Preview

The Jacksonian Reform Movement

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
437 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Jacksonian Reform Movement
Andrew Jackson began a whole new era in American history. During the Jacksonian period, Andrew's greatest accomplishment was the development of the "common man". This development showed man's interest in government and tailoring democracy to satisfy the same ordinary mans wants. He practiced involving the “common man” in issues such as politics and reform movements. The Jacksonian period, in fact, did live up to its characterization of fulfilling the needs of the “common man”. Involving the “common man” in politics was a must in Jackson's eyes. His strong beliefs and participation in American politics later developed into “what we know now” as the Democratic Party. He believed that every man should have a say in how his country's government operates, no matter what his economic status is. Living out this theory, Andrew Jackson expanded voting from only white male land owners to any man. This gave the lower class a chance to participate in politics. After Jackson's victory of office in 1828, he created the spoils system. The spoils system replaced many …show more content…
The reform movement during this era consisted of numerous events. Jackson put into action a new prison “correctional” system that helped young delinquents rather than punishing them which was created by Dorothea Dix. He also eliminated the elites in politics and this created a rise in the middle class. This rise of the middle class gave fair and equal opportunities to everyone and people were being elected by popular vote and not by being appointed. A veto from Jackson concerning the bank of the United States turned into the banks crashing and failure. He vetoed the bank because he felt as if it was a device to the wealthy and that it hurt the “common man”. Also, Jackson opened up expansion of the west which was a benefit to the farmers (aka the “common

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The changing politics of the Jacksonian years paralleled complex social and economic changes. Between 1824 and 1840, polices moved out of the fine homes of rich southern planters and northern merchants who had dominated government in past eras. This time period is when the white middle and lower classes started to vote in larger numbers. As a result of Jacksonian Democracy, the amount of votes jumped from 350,000 to 2.4 million in 1840.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    President Andrew Jackson had several ways of ensuring political democracy thus he is regarded as a guardian of it. The spoils system is an example of Jackson stressing political democracy. According to Senator William Marcy the spoils system was acceptable since the benefits of winning should go to the winner. He supports this thought by saying, "To the victor belongs the spoils." The spoils system allowed Jackson "Old Hickory" to rid his opponents of government jobs and award them to his supporters the "Hickoryites." Another example of political democracy is rotation in office. Rotation in office is what Jackson utilized to incorporate the "common man" into a government role. Jackson believed that any man was capable of doing the job. "Every man is as good as his neighbor," he declared, "perhaps equally better." The inevitable dilemma that arises from Jackson's notion on political democracy is that illiterates, incompetents and crooks obtained positions of public trust. The result of this was Samuel Swartwout, the collector of customs at the port of New York, stole a million dollars from the government.…

    • 1530 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jackson’s sweeping presidential victory in 1828 represented the political triumph of the New Democracy, including the spoils-rich political machines that thrived in the new environment. Jackson’s simple, popular ideas and rough-hewn style reinforced the growing belief that any ordinary person could hold public office. The “Tariff of Abominations” and the…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a strong president, Andrew Jackson led reforms for the common man and created a more balanced central government. Jackson believed that the common man should have a place in society. He governed with the principle to "let the people rule." Under his leadership, he and his followers issued reforms to reduce the long workdays and allow the average man to…

    • 662 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Edward Pessen, the author of the book, Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics talks about “the Jacksonian era” or “Common Man” which begin in 1820s, where the supporters of Jackson began to form the modern Democratic Party in the America for both Americans and foreign people. “For not only did Americans themselves observe their fellow countrymen but an army of European, mainly English, visitors swarmed over this country during the Jacksonian era.” (Pessen 2). Andrew Jackson, who was the seventh president of the United States, believed that Washington ignored people’s aspiration in 1824. Starting of the chapter two, Pessen describes different writers’ perspective towards Andrew Jackson. For example: some people saw him as a hero, while others saw him as a villain. Some saw him as a people’s warrior, while others saw him as a president who ruined the political system and didn’t care about people’s wishes. Lastly, many think that he crippled the nation; however, all of the followings are true.…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jackson: Hero Or Villain?

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The years between 1829 and 1837 have been called "Age of Jacksonian Democracy" as well as "The Era of the Common Man." However, these titles were not necessarily correct as America was far from a democracy; women could not vote and were still inferior to men, free blacks were still considered below white citizens, and slavery was growing in the south. Jackson was a highly controversial president, for good reason due to his massacre of thousands, but was actually a great American and president who attempted to protect individual liberty, the Constitution, political democracy, and promote equality of economic opportunity.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 2 FRQ

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Andrew Jackson’s election marked a new direction in American politics. He was the first westerner president elected and he declared himself to be the “champion of the common man”. Jackson gave political power to the common man as seen by Margaret Bayard Smith on the day of Jackson’s inauguration in 1829. (Doc. A) Smith describes the Western farmers going crazy in the streets and at the White House which wasn’t seen as an ordinary inauguration. Usually an inauguration would take front of politicians and not just the common people. Jackson was able to provide political power to the common man by ending voting rights to just white males and this meant any man could vote versus white landowners. To provide even more power to the common man Jackson invented the rotation policy of officers also known as the Spoils System which was designed to fill positions in congress with Jeffersonian-Democrats that had helped Jackson win the election. Jackson felt this was a win, win situation because he was providing more power for the common man but he also justified it by saying he needed loyal people in congress. Jackson stated his rotation policy to explain his primary purpose, which was to allow “common men” positions in office because the…

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When Jackson came to power in 1829 he promised much, advocating equality, democratic change, morality in government and true representation. However Jackson's success or failure as a president is shown by what he actually did. The thesis of this essay is that despite the variety of issues faced by Jackson he didn't actually bring about much change. This could be interpreted as failure but his legacy as a strong president, as a symbol of US democracy, and also the devotion of the people to him, does perhaps counter the failings. Failure might constitute not meeting one's promises but Jackson's ambiguity and inconsistency on many issues make it hard to judge his performance. I would not say he was completely successful or unsuccessful but rather advocate a mixture of both.…

    • 2244 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Andrew Jackson was an impactful president whose strategies and actions transformed the country. He was a controversial figure in American politics, due to both his empowerment of the “common” American man, his ruining of the economy, and his deplorable acts he subjected the American Indians to.…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jacksonian Era Dbq

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jackson’s election to presidency was based on he himself not coming from a wealthy or specifically educated background . During his presidency he advocated for the rights of the “common man”. One of the more impactful changes of the Jacksonian period was the introduction of universal white male suffrage.In addition reform movements contributed changes that would be beneficial to the “common man.” In connection with changes that would benefit common man altering of political campaigns in attempt to provide elucidation to the “common man” who wouldn't have a vast amount of education was implemented. The Jacksonian Period did however have limitations with certain rights the people had been given as they were implemented for white males.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After coming to office in 1829, Jackson played a large role in executing the spoils system and the nullification crisis to give more power to the common man by creating a one sided government system. Jackson began his Presidency by creating the spoils system, which allowed him to fire high rank tenured government officials and replace them with loyal party members, “Jackson rejected the traditional republican…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Furthermore, Jackson was also known for many “injustices” while holding office, and criticized for expanding the power of the presidency. He was also known for rewarding his political supporters with government jobs. When it was brought up to his attention, he responded by claiming he was replacing aristocrats with the common man. Jackson stated "To the victor go the spoils," and thus created the spoils system in…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Andrew Jackson’s presidency regularly corresponds with Democracy like John F. Kennedy corresponds with the Cuban Missile Crisis and how Abraham Lincoln corresponds with the Civil War. The 1800s began a new era of the “common man”. Jackson aided in this era with his presidency. For example, before Jackson was president, voting was limited only to people who owned property; then when Jackson became president, voting was open to all white males. Jackson’s actions during his rule shifted the direction of America to a more democratic state.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Andrew Jackson Villain

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages

    President Andrew Jackson, the first man from the western state of Tennessee voted into office in 1828, was one of the most controversial president in American history. As the American political party system takes its shape, Andrew Jackson became the leader of the newly established Democratic Party. Andrew Jackson represented and appealed to the common man. Jackson, as a military hero, displayed a heroic aura that attracted many of his western supporters and additionally captivated the support from workingmen in the East. This Jacksonian Democracy alarmed political elites as he establishes the spoil system in…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jacksonian Ideals

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages

    During this time, there was a drastic increase of voting rights. Before the Jacksonian Era, many times in order to vote, one had to own a large amount of property; however, Jackson fought for the common man, and eventually, all white men regardless of property ownership gained the right to vote. Furthermore, candidates began to campaign for the vote of the common man rather than that of the rich. This was called campaigning for the grass roots. In the past, the president was chosen by the rich and powerful in society, but Andrew Jackson proved that campaigning for the common man was a different but practical approach. This change occurred because more people could vote as there was less voter restriction and electoral college members began to have to support the choice of their state’s voters rather than their own preference. Moreover, during this period, Jackson ended the Second National Bank for the benefit of the common man. The bank supported the rich in New England but was a major area of mistrust and hatred for the north east among southerners and westerners. It also supported a strong central government over states’ rights. For these reasons, Jackson shut down the national bank in order to promote the ideas of the common man. Jackson supported Jeffersonian Ideals shutting down…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays