Summary
Highlights
The expansion of the franchise (right to vote) during 1800-1848 was primarily driven by two factors. First, the Panic of 1819, an economic depression caused by irresponsible practices of the Second Bank of the United States, led to widespread hardship among unpropertied Americans who couldn't vote to hold their representatives accountable. This sparked a movement to remove property qualifications for voting. Second, western states, seeking to attract settlers, already embraced universal white male suffrage, setting a democratic pattern that influenced eastern states.
Dorr's Rebellion in Rhode Island illustrates the intense desire for expanded voting rights. Rhode Island, still using its colonial charter, restricted voting to propertied men. In 1841, proponents of expanded suffrage, led by Thomas Dorr, drafted a new constitution advocating universal white male suffrage and elected Dorr as governor. President John Tyler declared this illegal and sent federal troops. While the rebellion fizzled, it highlighted the deep passions surrounding voting rights. Rhode Island eventually ratified a new constitution in 1842, expanding suffrage but still retaining some property requirements for black men.
Despite the expansion, many Americans remained excluded from the franchise. Women were generally not included due to the belief they were dependent on men. For the most part, black men were also excluded due to fears of interracial marriage and black political power, even in the North where free black populations were significant. States retained considerable power to limit voting rights.
The expansion of democracy significantly impacted political parties, forcing them to appeal to a broader electorate. The Federalist Party had died out after opposing the War of 1812. By 1824, the Democratic-Republican Party was fractured, leading to four presidential candidates: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Jackson, appealing directly to the common man and leveraging his war hero status, won both the popular and electoral college votes, partly due to the Three-Fifths Compromise. However, he didn't secure a majority of electoral votes.
Since no candidate won an electoral majority in 1824, the House of Representatives decided the presidency. Henry Clay, then Speaker of the House, swayed his supporters to Adams, who won despite Jackson's lead in votes. Adams then appointed Clay as Secretary of State, leading Jackson and his supporters to cry 'corrupt bargain.' This fueled Jackson's campaign for the next election. In the 1828 rematch between Adams and Jackson, the Democratic-Republican Party formally split into the Democrats (led by Jackson) and the National Republicans (led by Adams and later Clay). Jackson's direct appeal to the masses and his 'Old Hickory' persona resonated with the expanded electorate of common men, leading to his victory and presidency. This marked a shift in national politics, especially with the first president not from Virginia or Massachusetts.