This paper will discuss whether Andrew Jackson’s presidency was an age of democracy and if his actions reflected that of an absolute monarch or one who cares for the people.
Was the age of Jackson an age of democracy?
Andrew Jackson served as the American president from 1829 to 1837. Unlike previous presidents who ascended to power courtesy of their wealth and education, Jackson’s humble background was a powerful statement for the “common man.” Most states had ended the property requirements for voting for white males by the late 1820s. There was an increase in literacy and productive political advertising, which doubled the number of voters in 1828. During his presidency, the US transitioned from a republic into a mass democracy.
Were his actions better to that of an absolute monarch or one who cared for his people?
Jackson controversially oversaw the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which forcibly relocated tens of thousands of Native Americans, devastating the Native population (Bowes, 2016). In 1833 he ended the government’s use of the National Bank, portraying it as a “hydra-headed” and believed that the “common man” was in danger of losing their equitable interest in the government.
In contrast, absolute monarchs like King Louis XIV of France (reigned 1643 to 1715); made all decisions and policies, declared war, oversaw religious affairs including closing protestant schools and banning them from political rallies and levied taxes.
As a self-made man, Jackson, however, created policies that made it easier for the lower and middle class to obtain land. He opposed aristocracy and believed that expanding economic and political opportunities for the common man would make America more democratic. Therefore, his actions portrayed someone who cared for his people and is far better than those of an absolute monarch.
References
- Inskeep, S. (2016). Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab. Penguin.
- Bowes, J. P. (2016). Land too good for Indians: Northern Indian removal(Vol. 13). University of Oklahoma Press.