Jacksonian Era Research Paper

The Jacksonian period which spanned from 1824-1848, was named after President and war hero Andrew Jackson. The founder of the Democratic Jacksonian movement and of the Democratic Party established on equality for the common man. Jackson embraced Democratic Republican ideas by being in favor of supporting agrarian interest, keeping the government’s power limited, and opposition of the national bank. Jackson made his plans evident and made sure they were upheld to his standards. Though his standards were high and often caused friction with people of differing opinions such as the Whigs. This period upheld it’s characterization as the era of the common man by making economic and political developments which benefited the common man which at this …show more content…
Jackson’s popularity began after the he fought and won the last battle of the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans. In 1824 he was one of the four candidates in the presidential election, getting the plurality of electoral votes he was a shoo-in for president. But was beaten by John Quincy Adams, because of the corrupt bargain in which the other two candidates gave Adams control of each their three states. The corrupt bargain upset supporters of Jackson and caused them to distinctly separate themselves into a separate political party called Democrats (Class Notes). Jackson’s support came from a westerns, southern farmers and, eastern mechanics. Jackson was later elected as president in 1828, with his election began the era the “common man”. The common man was represented by white men, excluding women, slaves and Native Americans. After 1828, “politicians were coming to see that parties mobilized and delivered voters, sharpened candidate’s differences, and created party loyalty that surpassed loyalty to individual candidates and elections (Roark 284). That idea was proved true by a comparison of the percentages of voters in 1824 versus 1828, which was 27% to 78% (Class Notes). Jackson’s radical ideas and actions also cause a political party to develop in direct opposition for him, the party is known as the Whigs. These ideas that kept the two parties from …show more content…
When he entered office in 1828 he planned to correct all that Adams had done wrong. He started with using the spoils system to elect loyalist as his cabinet members, none which came from Massachusetts or Virginia (Class Notes). He led a political shift from the eastern seaboard to the west. “Demanding a simple, frugal, and nonintrusive government” (Encyclopedia). Showing his political power by getting rid of the Native American population known as the Indian Removal act of 1830. The act “directed the mandatory relocation of eastern tribes to territory west of the Mississippi” (Roark 285). The removal act opened up 100 acres for settlement for the common man but also caused controversy. Though it was giving more men the right to become land owners. The removal ignited women’s compassion causing them petition on assimilated Native Americans behalf (Roark, 287). Which really had no effect because they were not acknowledged as people with any real rights. The Indian Removal act was followed up by the 1838 Trail of Tears prompted by Jackson’s successor MartinVan Buren (1837-184)1 “a militarily enforced relocation of approximately 15,000 Cherokee Indians. More than 4,000 Indians died of disease, starvation, exposure, and similar deprivations during the relocation” (Harris, 2). The brutal treatment of Native Americans was a large component of Jacksonian political plan. The

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