Summary
Highlights
The video introduces the Age of Jackson as a period of rising democratization in the U.S. Initially, only white male landowners could vote, but between 1820 and 1850, state legislatures lowered or eliminated property qualifications, significantly expanding the electorate for white men. This shift was partly influenced by the Market Revolution, which made the exclusion of wage workers seem outdated, although women and non-white individuals remained disenfranchised. Andrew Jackson's election in 1829 coincided with these changes, making him a symbol of this new, broader democracy.
Following the War of 1812 and the collapse of the Federalist Party, the U.S. entered the "Era of Good Feelings," characterized by a general agreement on domestic policies. This era saw the implementation of the American System, proposed by John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay, which included federally financed infrastructure, protective tariffs, and the creation of the Second Bank of the United States. Nationalism also extended to foreign policy with the Monroe Doctrine. However, disagreements arose over federal investment in infrastructure, issues with the Second Bank, and the perennial problem of slavery, particularly highlighted by the Missouri Compromise.
The issue of slavery resurfaced with Missouri's bid for statehood in 1819. A proposal to prohibit further slave importation into Missouri sparked a major conflict. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance, and established the 36°30′ parallel as the boundary for future slave states (with Missouri as an exception). Thomas Jefferson viewed this compromise as a warning of future conflict, and it ultimately led to the re-emergence of political parties, notably the Democratic Party, championed by Martin Van Buren.
Martin Van Buren, known as the "Little Magician," played a crucial role in forming the Democratic Party, recognizing the benefit of national political parties. The presidential campaigns of this era, particularly after 1828, embraced nicknames to appeal to the newly enfranchised common man. Andrew Jackson, or "Old Hickory," exemplified this with his self-made image. After a controversial election in 1824 and a subsequent "corrupt bargain," Jackson waged a more aggressive campaign in 1828, winning the presidency as the champion of the common man. His policies defined the new Democratic party, appealing to lower to middle-class farmers suspicious of bankers and merchants.
Jackson's presidency led to the formation of a new political party, the Whigs, who opposed what they saw as Jackson's executive overreach, likening him to a monarch ("King Andrew"). The Whigs supported the American System (tariffs, infrastructure, a national bank) and promoted moral character. Jackson's policies included the Nullification Crisis, where South Carolina threatened to nullify a federal tariff, leading Jackson to pass the Force Act. He also strongly supported the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the forced relocation of Native American tribes on the Trail of Tears, despite Supreme Court rulings against it.
Jackson's most impactful policy was his war against the Second Bank of the United States. He vetoed the bill to recharter the bank in 1832, viewing it as an instrument of subverting democracy and benefiting the wealthy. By doing so, Jackson expanded presidential power through the veto. After the bank's charter expired in 1836, Jackson ordered federal funds to be deposited into state-chartered "pet banks," many of which were politically connected. These banks printed excessive paper money, leading to rampant inflation and land speculation, ultimately culminating in the Panic of 1837, a severe economic depression lasting until 1843. This disastrous fiscal policy significantly reshaped American politics, leading many business-oriented Democrats to become Whigs, and further aligning the remaining Democrats with agrarian, and implicitly, pro-slavery interests.
The Age of Jackson marked a significant period of democratization in the U.S. and laid the groundwork for modern American politics. Jackson was the first president to substantially expand executive power, arguing that the president was the most democratically elected official. Despite being elected through a more democratic process, he controversially concentrated power in the executive branch. His disastrous fiscal policies, particularly with the bank, made him a problematic figure. However, the era is crucial for understanding the expansion of democracy and the evolution of political parties in American history.