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Jacksonian Democracy Dbq

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The ratification of the Constitution in 1787 brought forth many changes in everyday life for many of the citizens. The Constitution and even more famously, the “Bill of Rights” was one of the most influential and somewhat disputed pieces of the government during these times. Furthermore, these disputes are the key reason of political change, governmental parties, and even social change during this time period and beyond. George Washington was elected president without debate or political status, he was unanimously chosen to run the country and continue the democracy. This obviously caused some controversy seeing as how many people didn’t want the country falling into another tyranny, so many people started to trust the government less. The …show more content…

Supporters of Andrew Jackson, winner of the 1828 election, began to call themselves Democrats. This Democratic Party wanted small government and opposed trade protection, paper money, and national banks. With Jackson behind the party, the amount of middle class supporters grew. He focused on being the common man’s politician and most importantly, this sparked social and economic changes during these times. The Jacksonians wanted elected judges and in national terms they preferred geographic growth, justifying it as Manifest Destiny. Jacksonian Democracy stretches the previous perception of democracy as far as it could and still continue to be effective. This democratic system inspired much of the dynamic and dramatic events of the nineteenth centaury in America’s history. Furthermore, they believed that Patronage, rotating political appointees in and out of office, was great because it would encourage political involvement by the common man and it would hold politicians more responsible for poor government service. However, these ideas often led to the hiring of incompetent and often corrupt officials because of their emphasis on party loyalty beyond any other qualification. Next is the political party under John Quincy Adams, called the National Republican Party. These supporters wanted a strong central government that would boost internal improvements and increase commerce. Most important, the party focused on binding the various interests of the different states together, they intended to encourage national agreement and harmony. Ultimately, The National Republicans never became a powerful force. Their power and support was largely cramped into New England and small areas of support spread throughout the nation. The party was sustained only when Daniel Webster lent his sizeable political abilities to the movement in 1831. The election of 1832 was the last straw for the

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