Nikolai Kuvshinikov

Mrs. Skonberg
AP US History 6th
11 October 2016
Jacksonian Democracy
Andrew Jackson was a well-liked and respected war hero. He was elected over John Q.

Adams because of his ability to persuade the people of the importance of campaign issues. He

was all for the common man and his campaign style gave the common man a voice in the

voting. Jacksonian Democrats believed themselves to be guardians of the Constitution and the

rights of the common man. However, they were only guardians of their own benefits and they

faced too many challenges that they could not resolve. Therefore, Jacksonian Democrats were

not effective guardians, but rather those who benefited from democracy.
While Jackson claimed to support the rights of the common man, he turned his back to

other individual rights, such as slavery, Native Americans, and immigrants. In Document 5, Irish

immigrants were often victims of riots and violence. Jackson did nothing to stop these riots.

Also, many Jacksonian Democrats were from the South and West (slave owners). Many slave

owners wanted the printing and spreading of abolitionist societies to be halted (Document 6).
They wanted this in order to make sure that slaves were not getting any ideas of revolting or

rebellion. Jackson agreed. This shows that he was more interested in his own partys interests

than the individuals right. Another of example of Jacksons disregard to individual rights was

the mass exile of Native Americans during his presidency. This is evident in Document 7, where

many Native Americans were forced to leave. If Jackson was really interested in individual

rights, he would have protected the rights of Native Americans, instead of exiling them.
Jackson was also not interested in economic opportunity. During Jacksons presidency,

the National Bank was being controlled by wealthy bankers and represented the elite. Jackson

vetoed the bill to recharter the bank because it was not a benefit to him or his party. In Document

3, Daniel Webster scolds Jackson for turning the bank issue into a personal one, placing the poor
against the wealthy. Webster also mentions that the veto put danger on liberty. Jackson was

putting his interests and his partys over that of the individual, which is what he was against!

Jackson tries to explain his position in Document 2 by saying that he didnt trust a corrupt group

of men to run the bank, but by getting rid of the national bank, be was indeed diminishing

individual rights.
Jackson had created a society where the common man was against the rich in order to

rally supporters. In Document 4, Harriet Martineau stated that she wasnt sure if such a society

was a good thing or a bad thing. She questioned whether a society where all owned property and

people spoke out against the government was a good idea. Jackson used his position to create

this society, and in a way had taken away many individual liberties. He used his power to benefit

his party, and by smart campaigning, rallied his people against the Whig party and big business.
In conclusion, Jacksonian Democrats used their position to gain benefits and only

pretended to be guardian of the Constitution, when in reality, they only acted out of self-interest.