Jacksonoian DBQ
In light of the following documents and your knowledge of the 1820’s and 1830’s, to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonian’s view of themselves?
Jacksonian Democrats thought very highly of themselves because they recognized their responsibility as political leaders in America, to be guardians of the Constitution. The Jacksonian Democrats advocated all the same issues that President Jackson did. A main characteristic of the Jacksonian Democrats was that they fought for the common man and strived to make everyone interested in government affairs. Three things the Jacksonians prided themselves on were political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity, not all three of them, however, were true.
In the 1820s an economic distinction between the upper and lower class man became a major issue. The upper class was small, and for the most part, unchanging, which took away from the American ideal of equality in economic opportunities. The upper class had status and government power, which they used to the make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Evidence of the Jacksonian’s view on this issue is found in “The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence” by George Henry Evans. He says that it is the duty of the government to use every constitutional mean necessary to keep one class of society from oppressing another. This comes into action when Andrew Jackson writes his veto address for the recharter of the Bank of the United States. He found the bank unconstitutional because it was only beneficial to the rich. This decision was met by some degree of public support because they saw it as an attempt at equality, but not everyone agreed with Jackson. In Daniel Webster’s response to Jackson’s veto he claims that Jackson it pitting the poor against the rich and that Jackson is abusing his power. Another economic issue of the time was the Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge case in 1837. Chief Justice Taney ruled in, an attempt at free
Jacksonian Democrats thought very highly of themselves because they recognized their responsibility as political leaders in America, to be guardians of the Constitution. The Jacksonian Democrats advocated all the same issues that President Jackson did. A main characteristic of the Jacksonian Democrats was that they fought for the common man and strived to make everyone interested in government affairs. Three things the Jacksonians prided themselves on were political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity, not all three of them, however, were true.
In the 1820s an economic distinction between the upper and lower class man became a major issue. The upper class was small, and for the most part, unchanging, which took away from the American ideal of equality in economic opportunities. The upper class had status and government power, which they used to the make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Evidence of the Jacksonian’s view on this issue is found in “The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence” by George Henry Evans. He says that it is the duty of the government to use every constitutional mean necessary to keep one class of society from oppressing another. This comes into action when Andrew Jackson writes his veto address for the recharter of the Bank of the United States. He found the bank unconstitutional because it was only beneficial to the rich. This decision was met by some degree of public support because they saw it as an attempt at equality, but not everyone agreed with Jackson. In Daniel Webster’s response to Jackson’s veto he claims that Jackson it pitting the poor against the rich and that Jackson is abusing his power. Another economic issue of the time was the Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge case in 1837. Chief Justice Taney ruled in, an attempt at free