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Jacksonian Democarts

Jackson and his supporters offered a distinct alternative to the strong national government Adams had advocated. They and their party, the Democratic-Republicans (shortened to Democrats), represented a wide range of beliefs but shared some common ideals. Fundamentally, they sought to harken back to the belief that a strong central government was the enemy of individual liberty, a tyranny to be feared. Thus, like Jefferson they favored limited government and emphasized state sovereignty. Jacksonians were as fearful as the concentration in the economic power as they were of political power.   Their concept of the proper role of government tended to be negative, and Jackson’s political power was largely expressed in negative acts; he used the veto more than all previous presidents combined. Thus, Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty and equality of economic opportunity. Sometimes Jackson himself and his party would stray away from his ideas; thus questioning the true concepts of the Jacksonian Democrats.
    Jackson stayed true to his beliefs for the most part. According to George Henry Evan’s (a Jacksonian Democrat) writing, “The Working Men’s Declaration of Independence”, he illustrates how the Government if committing or encroaching too much of its power; the people should try, “To reform the abuses of that government and strive to provide new guards for their future security.” In other words the people being governed should not allow for their Government to gain too much political power and use it against the people, but halt that tyrannical doing by changing it through peaceful means; indicating how Jacksonians Democrats always where against the Federal Government having too much power and protecting the Constitution, individual liberties, and political democracy. In Andrew Jackson’s Veto message an act regarding the Bank of the United States. Which was submitted to...