Ex. 6 articles

My article -
Morgan Mullen
11/23/08
Period 3

DBQ

Jacksonian Democrats guarded political democracy and equality of economic opportunity, but failed to defend the United States Constitution and individual liberty. Andrew Jackson was a frontier aristocrat who owned slaves, cultivated a large amount of land and lived in a mansion. The only thing he shared with the common masses was their prejudices on federal government and democracy. Jackson is known for his violent temper which allows him to overcome the Supreme Court and U.S. constitution.

Andrew Jackson was the common man’s hero who was known as “Old Hickory” who was the first president without a college education since Washington. In “The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence” George Henry Evans states that the working class must “reform the abuses” of an oppressive and degrading government and “provide new guards for their security” (Doc. A). Jacksonians were suspicions of federal government and believed the people should run themselves. Jackson introduced the spoil system getting rid of and preventing an aristocratic, bureaucratic office holding class. The spoils system took those in office that have been there since the defeat of the Federalist in 1800 and replaced them with those from a common class allowing the people to govern themselves. A British author, Harriet Martineau, reported that while in America “witnessed the controversies between candidates for office on some difficult subjects, of which the people were to be the judges” (Doc. D). The Jacksonian way of political democracy is having the people be the judge.

Equality of economic opportunity was protected by Jackson with the veto of the bill to renew the Bank of the United States. In Jackson’s veto message he explains that the Bank of the United States “enjoys an exclusive privilege of banking” and controls “almost a monopoly of the foreign and domestic exchange”. The Bank of the United States gave private bankers considerable power over the nation’s economy. Jackson, who distrusted monopolistic banking, “regretted that the rich and powerful to often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes” (Doc. B). One of three new Chief Justices appointed by Jackson, Roger B. Taney, spoke against monopolies in the Supreme Court case of Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge. Taney stated “the rights of private property are sacredly guarded, we must, that the community, also have rights” (Doc. H). The Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge case promoted competition and fought monopoly.

Andrew defied the Supreme Court and violated the first amendment of the Constitution. Document G depicts the Cherokee Indians move westward also known as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokees worked to assimilate into white society but Georgia declared their council illegal and asserted jurisdiction over them. Cherokees appealed to the Supreme Court, who supported them, but Jackson wanted Indian land and refused to recognize and failed to uphold the Supreme Court decision, which resulted in the Trail of Tears. Jackson declared the Bank of the United States unconstitutional although earlier the Supreme Court declared it constitutional in the McCulloch v. Maryland case. In reply to the veto Daniel Webster stated that Jackson’s “message extends the grasp of the executive pretension over every power of government” (Doc. C). Jackson regarded the executive branch as superior to the judicial and continually overlooked the decisions of the Supreme Court. Jackson also failed to uphold the first amendment which protects the freedom of speech, press, association and assembly. In 1835 the legislature of South Carolina resolved that it would punishable by law that published documents with intent to excite slaves in southern states and cause revolt be printed and distributed, also known as abolitionist papers (Doc. F). Andrew was aware of the limit put on press and did nothing to stop it.

Andrew Jackson supported individual liberty for the white man and left nothing to blacks, immigrants, Indians, and slaves. Philip Hone, a New York City businessman witnessed riots between Irish and Americans and another between blacks and whites. Philip stated that there was “hostility to the blacks and an indiscriminate prosecution of all whose skin were darker than those of their enlightened citizens” (Doc. E). The blacks were free and although the immigrants were Irish they were the lowest class they had no liberty or protection from discrimination. The Indian’s land was taken and abolitionist papers made as illegal the Indians and slaves had no liberty. Andrew protected the white man’s liberty and wrongfully turned away from immigrants and racial groups.

Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonians believed strongly in economic equality and political democracy. Jackson fought against monopoly to protect the common man. Political democracy was a big issue to Jackson and was in forced through the spoils system and state governments. Jackson however protected only the individual liberty of whites while taking land from Indians and allowing immigrants, blacks, and slaves to be mistreated. The constitution was not defended by Jacksonians and Jackson acted as the ultimate power of government as president.

New York Times - http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/12/08/081208sh_shouts_allen