Essay - Jacksonian Democrats During Antebellum America, the Jacksonian Democrats Were Created....

Jacksonian Democrats

During antebellum America, the Jacksonian Democrats were created. This was a group that viewed themselves as protectors of the common people. A powerful executive whose goal was to destroy aristocracy in **********, Andrew Jackson, ruled the Jacksonian Democrats. (Schlesinger)

*****, this ***** was not made up of the common people. The Jacksonian ***** were a wealthy group that supported equality between white men, enacted radical economic policies, and disregarded any capabilities of ***** federal government. Many say that the group was ***** the introducers ***** democracy in America but rather users of the system for their own benefit.

During the early 1800's, ***** United States was growing at a rapid pace. A market revolution took place as cash-crop agriculture ***** capitalist manufacturing replaced the artisan economy. However, this prosperity cre*****ed a split between ***** industrializing, urban north, agrarian, rural South, and the expanding West.

The ********** passed the Tariff of 1828, creating opportunities for western agriculture and New England *****. (Latner) But this tariff crushed the *****. Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonians felt that the U.S. bank placed too much control in the hands ***** a selected, rich group. So Jackson vetoed the bank's recharter in 1832, in an attempt to benefit the poorer, blue-collar workers. Federal money ***** then ***** in "pet" state banks.

Jacksonians believed ***** this veto would increase the economic equality of the ***** States. Jackson believed that the bank was monopolistic, there*****e unconstitutional, even though the ***** was declared constitutional in 1819. (Sellers) In ********** op*****ion, this monopoly would favor the ***** citizens and be detrimental to ***** poorer citizens. Therefore, the bank was not allowing for ***** equality.

The effect was destabilizing ***** the national currency. It decreased specie in markets and displayed favoritism ***** Jacksonian policies. This effort failed ***** ultimately spred inflation, which ***** Treasury Act ***** 1840 could not stop. Jacksonians tried to assist whites through economic policies but was ***** successful.

Jacksonian Democrats believed ***** they were defending the common man but many people ended up seeing them as an inefficient and corr*****t group. Their *****s ***** further reform movements wound up decreasing economic opportunity. While they supported state rights and individuality, they were also strong nationalists.

***** example, in the Nullification Crisis, Jackson threatened to use force aga*****st the nullifiers. In addition, he issued a proclamation, which prevented *****uth Carolina from nullifying ***** *****s. Jackson went against state ***** by doing this. (Latner) This demonstrates how Jackson *****ok his powers of presidency beyond what was allotted to him in ***** Constitution. The Jacksonians justified this action by say*****g that the ***** called for a single nation and not a le*****gue of states as South Carolina w***** *****. Therefore, the Jacksonians felt he was defending the Constitution.

Jacksonians strived to preserve ***** unifying principles ***** the Constitution contained, but acted in contempt of it when ********** asserted the overwhelming power of ***** executive branch. Jacksonian democracy did allow more ***** to vote than ever before and made government