Brittany December 19,2013
DBQ Essay Schneider
Andrew Jackson: A True Democrat
Andrew Jackson was one of the world’s most favorited presidents of his time. Many believe he created a true democracy, where the national government listened and followed the wishes of the People. In my point of view I believe Jackson was what we call a “true democratic” and moved the country towards democracy. However in certain cases it is reasonable to argue that Jackson did not always go with what the People wanted.
In order for any president to be a true democratic the support of the People would be greatly needed. In Document 2 the speaker talks of the election of 1828. During this election Jefferson urged that the people of the United States ideas be heard. The citizens found Jackson to be the savior of the country from “some dreadful danger”. He transferred the power of the nation from the country house to the farmhouse from the East to West and from the rich to the poor. Due to Jacksons support of the ordinary person, the Jacksonians payed back the favor by allowing him to win the election.
The Bank of the United States during this time played a key role in the government. It had both negative and positive effects to the citizens of America. In Document 4 the reasons Jackson vetoed the Bank are made present. For starters foreign peoples held one fourth of the banks stock and the other three fourths were held by the few hundred elite citizens of the upper class. Jackson found this to be quite undemocratic and stated it would flow too much concentration of power in the hands of a few wealthy men and not the average American folk. He also believed that the rich and powered were oftenly easily able to bend the acts of the government for their own special perks.
A third document to support how Jackson was a true democrat is presented in Document 6. In this passage Jackson brings forward the issue of the amount of years each public officer should hold in...