Andrew Jackson Dbq Essay

President Andrew Jackson was an influential, “common man” of the people. And though Jackson’s opponents, the National Republicans and the Whig party, have accused him of being despotic through his use of vetoes, expansion of presidential power, and neglect of constitution, it was clear to Jackson and the public that he had merely sought to follow the will of the people. Therefore his presidency had, indeed, reflected an era of democracy. President Jackson himself was a symbol of democracy of the Egalitarian Age. This is clear in his election in 1828. During the three elections that had preceded before his, presidential electors were chosen almost exclusively by this legislature, which was mainly controlled by the wealthy elite. Document A/1 indicates a gradual change when the power of legislature is slowly being shared with the more lower classes of society. The fact that Jackson’s election was primarily done by majority of the people themselves, the movement toward a democracy was virtually complete. His

Jackson’s opponents have often labeled him as King Andrew the first, arguing that he had repeatedly disregarded the separation of powers and had overstepped the constitution (Document E/3). This was especially true when Jackson had vetoed the renewal of the Second Bank of the United states. Because all previous vetoes lied on the question of constitutionality, his critics believed that Jackson had dismissed the bill solely because he personally found it damaging to the nation. But in the eyes of Jackson, his attack was justifiable because the national bank was a private institution, gave an extensive amount of power in the hands of few elites over the poorer lower classes of farmers and laborers. As a democratic leader, Jackson showed that he had wanted to do what would best benefit the non-native, American people and put the them as his first