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Jacksonian Democracy
Chapter 10, Section 1
Pages 322 - 324
Did You Know?
In the early years of the United States, the right to
vote belonged mainly to a few – free white men who
owned property.
As the country grew, more men were given the right
to vote.
This expansion of democracy led to the election of
Andrew Jackson, a war hero. But not everyone
approved of Jackson.
Expansion of Democracy
America in the early 1800s was changing fast.
In the North, workshops run by craftspeople who owned
them were being replaced by large-scale factories owned
by businesspeople and staffed by hired workers.
In the South, small family farms began to give way to large
cotton plantations, owned by wealthy white people and
worked by enslaved African Americans.
Expansion of Democracy
These same people began to believe that they were losing
power in the government.
Government policies seems to be more focused on
building the power of the wealthy, property-owners.
Their was a fear that the wealthy were tightening their grip
on power on power in the United States
Hoping for Change
Hoping for change, small farmers, frontier settlers, and
slave-holders rallied behind reform-minded Andrew
Jackson, presidential candidate in the 1824 election.
They believed Jackson would defend their rights of the
common people and the slave states.
Democratic Reforms
During the time of Jackson’s popularity, many democratic
reforms were made.
Some states changed their qualification for voting in order
to give more white men the right to vote.
Political parties began holding nominating conventions,
where party members chose the party’s candidates instead
of the party leaders.
This period of reform later became known as Jacksonian
Democracy.
The Election of 1828
Jackson’s supporters were determined that their candidate
would win the 1828 election.
They formed the Democratic Party to support Jackson.
Many people who supported President Adams began
calling themselves National Republicans.
Andrew Jackson
John Quincy Adams
The Campaign
Jackson’s supporters described him as a war hero who had
been born power and rose to success through his own hard
work.
Adams was a Harvard graduate whose father had been the
second U.S. president.
Jackson’s supporters described Adams as being out of
touch with the everyday person.
The Campaign
Adam’s supporters said Jackson was , crude and illequipped to be President of the United States.
When the ballots were counted, Jackson had defeated
Adams, winning a record number of popular votes.
Jackson
Adams
Democrat
Nat-Rep
647,286
508,064
178
83
Jackson’s Inauguration
Jackson’s supporters saw his victory as a win for the
common people.
A massive crowd of people followed Jackson from the
Capitol to the White House and celebrated his election on
the lawn.
The Spoils System
Jackson instituted the spoils system.
● He replaced government employees with his supporters.
● The fired workers were angry and protested.
● Jackson felt that a new group of employees would be good
for democracy.