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[[File:Andrew_Jackson.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of [[Andrew Jackson]] by [[Thomas Sully]] in 1824.]]
[[File:Andrew_Jackson.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of [[Andrew Jackson]] by [[Thomas Sully]] in 1824.]]
'''Jacksonian democracy''' is the political philosophy of [[United States]] [[President of the United States|President]] [[Andrew Jackson]] and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of [[Jeffersonian democracy]] which dominated the previous political era. Prior to and during Jackson's time as President, his supporters (the beginnings of the modern [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]) were resisted by the rival [[Adams Party (United States)|Adams]] and [[Anti-Jacksonian Party (United States)|Anti-Jacksonian]] factions, which later gave rise to the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]]. More broadly, the term refers to the period of the [[Second Party System]] (mid 1830's-1854) when Jacksonian philosophy was ascendant as well as the spirit of that era. It can be contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy. Jackson's equal political policy became known as Jacksonian Democracy, subsequent to ending what he termed a "[[monopoly]]" of [[government]]. During the Jacksonian era, the electorate expanded to include all white male adult citizens, rather than only land owners in that group.
'''Jacksonian democracy''' is the political philosophy of [[United States]] [[President of the United States|President]] [[Andrew Jackson]] and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of [[Jeffersonian democracy]] which dominated the previous political era. Prior to and during Jackson's time as President, his supporters (the beginnings of the modern [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]) were resisted by the rival [[Adams Party (United States)|Adams]] and [[Anti-Jacksonian Party (United States)|Anti-Jacksonian]] factions, which later gave rise to the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]]. More broadly, the term refers to the period of the [[Second Party System]] (mid 1830's-1854) when Jacksonian philosophy was ascendant as well as the spirit of that era. It can be contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy. Jackson's equal political policy became known as Jacksonian Democracy, subsequent to ending what he termed an abomination of [[government]]. During the Jacksonian era, the electorate expanded to include all white male adult citizens, rather than only land owners in that group.


In contrast to the Jeffersonian era, Jacksonian democracy promoted the strength of the presidency and [[Executive (government)|executive branch]] at the expense of [[United States Congress|Congress]], while also seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. They demanded elected (not appointed) judges and rewrote many [[state constitution]]s to reflect the new values. In national terms the Jacksonians favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of [[Manifest Destiny]]. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided. The Jacksonian Era lasted roughly from Jackson's 1828 election until the slavery issue became dominant after 1850 and the [[American Civil War]] dramatically reshaped American politics as the [[Third Party System]] emerged.
In contrast to the Jeffersonian era, Jacksonian democracy promoted the strength of the presidency and [[Executive (government)|executive branch]] at the expense of [[United States Congress|Congress]], while also seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. They demanded elected (not appointed) judges and rewrote many [[state constitution]]s to reflect the new values. In national terms the Jacksonians favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of [[Manifest Destiny]]. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided. The Jacksonian Era lasted roughly from Jackson's 1828 election until the slavery issue became dominant after 1850 and the [[American Civil War]] dramatically reshaped American politics as the [[Third Party System]] emerged.
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Jacksonian policies included ending the bank of the United States, expanding westward, and removing [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]] from the Southeast. Jackson was denounced as a tyrant by opponents on both ends of the political spectrum such as [[Henry Clay]] and [[John C. Calhoun]]. Jacksonian democracy had a lasting impact on allowing for more political participation from the average citizen, though Jacksonian democracy itself largely died off with the election of [[Abraham Lincoln]] and the rise of the [[History of the United States Republican Party|Republican party]].
Jacksonian policies included ending the bank of the United States, expanding westward, and removing [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]] from the Southeast. Jackson was denounced as a tyrant by opponents on both ends of the political spectrum such as [[Henry Clay]] and [[John C. Calhoun]]. Jacksonian democracy had a lasting impact on allowing for more political participation from the average citizen, though Jacksonian democracy itself largely died off with the election of [[Abraham Lincoln]] and the rise of the [[History of the United States Republican Party|Republican party]].


Jackson created a system to clear out elected officials in government of an opposing party and replace them with his supporters as a reward for their electioneering. With Congress controlled by his enemies, Jackson relied heavily on the power of the veto to block their moves.
Jackson created a system to clear out elected officials in government of an opposing party and replace them with his supporters as a reward for their electioneering. With Congress controlled by his enemies, Jackson relied heavily on the power of the vampires to defeat the federalists.


One of the most important of these was the [[Maysville Road]] veto in 1830. A part of Clay's [[American System]], the bill would have allowed for federal funding of a project to construct a road linking Lexington and the Ohio River, the entirety of which would be in the state of Kentucky. His primary objection was based on the local nature of the project. It was not the Federal government's job to fund projects of such a local nature, and or those lacking a connection to the nation as a whole.
One of the most important of these was the [[Maysville Road]] veto in 1830. A part of Clay's [[American System]], the bill would have allowed for federal funding of a project to construct a road linking Lexington and the Ohio River, the entirety of which would be in the state of Kentucky. His primary objection was based on the local nature of the project. It was not the Federal government's job to fund projects of such a local nature, and or those lacking a connection to the nation as a whole.

Revision as of 14:48, 8 February 2010

Portrait of Andrew Jackson by Thomas Sully in 1824.

Jacksonian democracy is the political philosophy of United States President Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. Prior to and during Jackson's time as President, his supporters (the beginnings of the modern Democratic Party) were resisted by the rival Adams and Anti-Jacksonian factions, which later gave rise to the Whigs. More broadly, the term refers to the period of the Second Party System (mid 1830's-1854) when Jacksonian philosophy was ascendant as well as the spirit of that era. It can be contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy. Jackson's equal political policy became known as Jacksonian Democracy, subsequent to ending what he termed an abomination of government. During the Jacksonian era, the electorate expanded to include all white male adult citizens, rather than only land owners in that group.

In contrast to the Jeffersonian era, Jacksonian democracy promoted the strength of the presidency and executive branch at the expense of Congress, while also seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. They demanded elected (not appointed) judges and rewrote many state constitutions to reflect the new values. In national terms the Jacksonians favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of Manifest Destiny. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided. The Jacksonian Era lasted roughly from Jackson's 1828 election until the slavery issue became dominant after 1850 and the American Civil War dramatically reshaped American politics as the Third Party System emerged.

The Philosophy

File:AJ~bank.JPG
Democratic cartoon shows Jackson slaying the monster Bank

Jacksonian democracy generally was built on several principles:

Expanded Suffrage
The Jacksonians believed that voting rights should be extended to all white men. During the Jacksonian era, white male suffrage was dramatically expanded throughout the country.
Manifest Destiny
This was the belief that white Americans had a destiny to settle the American West and to expand control over all of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific at the expense of the indigenous population. The Free Soil Jacksonians, notably Martin Van Buren, however, argued for limitations on expansion to avoid the expansion of slavery within the Union. The Whigs generally opposed Manifest Destiny and expansion, saying the nation should build up its cities.
Patronage
Also known as the spoils system, patronage was the policy of placing political supporters into appointed offices. Many Jacksonians held the view that rotating political appointees in and out of office was not only the right but also the duty of winners in political contests. Patronage was theorized to be good because it would encourage political participation by the common man and because it would make a politician more accountable for poor government service by his appointees. Jacksonians also held that long tenure in the civil service was corrupting, so civil servants should be rotated out of office at regular intervals. However, it did lead to the hiring of incompetent and sometimes corrupt officials in the place of competent ones from the other party.
Strict Constructionism
Like the Jeffersonians who strongly believed in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, Jacksonians initially favored a federal government of limited powers. Jackson said that he would guard against "all encroachments upon the legitimate sphere of State sovereignty". This is not to say that Jackson was a states' rights extremist; indeed, the Nullification Crisis would find Jackson fighting against what he perceived as state encroachments on the proper sphere of federal influence. This position was one basis for the Jacksonians' opposition to the Second National Bank. As the Jacksonians consolidated power, they more often advocated a more expansive construction of the Constitution and of Presidential power.
Laissez-faire Economics
Complementing a strict construction of the Constitution, the Jacksonians generally favored a hands-off approach to the economy. The leader was William Leggett of the Locofocos in New York City. In particular, the Jacksonians opposed government granted monopolies to banks, especially the national bank, which was a central bank known as the Second Bank of the United States. Jackson fought to end the government monopoly to the Bank and got great opposition from Nicholas Biddle, the bank chairman. Biddle first dismissed Jackson efforts, but as the initiative gained popular support, he got more concerned. There was an attempt to murder Jackson at that time but the pistols failed. Jackson would later claim that he had proof the bankers were behind this attempt. Jackson was able to gain popular support because the Bank money manipulations and inflation had created a big recession, and it had inflated land prices, benefiting big land owners and stopping economical development. In a last attempt to stop Jackson, Biddle burst the bubble his inflationary policies had created, and brought about a deflationary correction. This put pressure on Jackson, but after a year of recession, the economy was clean by the deflationary correction, and the Bank was out of "ammunition". Jackson had won the battle. The Bank continued his operations as a state bank, but had to close years after. Once retired, everytime Jackson was asked what was his biggest achievement as president he answered: "I killed the Bank".

Election by the "Common Man"

Though elected by the United States House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams was the first president ever to be voted for by the common citizenry, as the 1824 United States Presidential election was the first in which all free white male citizens without property could vote (with the exception of 6 states). Issues of social class have been much discussed by historians (Wilentz 1982). For more details, see Social Class in American History.

The Anti-Masonic Party, an opponent of Jackson, introduced the national nominating conventions to select a party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, allowing more voter input.

Factions 1824–32

The period 1824–32 was politically chaotic. The Federalist Party was dead, and with no effective opposition, the old Democratic-Republican Party withered away. Every state had numerous political factions, but they did not cross state lines. Political coalitions formed and dissolved, and politicians moved in and out of alliances.

Many former Democratic-Republicans supported Jackson; others, such as Henry Clay, opposed him. Most former Federalists, such as Daniel Webster, opposed Jackson, although some like James Buchanan supported him. In 1828, John Quincy Adams pulled together a network of factions called the National Republicans, but he was defeated by Jackson. By the late 1830s, the Jacksonian Democrats and the Whigs politically battled it out nationally and in every state.

Reforms

Jackson fulfilled his promise of broadening the influence of the citizenry in government, although not without controversy over his methods.

Jacksonian policies included ending the bank of the United States, expanding westward, and removing American Indians from the Southeast. Jackson was denounced as a tyrant by opponents on both ends of the political spectrum such as Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Jacksonian democracy had a lasting impact on allowing for more political participation from the average citizen, though Jacksonian democracy itself largely died off with the election of Abraham Lincoln and the rise of the Republican party.

Jackson created a system to clear out elected officials in government of an opposing party and replace them with his supporters as a reward for their electioneering. With Congress controlled by his enemies, Jackson relied heavily on the power of the vampires to defeat the federalists.

One of the most important of these was the Maysville Road veto in 1830. A part of Clay's American System, the bill would have allowed for federal funding of a project to construct a road linking Lexington and the Ohio River, the entirety of which would be in the state of Kentucky. His primary objection was based on the local nature of the project. It was not the Federal government's job to fund projects of such a local nature, and or those lacking a connection to the nation as a whole.

Jacksonian Presidents

In addition to Jackson, his second vice president and one of the key organizational leaders of the Jacksonian Democratic Party, Martin Van Buren, served as president. Van Buren was defeated in the next election by William H. Harrison. Harrison died just 30 days into his term, and his vice president, John Tyler, quickly reached accommodation with the Jacksonians, and was then succeeded by James Polk, a staunch Jacksonian, who was the last of the true Jacksonian presidents. During and just after Polk's term, both the Democratic Party and the Whig Party were split by the slavery issue, with the Whig Party dissolving and ultimately being replaced by the Republican Party.

References

Secondary Sources

  • Altschuler, Glenn C. (1997). "Limits of Political Engagement in Antebellum America: A New Look at the Golden Age of Participatory Democracy". Journal of American History. 84 (3): 855–885 [p. 878–879]. doi:10.2307/2953083. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Baker, Jean (1983). Affairs of Party: The Political Culture of Northern Democrats in the Mid-Nineteenth Century. Bronx, NY: Fordham University Press. ISBN 0585125333. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Blau, Joseph L. Social Theories of Jacksonian Democracy: Representative Writings of the Period 1825-1850 (1954) online edition
  • Benson, Lee (1961). The Concept of Jacksonian Democracy: New York as a Test Case. New York: Atheneum. OCLC 21378753. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Bugg, James L., Jr. (1952). Jacksonian Democracy: Myth or Reality?. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Short essays.
  • Cave, Alfred A. (1964). Jacksonian Democracy and the Historians. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Cole, Donald B. (1984). Martin Van Buren And The American Political System. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691047154. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Cole, Donald B. (1970). Jacksonian Democracy in New Hampshire. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674469909. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Uses quantitative electoral data.
  • Eaton, Clement ed. The Leaven of Democracy: The Growth of the Democratic Spirit in the Time of Jackson (1963) online edition
  • Formisano, Ronald P. (1971). The Birth of Mass Political Parties: Michigan, 1827-1861. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691046050. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Uses quantitative electoral data.
  • Formisano, Ronald P. (1983). The Transformation of Political Culture: Massachusetts Parties, 1790s-1840s. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195031245. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Uses quantitative electoral data.
  • Formisano, Ronald P. (1999). "The 'Party Period' Revisited". Journal of American History. 86 (1): 93–120. doi:10.2307/2567408. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Formisano, Ronald P. (1969). "Political Character, Antipartyism, and the Second Party System". American Quarterly. 21 (4): 683–709. doi:10.2307/2711603. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Formisano, Ronald P. (1974). "Deferential-Participant Politics: The Early Republic's Political Culture, 1789-1840". American Political Science Review. 68 (2): 473–487. doi:10.2307/1959497. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Hammond, Bray (1958). Andrew Jackson's Battle with the "Money Power". {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Chapter 8, an excerpt from his Pulitzer-prize-winning Banks and Politics in America: From the Revolution to the Civil War (1954).
  • Hofstadter, Richard (1948). The American Political Tradition. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Chapter on AJ.
  • Hofstadter, Richard (1969). The Idea of a Party System: The Rise of Legitimate Opposition in the United States, 1780-1840. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Holt, Michael F. (1999). The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195055446. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Holt, Michael F. (1992). Political Parties and American Political Development: From the Age of Jackson to the Age of Lincoln. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807117285. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Howe, Daniel Walker (1991). "The Evangelical Movement and Political Culture during the Second Party System". Journal of American History. 77 (4): 1216–1239. doi:10.2307/2078260. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Kohl, Lawrence Frederick (1989). The Politics of Individualism: Parties and the American Character in the Jacksonian Era. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195053745. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Kruman, Marc W. (1992). "The Second American Party System and the Transformation of Revolutionary Republicanism". Journal of the Early Republic. 12 (4): 509–537. doi:10.2307/3123876. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • McCormick, Richard L. (1986). The Party Period and Public Policy: American Politics from the Age of Jackson to the Progressive Era. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195038606. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • McCormick, Richard P. (1966). The Second American Party System: Party Formation in the Jacksonian Era. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Influential state-by-state study.
  • Mayo, Edward L. (1979). "Republicanism, Antipartyism, and Jacksonian Party Politics: A View from the Nation's Capitol". American Quarterly. 31 (1): 3–20. doi:10.2307/2712484. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Marshall, Lynn (1967). "The Strange Stillbirth of the Whig Party". American Historical Review. 72 (2): 445–468. doi:10.2307/1859236. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Myers, Marvin (1957). The Jacksonian Persuasion: Politics and Belief. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Pessen, Edward (1978). Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Pessen, Edward (1977). The Many-Faceted Jacksonian Era: New Interpretations. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Important scholarly articles.
  • Remini, Robert V. (1998). The Life of Andrew Jackson. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Abridgment of Remini's 3-volume biography.
  • Remini, Robert V. (1959). Martin Van Buren and the Making of the Democratic Party. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Sellers, Charles (1991). The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America, 1815-1846. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Influential reinterpretation
  • Shade, William G. (1983). "The Second Party System". In Kleppner, Paul; et al. (eds.). Evolution of American Electoral Systems. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |editor= (help) Uses quantitative electoral data.
  • Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr (1945). The Age of Jackson. Boston: Little, Brown & Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History.
  • Schouler, James (1917). History of the United States of America: Under the Constitution: Vol. 4. 1831-1847. Democrats and Whigs. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Sellers, Charles (1958). "Andrew Jackson Versus the Historians". Mississippi Valley Historical Review. 44 (4): 615–634. doi:10.2307/1886599. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Sharp, James Roger (1970). The Jacksonians Versus the Banks: Politics in the States after the Panic of 1837. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Uses quantitative electoral data.
  • Silbey, Joel H. (1991). The American Political Nation, 1838-1893. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Silbey, Joel H. (1973). Political Ideology and Voting Behavior in the Age of Jackson. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Syrett, Harold C. (1953). Andrew Jackson: His Contribution to the American Tradition. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Taylor, George Rogers (1949). Jackson Versus Biddle: The Struggle over the Second Bank of the United States. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Excerpts from primary and secondary sources.
  • Van Deusen, Glyndon G. (1963). The Jacksonian Era: 1828-1848. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Standard scholarly survey.
  • Wallace, Michael (1968). "Changing Concepts of Party in the United States: New York, 1815-1828". American Historical Review. 74 (2): 453–491. doi:10.2307/1853673. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Ward, John William (1962). Andrew Jackson, Symbol for an Age. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Wilentz, Sean (1982). "On Class and Politics in Jacksonian America". Reviews in American History. 10 (4): 45–63. doi:10.2307/2701818. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  • Wilentz, Sean (2005). The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Highly detailed scholarly synthesis.
  • Wilson, Major L. (1974). Space, Time, and Freedom: The Quest for Nationality and the Irrepressible Conflict, 1815-1861. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Intellectual history of Whigs and Democrats.
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