Download Presentation - Jacksonian Democracy

Review
This new Nation called he United States is
emerging onto the international “world” scene
at a fast pace.
Keep in mind that many of the other countries at this time had evolved for
thousands of years. They were an outgrowth of many generations of families and
peoples who forged their nations.
The United States however was unique in that this new nations was an eclectic
blend of many nations coming together to form a new nation and government that
was different to what history had seen.
This new group of people had in essence invaded a continent and had dispersed the
native people and took over the land.
They came, they conquered, they united and they emerged into he post powerful
and progress nation the world has ever seen – The United States of America!
George Washington
George Washington was the first president of the United
States. As the first President it was his responsibility to
exactly what this office would be
establish
Washington, technically did not have any political affiliation.
However, when major disputes erupted in his administration he tended to side
with Alexander Hamilton, who was the leader of the Federalist Party.
Keep in mind, that it was the Federalist Part who believed in a strong central
government. They stood in opposition to the Anti-Federalist who believed in more
local and state control.
Washington’s role in history was as a the Father of our country, the true leader who
established many precedents about how the office of the President should run.
His international emphasis was om neutrality and he sought to establish credibility
on behalf of the United States to other countries.
John Adams
When John Adams was elected President, the world witnessed
the power of the United States government.
George Washington has actually transferred the power of the
presidency to John Adams. This was revolutionary!
John Adams however was politically aligned. He was a part of the Federalist Party.
The Federalist as you might recall supported a strong national or central
government.
They emphasized a commercial and diplomatic harmony with the British
government.
This was a reflection of the politics of the Northern part of the country who relied
so heavily on business and trade.
Jon Adams only served one term. He lost a lot of credibility over his foreign policy
and how it related to people at home (Alien and Sedition Acts)
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in the controversial
election of 1800. This was when the election ended up a tie.
Jefferson eventually won the White House after many votes in
the House of Representatives.
Ironically, it was Alexander Hamilton who used his political persuasion to help
decide the vote.
When Jefferson was elected to office it was also considered a revolution.
The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of DemocraticRepublican Party rule and the eventual demise of the Federalist Party in the First
Party System.
For the first time, a new political party with a new agenda for the nation was in
charge.
The Democratic Republicans and Jefferson reduced the size of the Federal
government, reformed the judicial practices and cut the national debt.
James madison
In 1808, James Madison took over as president, continuing
Democratic-Republican rule.
the
Madison took the nation to war with Great Britain in the
War of 1812, standing up for American authority and
independence in response to British abuses of American sailors and laws.
Following the War of 1812, Madison began to shift away from basic DemocraticRepublican principles toward a stronger Federal government.
Having nearly lost the war due to a lack of a national standing army and financial
system, Madison's post-war governing began a party and national shift toward
stronger national policies and institutions.
But keep in mind that it was James Madison who along with Alexander Hamilton
and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers when the Constitution wa first being
argued.
Madison has that political foundation of a strong central government engrained in
his political beliefs
James Monroe
In 1816, James Monroe became the third DemocraticRepublican president.
In the post-War of 1812 atmosphere, Monroe was
essentially unopposed.
As you might recall, this time is known as the Era of Good
Feelings because of the lack of political partisanship.
Essentially, the Federalists had faded away and died during the War of 1812, and
the Democratic-Republicans were the only national party left standing.
This era extended into Monroe's second term, as he was reelected in 1820 after
running nearly unopposed for the presidency.
However, things were about to change – Political drama at its best!
The Election of 1824
Everything began to fall apart in 1824 when numerous candidates
vied for the presidency, all from the same party.
The main candidates --John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry
Clay, William Crawford, and John C. Calhoun-- split the vote,
sending the election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
There, Adams won the election with a House vote, despite Jackson having garnering
the most electoral college and popular votes.
This outcome enraged Jackson, sending him on a mission to win the presidency in
1828, which he eventually did.
Jackson's split from the party signaled the end of the party's dominance and the end
of the spirit of non-partisanship. Adams served only one term as president.
The Jackson administration gave rise to the Democratic Party, an offshoot of the
Democratic-Republicans.
The Democrats were strong in the Southern states and supported the expansion of
slavery, states' rights, and abolishing institutions such as the National Bank.
The Election of 1828
The Election of 1828 was unique in that nominations were no
longer made by Congressional but the state legislatures.
John Quincy Adams was re-nominated
The Democratic Republican opposition was posed by Andrew Jackson and his vicepresidential candidate, John C. Calhoun who had previously been vice president
under Adams
The campaign was the first true mud-slinging contest. Adams was accused of
misusing public funds and Jackson was accused of murder for executing militia
deserters.
In addition, Jackson and his wife were accused of adultery. Rachel was a divorcee';
she and Jackson believed her divorce was finalized before their marriage. The papers
were incomplete, however, and she was publicly branded an adulteress by Jackson's
political opponents.
Mrs. Jackson was humiliated, became ill and died before the inauguration. Jackson
believed these attacks caused his wife's death and said, "May God Almighty forgive
her murderers as I know she forgave them. I never can."
Jacksonian Democracy
Jacksonian democracy encouraged the strength of the
executive branch and that of the Presidency. All this was done
at the expense of Congressional power but with the view of
getting more public participation in the government.
Jackson believed in giving power to all white men rather than
just the propertied elite. The supporters also supported the
patronage system which allowed politicians to appoint their
supporters in administrative offices. This was done with the view
of reducing the powers of the elitists and preventing aristocracy
from forming.
Jackson also wanted elected judges and ended up rewriting
many state constitutions to reflect the new values.
The Jacksonian era lasted from the time Andrew Jackson was
elected as president in 1828 until the slavery issue became
highly contentious after 1850.
Jacksonian Democracy
Jacksonian democracy was built on several principles:
Expanded suffrage -- Voting rights should be more expanded.
Manifest Destiny -- Americans had a destiny to settle the American West and to
expand control over entire North America from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic.
Patronage -- This is also known as the Spoils System and it was the policy of placing
political supporters into appointed offices.
Strict Construction of the Constitution -- The Jacksonians favored a federal
government with limited powers. However, as the Jacksonians increased their power,
they advocated a more elaborate construction of the Constitution and presidential
power.
Dis-involvement in Economics -- The Jacksonians did not want to get involved in the
economy of the country as Andrew Jackson believed that if the government got
involved in the economy, favored groups would win privileges which was not correct
for a nation that was run by, and for, the common man.