Week 7 History

Jacksonian Era

3-2 Writing Plan Progress Check

HIS-200 Applied History

SNHU

Terrell McGhee

7/18/2021

Jacksonian Era

The Historical Event

The Jacksonian era ushered by President Andrew Jackson impacted the lives of ordinary citizens forever. Voting rights were only granted to the wealthy elites, but he expanded voting legislation to include the common man. Born in the South, Jackson lacked a wealthy background like his predecessors. Still, he changed the face of American politics by implementing his strong will, erasing previous perceptions of elitism in politics, and initiating legislation that changed the lives of his people instead of his personal political career. Jackson has strong personal morals and little reservation for his own judgment, a trait that made him win the hearts of American citizens. He established movements that transformed the nation and made the lives of American citizens better.

Jackson advanced the economy in a safe way that provided assurance to the grassroots man. Before being elected as president, Americans lacked a state of economic stability, but Jackson used economically safe methods to provide them with peace of mind. This era was critical in the nation’s history since the president acknowledged its difficulties and solved problems facing ordinary citizens and bettered lives, if not for all, but most Americans. Furthermore, voting methods were revolutionalized by eliminating practices such as voting by voice and replacing them with ballots. During this transformation period, voting popularity increased, resulting in high voter participation.

In 1821, the new constitution granted all adult white males voting rights as long as they had either served their nation or remitted their taxes. After several years, tax-paying requirements were abolished, generating universal voting rights for all men at the time. However, even though all white men voting rights were already a reality, women and African Americans were still constrained from voting. The 1828 election year changed American politics. Due to much public attention, all the politicians decided to attract public sympathy by addressing issues at the grassroots. Since all governing bodies had become responsive to public opinions, individual Americans saw an opportunity to voice their opinions on how the nation should be governed.

Upon taking office, Jackson attempted to resolve the national debt issue through several reforms. These reforms included ending the Federal Reserve, the nation’s second national bank. Jackson supported legislation that transferred resources from the federal reserve to state banks. Additionally, Jackson commissioned educational reforms, despite his low academic achievements. He saw the importance of creating a tax kitty to support public schooling. Jackson ensured that children receiving formal education were made mandatory, and adults were granted the opportunity for higher education. Lastly, Jackson’s move to economic development and stability saw the formulation of policies that supported the growth of domestic industries, backed the protective tariffs system, and gave federal subsidies for capital projects. These efforts aimed at securing the nation’s economic independence and improving the citizen’s lives.

Secondary Sources

This assignment seeks to use journal articles describing the Jacksonian era as secondary sources. The Vagabond Voters, and Racial Suffrage in the Jacksonian era, is chosen as the first secondary source. The second article is The High Price of Living: The Lives of Insolvent Laborers in Jacksonian-Era (McCoy, 2017). Both of these articles address the impact of the Jacksonian era on the State of Pennsylvania. Although they cover the same State, the topics of discussion are different in each article. During the said era, the living conditions of American workers are covered in the High Price of Living article. At the same time, the voting rights of women and people of color are addressed in the Vagabond Voters and Racial Suffrage in the Jacksonian era article. Both of these articles address vital issues that Jackson intended to attend to, during his first term in office. During the research of these sources, the main concept was to find material that discusses the same State and match its topic of discussion with issues that affected ordinary citizens, such as voting segregation, poor living conditions, and inability to afford formal education.

Primary Sources

President Andrew Jackson’s first Inaugural speech Wednesday, March 4, 1829, is my first primary source for the Jacksonian era. Jackson outlined an ambitious set of goals ranging from eradicating the national debt and rotating government employments in his speech. He also promised respect for the rights of states and the constitutional limits on the presidency. President Andrew Jackson’s Message to Congress’ On Indian Removal’ (1830) is the second primary source, which negotiated to remove Indians west of the Mississippi.

Research question

What was the political and social impact d the Jacksonian democracy on the American community between 1824 to 1864?

Thesis Statement

The jacksonian era was characterized by reforms in the political, economic, and education sectors to better the living conditions of Americans.

References

Blair, W. A. (2019). Vagabond Voters and Racial Suffrage in Jacksonian-Era Pennsylvania. Journal of the civil war era, 9(4), 569-587.

McCoy, M. B. (2017). “The High Price of Living”: The Lives of Insolvent Laborers in Jacksonian-Era Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1815–1842. Pennsylvania History, 84(2), 171-213.

The Avalon Project: First inaugural address of Andrew Jackson. (n.d.). Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/jackson1.asp

Our documents - President Andrew Jackson’s message to Congress’ On Indian removal’ (1830). (n.d.). Welcome to OurDocuments.gov. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=falae&doc=25