Week 8 History Assignment

Jacksonian Era

Historical Analysis Essay Progress Check 3

History 200 Applied History

SNHU

Terrell Mcghee

8/15/2021

Jacksonian Era

A desire to have the ordinary American have influence in the political process was the main idea behind the Jacksonian democracy. This controversial movement claimed to work towards achieving democracy for the common man. Participants of this historical event included democrats, American citizens and any political stakeholder. President Andrew Jackson strengthened the executive arm of the government at the expense of Congress while seeking to expand public participation in administration. Elected judges were ordered to re-write the constitution to reflect the new values that came with his regime. The Jacksonian era brought significant reforms in the economic, political, and education sectors, all of which aimed to make lives better for ordinary Americans. Still, the changes that came along with the revolution in the era did not effectively eradicate the problems that Americans faced.

Causes and Consequences of the Historical Event

The Jacksonian era was characterized by core principles that prioritized the affairs of communities above individual interests. President Jackson argued that all white men should be accorded voting rights irrespective of academic qualifications, social status, race, religion, and other minimum qualifications. By 1856, requirements for eligibility to vote, such as owning property and paying taxes, had been abolished (Engerman et al., 2005). Secondly, Jacksonians believed that Americans were destined to expand across North America, leading to the pushing of the Indian removal act. Thirdly, the regime championed a policy formulation that rewarded political participants with political office positions. This idea was encouraged to lobby for political participation by ordinary citizens and hold elected politicians accountable for the actions of their appointees. Besides, President Jackson demanded that civil servants be rotated at regular intervals to avoid corruption in public offices. This hiring system had one major shortcoming of hiring incompetent officers out of the emphasis on party loyalty.

President Jackson encouraged a hands-on approach to the economy. He opposed the authorization of government bonds to monopoly banks such as the national bank on allegations that it was used to exploit the common man. Furthermore, rescuing America from national debt was a high priority in his administration as he endeavoured to revive and grow the economy. Massive developments were recorded in the American economy regarding infrastructure, technology, and the financial markets. As mentioned earlier, the Jacksonian era was faced with controversy and did not eradicate all of America’s problems. The next section of this paper looks at some of the failures associated with President Andrew Jackson’s administration.

American Indians were forced to the west following the enactment of the Indian removal act (Bowes, 2014). This act had a profound and devastating impact on Americans living east of the Mississippi River. It allowed white Americans hungry for more land to expand to the west leading to death and destruction of property belonging to natives. This action is considered genocide by historians, for many Americans of Indian origin lost their homes, families, and lives. Secondly, the concept of “manifest destiny” allowed the white man to thrive at the expense of the black man. Democrats had divided opinions on the issue of slavery (Blair, 2019) since those who owned large pieces of land wanted to take advantage of the cheap labour that came with slavery. They ensured that the conversation did not take the media limelight to avoid damaging President Jackson’s administration reputation. Besides, Jackson was alleged to have amassed a lot of wealth by taking advantage of slave labour

President Jackson is accused of overstepping his authority and disregarding court rulings. He acted unconstitutionally is several occasions even though his supporters felt that his actions were for the best interests of the country. They included withdrawing federal funds from the Bank of the United States, implementing the Indian removal act (Bowes, 2014)., and declaring martial law in New Orleans, among other illegal decisions. Additionally, he fired cabinet members who refused to execute his commands. As a leader with great plans for the country before assuming office during his first tenure, Jackson’s disregard for the constitution contradicts his solemn vow to the people of the United States to defend and uphold the constitution. It also goes against his reform slogan of allowing majority rule through a democratic process.

President Jackson’s policies gradually expanded the voting rights of American citizens but also created system failures that divided the country. Jackson cast himself to the people and defended their interests in Congress. He was regarded as a hero for the common man, and his presidency was recognized for having brought great change to the United States. Citizens required platforms for growth and participation in goveranance. His government invested heavily in technology and infrastructure projects, reducing the time taken for people to move from one place to another. However, the regime ended up prioritizing the interests of the white man at the expense of minority ethnic groups such as African Americans and Indians. The minority rich created their wealth by exploiting these groups through forced labour and grabbing their land. Coming from a humble background and serving in the army, President Jackson was better positioned to understand the plight of the less privileged in society. He could have done better by the common man as promised in his campaigns.

References

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

Bowes, J. P. (2014). American Indian Removal beyond the Removal Act. Journal of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, 1(1), 65-87.

Engerman, S. L., & Sokoloff, K. L. (2005). The evolution of suffrage institutions in the new world. The Journal of Economic History, 65(4), 891-921.