The first and truest ideals of democracy were embodied in the political
ideas of Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian democrats. Calling themselves the
guardians of the United States Constitution, the Jacksonian politicians engendered
wide spread liberty under a government which represented all men, rather than only
the upper class. While some policies under the democrats had evident flaws, they
were, for the most part, eager social reformers who strived to put the power of
government into the hands of the common citizens.
The convictions and ideals of the Jacksonian Democrats can be best
illustrated through a passage written by George Henry Evans. Evans was an editor
with strong democratic principles who created "The Working Men's Declaration of
Independence" (Doc. A). Within the declaration, Evans stresses the importance of
establishing democracy. He uses words and phrases from Jefferson's "Declaration
of Independence" to clarify his points and stress his convictions. Stating the
absolute "necessity of the organization of the party," Evans explains that it will be
possible to prevent the upper class from subverting the "indefeasible and
fundamental privilege" of liberty. And finally, Evans states that it is the common
citizen's right to use every constitutional means necessary to "reform the abuses"
and "provide new guards for future security." In doing so, he documented the
characteristic attitude of the majority of the country in the 1820's and 1830's.
Evans was only one of the many Jacksonian democrats to contribute to the
success of the party and to the reforms that they made. Chief Justice Roger B.
Taney's opinion in the Supreme Court Case of Charles River Bridge v. Warren
Bridge was a capitalist decision which was a typical response for a Jacksonian
democrat (Doc. H). This decision...