Jacksonian Era

I don't agree with the Jacksonian's view of themselves for many reasons. Andrew Jackson was not a good president and he had many radical views. He was not open to compromising or to listening to anyone but himself.

Document A mentions "All men are created equal" yet Jackson believed the only good Indian was a dead Indian and pushed them out of Georgia right to Oklahoma. Many Indians lost their lives on the Trail of Tears, this sure seems unconstitutional. The picture in Document G shows how miserable all of the Indian people were.

Jackson's veto message in Document B tries to say the current National Bank was unconstitutional but the rich were the biggest contributors to the bank so why should they not have the bigger say? Like Webster says in Document C, why should the poor be turned against the rich? You cannot simply judge someone by his class. There was good and bad everywhere.

Document D makes the states sound too good to be true. It was a time, however, where everyone was becoming independent and having a bigger role in society. Harriet is right in saying "whether the people should be encouraged to govern themselves, or the wise should save them from themselves" During the same decade of Document D being written, the Irish versus American riots mentioned in Document E really showed how barbaric the citizens could be. An 1834 Riot in Philadelphia left several police officers wounded.

Document F are laws that should have never been passed. The freedom of press right is definitely being violated by South Carolina not allowing any abolitionist papers to be published or distributed in their state. If Jacksonians were true guardians of the Constitution they would never stand for that. As understood by background Jackson knowledge and these documents, the Jacksonian's view of themselves is not a very accurate one.