Essay On Andrew Jackson's Participation In Political Parties Prior To The 1820

Prior to the 1820s, there was a limited number of Americans that were permitted to vote. There were voting requirements implemented in most states that allowed only white males who were property owners or taxpayers, which limited the number of white males from the voting polls. However, before Jackson’s election, there was an expansion to the voting requirements. Most states adopted constitutions that guaranteed all adult white males the right to vote and allowed all voters the right to run for public office. According to Document A, it clearly shows the impact of expanding voting rights to all white males. For an example, In 1812 the percent of eligible voter participation was not known, but in 1828, which was the year of Jackson’s election,

For the next upcoming election, Jackson was elected as president, which could also account for the increase in voter participation. In the 1830s the introduction of the penny press played a major role in political campaigning. Since penny press newspaper was cheap and it was mass produced it was able to carry news of presidential candidates to a larger audience throughout the nation. According to Document G, it shows that prior to the 1830s in the year 1810 there were only 376 different newspapers published, but in 1835 there were 1,200 different newspapers published, which is a significant increase due to the penny press. In addition, an increase of newspapers allowed for the increase of literacy rates, interest in news and politics because voters were able to receive information about candidates running for office, which prompt many voters to be involved in elections. Many journalists had the right to freedom of speech from the First Amendment, which allowed them to post propaganda posters and editorials in the newspaper. This was mainly used in campaigns such as the log cabin campaign for William Henry