Jacksonian Era Dbq Analysis

Some might argue that the Jacksonian Period during 1824 to 1841 was a huge turning point in America’s history. Jackson represented the “common man” and grew up without much wealth and had limited education; he empathized for those who couldn’t obtain full rights in America and tried to change America to a more democratic nation. This is, to some extent, very true. The Jacksonian Period did show many elements of a democratic society, and Jackson, during his term as president, consistently stressed the importance of individual's rights, but that being said, it was to some extent. To some extent, Jackson used his powers and abused them. One of the most prominent changes that Jackson imposed during his presidency is the expansion of voting rights …show more content…
One, in particular, happens to be his decision to veto the bill rechartering the national bank. Jackson argued that the bank was unconstitutional and gave too much power to congress, “It is to be regretted,” he said, “that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes” (Doc 2); therefore he distributed the funds to individual state banks and made it more fair for the common man. However, this settlement, along with the Species Circular, also enacted by Jackson, progressed the nation to the panic of 1837. This was a financial crisis, corrupting the economy, the state banks, and businesses that eventually lead the nation to major depression. “...since the adoption of the Constitution, a bank has existed under the authority of the federal government… during which time public and private credit have been maintained at an elevation fully equal to what has existed in any nation in the world; whereas, in the two short intervals during which no national bank existed, public and private credit were greatly impaired and….the fiscal operations of the government were almost entirely arrested” (Doc