liberty and independence to be restores in the banks for our country.…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson
    • 931 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson

    How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson? Democracy is defined as rule by the people, either directly or through elected representatives. Politically, being a democracy basically means the people have a say in government. A democratic person would typically believe in voting rights for all adults, the right to run for political office, freedom of speech, majority rule, and many other things. Andrew Jackson seemed to be the main political leader with this type of government. Some say that he was the founder of the Democratic Party, but he was not democratic in all circumstances. The policies that he put on the Native Americans did not show democracy at all. While some of his decisions, like giving everyone a chance in the government and closing the national bank, were fairly democratic.…

    • 931 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?
    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?

    Politically, Jackson had many true democratic beliefs, such as universal male suffrage. He had lowered the voting qualifications so all white males, regardless of property ownership, could vote. Also, as shown in the Methods of Electing Presidential Electors chart (Document 1), the number of states using voting from the people were rising compared to the number who used the legislature. In 1816, before Jackson’s influence, all admitted states had selected electors through the legislature, and nearing the end of Jackson’s presidency in 1836, all states but one used selection by the people. Another example of Jackson’s democratic beliefs would be The Spoils System he established, which replaced corrupt federal employees with supporters in public office. Jackson says in his letter to Congress (Document 6) “The duties of all public offices are…so plain and simple that men of intelligence may readily qualify…no one man has any more…right to (government jobs) than another.” This was meant to give all men the right to run for office, which is a basic democratic idea, but the opposing side should also be recognized that it could be undemocratic if uncontrolled. Overall, even though some of his ideas could be interpreted…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Jacksonian Dbq
    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Jacksonian Dbq

    true liberty and equality, the millions of women. Blacks, Native Americans, immigrants, and other minorities in America continued to languish in a society that ignored their rights. during the Age of Jackson, enslavement of Blacks, the ultimate form of inequality, was at a new high in America. At the same time, enormous disparities of wealth existed between rich merchants, industrialists and planters, and their lowly workers: immigrants. Blacks, and the common man. While these contradictions typified America, Jacksonian democrats viewed themselves as guardians of the Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of opportunity. Jackson and his followers must have been what they said they were only to a certain extent. The Jacksonian Democrats were, to some extent, champions of the Constitution, democracy, liberty, and equality. in other ways, Jackson and his followers clearly failed to live up to their ideals.…

    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Andrew Jackson a Democrat
    • 2477 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Andrew Jackson a Democrat

    In 1829, a new kind of President elected to office was Andrew Jackson a Democrat, indeed his promises in office were to uphold the United States Constitution along with Political democracy being assured. Jackson promised individual liberty and economic opportunity. Yet, Jacksonians contradicted themselves with everything they claimed to be. Jacksonians even believed they where flawless.…

    • 2477 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?
    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?

    How Democratic was Andrew Jackson? Old Hickory never backed away from a fight. Even at seventy-five Andrew Jackson was still fighting and leaving a trail of card games, busted up taverns, liquor bottles, and bloody noses in his wake which earned him the nickname Old Hickory. Jackson became a lawyer on the North Carolina Frontier at age twenty-one and later moved west to Tennessee where he settled down with his wife. In 1815, Jackson was made an American hero because he and his troops were victorious as they held off a British attack known as the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson was elected president in 1828 and reelected in 1832. Jackson felt strongly that the common man was the power behind the government, which is why he extended the vote to the common man. In light of this extension of democracy however, Jackson’s legacy is tainted by many controversial decisions that seemed rooted in self-interest and not the people. Jackson also dealt poorly with Native Americans and their removal from their lands. Although Jackson was democratic by extending the vote to more of the population, he did not listen to the will of the people, selfishly abused his presidential powers, and mistreated the Native Americans.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dbq on Jacksonian Democrats
    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dbq on Jacksonian Democrats

    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.…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Andrew Jackson Dbq: the Democratic President Behaves Like a Dictator
    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Andrew Jackson Dbq: the Democratic President Behaves Like a Dictator

    According to his enemies, Andrew Jackson behaved more like a dictator/king than a democratic president. Jackson and his followers became the basis of the Democratic-Republican party, later known as the Democratic party. He believed in the spoils system, supported the common man, and equality for all people regardless of their social class. Although he had such positive features, he had some negatives as well. Jackson removed Native Americans from their homeland by signing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which created the “Trail of Tears,” vetoed the National Bank (B.U.S), and was pro-slavery. Although a common man himself, Jackson became successful as president. This was one of his biggest motives to support the common man, rather than the wealthy, whom he believed shouldn’t have all of the power. One of the reasons Jackson removed Native Americans was because he didn’t consider them as American citizens. How democratic was Andrew Jackson? Before we answer this, let’s find out what democracy truly means. By definition, democracy is a form of government made up of the equality and voice of the people. To Jackson, democracy meant the all branches & agencies of government must listen to and follow the wishes of the people. So was Andrew Jackson democratic, undemocratic, or both? Perhaps he was democratic in some ways and undemocratic in others.…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More