Jacksonian Democracy DBQ
Following the breakup of the so-called "Virginia Dynasty", the rise of Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian Democrats moved the government of the United States in a whole new direction. For the first time, a common man could rise to become president, and his party would therefore try to guard the various freedoms laid out in the foundations of the government that the Jackson administration would preside over. Jacksonian Democrats correctly viewed themselves as the effective guardians of a political democracy as well as equality of economic opportunity, however, they fell short in their protection of the principles laid out in the United States Constitution and the individual freedom of the citizens.Under the Jackson administration, the political democracy of the United States thrived. Specifically, Andrew Jackson's ascent to becoming whom some viewed as "King Andrew" provided a visible example of a common man in a major office of American government. Jackson's presence symbolized the opinion that, in America, all men are created equal and can freely rise to an elevated status in society. Likewise, the number of appointed government officials decreased, and more elected, common men were seen in political positions at this time. The
In the same regard, the Jacksonian Democrats disregarded a number of the principles and protections laid out in the United States Constitution. The Trail of Tears was the effect of the government's statement declaring that the native tribes would move off of their land and go west with no objection. Another source describes the riots of Philadelphia that stemmed from racial discrimination. The Laissez-Faire approach that the Jacksonian Democrats took to government and economic relations proved to be an effective method of guarding equality of economic opportunity among the people. By forcing an entire denomination of people to move against their will, the administration infringed upon both their right to property and their right to choose freely for themselves (Doc. The government did not penalize the wealthy or intervene in economic affairs to aid the poor, and many private and government restrictions that concerned economics were lifted while Jackson was in office. This is an evident infringement upon the people's right of free speech and expression, however, the ban successfully passed through the court system (Doc. Although the government under Jackson was protecting the established political democracy and the equality of economic opportunity, it fell short when attempting to guard the individual freedom of the people, as well as enforcing the principles of the U. One British author wrote that, even in this nation that appears to be perfect, the issue currently being debated was if the people were competent enough to govern themselves, or if the wiser people should save them - from themselves. Those who wanted to help return basic rights to the darker-skinned society in America were promptly stopped, as the state governments, specifically that of South Carolina, banned the distribution of abolitionist mail. This unfair approach toward government employment was coupled with Jackson's ignoring the important issues concerning American voters. Daniel Webster, in his rebuttal to Jackson's veto speech, claimed that Jackson, instead of supporting individual freedom, was destroying it.
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Acceptance Essays
