Jackson Democrats
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Jacksonian Democrats
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|---|---|
| Historical leaders |
Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren James K. Polk Thomas Hart Benton Stephen A. Douglas |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Dissolved | 1854 |
| Ideology |
Populism Agrarianism Spoils system Manifest destiny |
| National affiliation | Democratic Party |
Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that espoused greater democracy for the common man, as that term was then defined. Originating with President Andrew Jackson and his supporters, it became the nation's dominant political worldview for a generation.
This era, called the Jacksonian Era (or Second Party System) by historians and political scientists, lasted roughly from Jackson's 1828 election as president until slavery became the dominant issue after 1854 and the American Civil War dramatically reshaped American politics. It emerged when the long-dominant Democratic-Republican Party became factionalized during the early-to-mid 1820s. Jackson's supporters began to form what would become the modern Democratic Party and supporters of his political rival, John Quincy Adams, created the National Republican Party, which would later combine with other anti-Jackson elements to form the Whig Party.
Broadly speaking, the era was characterized by a democratic spirit, and built upon Jackson's equal political policy (subsequent to ending what he termed a "monopoly" of government by elites). Even before the Jacksonian era began, suffrage had been extended to a majority of white male adult citizens, a result the Jacksonians celebrated. Jacksonian democracy also promoted the strength of the presidency and executive branch at the expense of Congress, while also seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. The Jacksonians demanded elected (not appointed) judges and rewrote many state constitutions to reflect the new values. In national terms they favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of Manifest Destiny. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided.
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