Jacksonian Democrats are often viewed as prompting political democracy, equal opportunity, and personal liberty. Based on your knowledge of the 1820s, to what extent do you agree with this view?
When Jackson took office in 1829 he led, with pride, a new band of politicians. These politicians, the Jacksonian Democrats, had not been born into aristocracy, but instead, had worked and earned their own positions. Jacksonian Democrats are often viewed as prompting political democracy, equal opportunity, and personal liberty, while in fact, these seeds had already been planted in Americans, and the Jacksonian Democrats had only just come to power when they were in full bloom. These ideas actually originated during the 1820s as new states emerged and new state constitutions were written, thus expanding suffrage, opportunity, and hope.
Between 1816 and 1821 six new states had been added to the union, five of which were to the west.
In order for these new states to be able to distinguish themselves they needed people to populate them, therefore increasing their value. In order to encourage this necessary migration the new states wove new privileges into their constitutions, expanding suffrage and opportunities for the common white man. In these new constitutions there were no limits of property owning upon voting. Eastern states were then pressured to follow suit. They needed their residents to stay as much as the new states needed them to leave. Gradually they changed to allow for the same freedoms as the West, and most white men were given suffrage.
Trodding hand in hand with suffrage was the right to hold office. Prior to 1820 only rich aristocrats, owning a considerable amount of land, were permitted to do so. Again, the new states introduced a new concept, this time that every voter has the ability to run...