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Andrew Jackson

Guardians of Freedom? The first and truest ideals of democracy were embodied in the political ideas of Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian democrats. Calling themselves the guardians of the United States Constitution, the Jacksonian politicians engendered wide spread liberty under a government which represented all men, rather than only the upper class. While some policies under the democrats had evident flaws, they were, for the most part, eager social reformers who strived to put the power of government into the hands of the common citizens. The convictions and ideals of the Jacksonian Democrats can be best illustrated through a passage written by George Henry Evans. Evans was an editor with strong democratic principles who created "The Working Men's Declaration of Independence" (Doc. A). Within the declaration, Evans stresses the importance of establishing democracy. He uses words and phrases from Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" to clarify his points and stress his convictions. Stating the absolute "necessity of the organization of the party," Evans explains that it will be possible to prevent the upper class from subverting the "indefeasible and fundamental privilege" of liberty. And finally, Evans states that it is the common citizen's right to use every constitutional means necessary to "reform the abuses" and "provide new guards for future security." In doing so, he documented the characteristic attitude of the majority of the country in the 1820's and 1830's. Evans was only one of the many Jacksonian democrats to contribute to the success of the party and to the reforms that they made. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney's opinion in the Supreme Court Case of Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge was a capitalist decision which was a typical response for a Jacksonian democrat (Doc. H). This decision stated that while the Charter of 1785 allowed the Charles River Bridge to be constructed, it did not prohibit any other bridges from being constructed....

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