Jackson And His Democrats

5 Pages 1269 Words

Jackson and his Democrats



The election of Andrew Jackson to the office of president in 1828 signified the changing dynamic of American politics. From the time of it’s institution in 1787, the United States government has proved again and again its ability to mutate to fit the needs of the times. Just as political factions polarized in the late 18th century, new ones began to develop; which although based in some of the same principles as the original parties, were shaped by the events of the day. One of these new political subdivisions to form contained individuals known as Jacksonian Democrats, led clearly by Andrew Jackson, which professed themselves as champions of the common man, the constitution, and equality. As history will go to show, it is opinion that will determine whether these democrats were in reality the altruistic crusaders of liberty they projected themselves as. The Jacksonian democrats, although attackers of the entrenched wealthy class that seemed to have a stranglehold on the body politic and apparent defenders of the proletariat, were also driven by the bias of personal agendas.
During this point in the colorful timeline that is American History, the most dramatic change in the nature of the government was the perception of political parties. George Washington’s Farewell Address denounced the formation of what he believed to be evil entities that stagnated the democracy that he had worked hard to help create. Rather than being condemned, at this point in history political parties moved out of the spectrum of being an “evil” to something that facilitates democracy and protects the rights of certain groups. The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence [Document A] by George Henry Evans is a demonstration of this changed belief. According to Evans, the function of a political party is to help guard future security of its people. This changing partisan view was capitalized by Jackson i...