YES: Arguments that support the view that Jackson did democratise the political system
- He was elected democratically at a time where 10/13 states had removed the old-fashioned 'property voting laws'
- He epitomised contempt for the old Republican elitism with it's hierarchal deference and wariness of popular democracy.
- Ushered in the era of the much more democratic (than politics had previously been) Second Party System in the US, with Democrats and Whigs being the two main opposing political parties. Jackson was very much the catalyst who generated the development of this system; his supporters called themselves Democrats, and his opponents were eventually known as Whigs.
- He was a self-made man from Tennessee, who had grown up in poverty with an erratic education, but had made a name for himself as a successful lawyer, solider, and (slave holding) southern landowner. Thus, Jackson claimed to represent the common man, and was a supporter of individual liberty.
- He aimed to rid the US government of class biases and dismantle the top-down, credit-driven engines of the market revolution.
- The 'Bank War', in Jackson's opinion, was an effort to remove the hands of a few wealthy landowners from the levers of the nation's economy.
- He believed that Native American removal was in the Indians best interests, as they would no longer be cheated by dishonest traders and rapacious land dealers once they had migrated westwards.
NO: Arguments that counter the view that Jackson democratised the political system
- In light of the market revolution, the idea of excluding wage workers from voting seemed very outdated, thus, the defining characteristic of the Jacksonian era was that all white males, rich or poor, whether or not they owned land, could vote. Thus, prior to Jackson's presidency, the 'democratic' US had not really been a true democracy at all.
However, women, slaves, and free blacks - thus, more than 50% of the population - all still could not vote, and would not win the right to for many years. Additionally, it is vital to note that Jackson probably benefitted from, rather than created, the democratic tide. This defining characteristic - the more 'universal' right to vote - of the Jacksonian era ironically had little to do with Jackson himself, because, by the time he was elected as president in 1929, 10/13 states had already removed their property voting requirements; in fact, that is probably the reason he was able to get elected in the first place.
- He was well known for his frequent use of the presidential veto, and often tended to act within his own interests. The Whigs nicknamed him 'King Andrew' and criticised him for acting like a monarch.
- His involvement in the South Carolina Nullification Crisis has been criticised for being undemocratic: http://www.ushistory.org/us/24c.asp
- His involvement in forced native american removal: The notion of relocating Native Americans from the eastern part of the US into lands west of Mississippi had long been envisioned by white politicians. During his presidency, Jackson put a (forced) relocation policy into effect. His attitude to native americans was the typically western one: they were 'better off' out of the way. With Jackson's backing, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in May 1930, resulting in the forced removal and deaths of thousands of native americans: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties
- He was a southern slaveholder.
- His role in 'The Bank War' was arguably undemocratic, as Jackson acted in a dictatorial manner and pursued a policy that led a financial crisis: http://www.history.com/topics/bank-war
- His invention and frequent use of the corrupt 'spoils system' of patronage whereby he federal jobs to his supporters and benefactors, and fired those who he viewed as political opponents: http://history1800s.about.com/od/1800sglossary/g/Spoils-System.htm
I recommend watching this useful video (link below) for a summary of Jackson's presidency:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beN4qE-e5O8&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=14
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