Andrew Jackson Dbq Analysis

The Jacksonian Period of American History marked a substantial turning point for the American ¨common man.¨ Andrew Jackson was a powerful President of the people and under him, many governmental policies were enacted; from implications of male suffrage, to the opening of new American lands, two scenarios of which would have a profound effect in later years. While Jackson drastically changed American policies for the better, he also had much opposition and unaddressed holes within his presidency. But first, Jackson was truly a champion of the common people. In many ways, most of his actions during his presidency stemmed from the desire to please the citizens of his country. An example is the veto of the Bank of the United States (Doc 2), which highlights Jackson´s undying devotion to the people. Jackson fully understood ¨that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes,¨ and that the Bank would only increase the power of the wealthy. Andrew Jackson did not want a country ruled by the wealthy elite and he knew that …show more content…
Prior to Jackson, only wealthy white property owners could take part in the political process. That changed with the new president, for he abolished many property requirements for the voting process and increased the percentage of voters to 80% of adult males around the end of his presidency (Doc 5). Jackson also was a strong believer in the Spoils System. In fact, he opened many governmental positions to a wider range of people because of his belief that ¨In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people, no one man has any more intrinsic right to official station than another (Doc 6).¨ Jackson´s view of the common people was truly innovative as it allowed more people to become involved in politics, and in doing so, spurred democracy throughout