To what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians' view of themselves as guardians of the United States Constitution?

With the election of 1824 came the birth of a new political party- the Democrats. The party's main focus was claimed to be based on the benefits of the common male, (although was clearly interested in the benefits of only the white male population) and maintaining the iron hand of the capital authority and the federal government. They also claimed to be protectors of the United States Constitution. This assumption, however, is arguable. The Jacksonian Democrats were protectors of the constitution only regarding political democracy and economic opportunity but not, however, regarding individual liberties. The Jacksonian Democrats protected political democracy by establishing the ideal of a perpetual union; they protected the economic opportunity among citizens by attempting to destroy the United States National Bank in the Bank War but they did not defent individual liberties because they abused the rights of Native Americans. The democratic party claimed and seemed to have good intentions, and most of them followed through, but their promises also fell short in many ways.

President Jackson spent most of his life defending the nation as a whole. When Calhoun presented the Theory of Nullification Jackson was quick to reject it on grounds of the perpetual union ideal. With South Carolina threatening to secede due to Calhouns theory Jackson was also quick to, not only reinforce his presidential power, but to aslo help settle South Carolina's problems. He rejected the Nullification Theory by claiming that there was absolutly no right to sucession in the constitution. However, Jackson also worked with Calhoun to lower the tariffs that were plaging South Carolina. With the Compromise of 1833 came the end of the South Carolina Crisis. Then in 1835 South Carolina established the Acts and Resolutions of South Carolina, to make the end of this dispute official.

As stated, it is no secret that the Jacksonian Democrats had good intentions involving the protection of the Constitution. Their stance on political opportunity was one good intention that this party defended well. Jackson vetoed the National Bank because he viewed the bank as a monolopy- a good portion of the banks stocks were helped by foreigners and the upper class. This obviously proved the great inequality that the bank was causing. If most of the stocks were held by the right and people of varying countries then how could anyone else possibly have a chance to prosper? They wouldn't because the rich were to powerful and greedy to let others prosper. Jackson tried to end this by vetoing the bank. Because of this many other common citizens were allowed an equal economic opportunity. This helped rid the country of a good portion of its poverty and gave the United States the outward impression of the land of opportunity, where all can seek prosparity and equal opportunities. This was exactly what Jackson hoped to accomplish.

While the Jacksonian democrats may have defended political democracy and economic opportunity, they failed to truly defend individual liberty. Apparently this party only had white males in mind with this promise because the Native Americans were left, not forgotten, but totally opressed during the democrats rein in the government. In 1830 the push for Native American removel in the south began. The Cherokee's tried to resist by taking Georgia to the Supreme Court and John Marshall ruled in the Cherokees favor. However, Jackson being the protector of the federal government's authority, rejected this ruling and still pushed to remove the Native Americans. With this the Native Americans embarked on the Trail of Tears, which forced them to migrate to Oklahoma. Jackson did this to open up land opportunities for white males, not to benefit the Native Americans. This stepped on their individual liberties by taking what was rightfully theirs and forcing them out of their territories.

Of course the Jacksonian democrats had good intentions but like many good intentions some succeeded and some failed. The Jacksonian democrats were only guardians of the United States Constitution involving political democracy because of Jackon's perpetual Union ideal, and regarding economic opportunity based on the Bank War. However, they fell short in protecting individual liberties because they failed to protect the Native American's individual liberties.