 Essential
Question:
–How did America progress
towards greater democracy
between 1800 & 1840?
 Essential
Question:
–Examine Alexis de Tocqueville’s
journey through America in the
1830s & read excerpts from his
observations. What did this
French visitor observe about U.S.
society & gov’t in the 1830s?
Alexis de Tocqueville
The Growth of
White Men's Democracy
Growth
of Democracy
Less The
than 50%
of white
men could vote
 From
1824 to 1840, democracy
was extended to more Americans:
This increase in “democracy” was a
–Before
1800,
most
states
limited
major shift from the “virtuous republic”
the right by
to Jefferson
vote exclusively
to
envisioned
& Hamilton
property owners & taxpayers
–By 1840, these restrictions were
removed for most white men
–Nowhere else in the world was
the90%
right
to
vote
as
widespread
of white men could vote
as in the USA
The
of Democracy
ThereGrowth
was a growing
% of
White
males
were
seen
as
equal
Americans
who
owned
no
land
 Bybefore
the 1830s,
a in
“democracy
of
the law &
voting
Rising
industrialization
led
to
a
commoners”
becameinmore
Decreased
requirements
population of low-paid laborers
the licensed
professions
accepted
than
a “republic of
Division
between
commercial
No
clear
domestic
natural
aristocrats”
farmers
&
yeoman
farmers
servant class
–Positions of power became
attainable for “self-made” men
–Americans valued equal
opportunities among white men,
but not necessarily equality
Before 1800, most states
limited the right to vote
exclusively to property
owners & taxpayers
Quick Class Discussion:
Why did this unprecedented
growth in democracy occur?
The Simple Answer:
Westward expansion led to
an increase in democracy
Westward
Jefferson’s
expansion
vision
led
“republicanism”
to all
increased
suffrage
did men
not
By
1840, more
than of
90%
of
adult white
forapply
“common”
in (“universal
the West
men because
in white
the “new
there
states”
were who
no
could
vote
male
suffrage”)
“virtuous
did not qualify
elite” to
in rule
the “older
for thestates”
people
As more western states
extended democracy to
“common men,” political
parties
in eastern
statesoffelt
But…this
extension
suffrage did not
pressure
to do the same
include African-Americans
or women
Universal Manhood Suffrage
 Political
parties developed new
types of politicking in order to
reach “new voters”
–In the 1820s, politicians began
using campaigns, parades,
slogans to appeal to the masses
–Well-organized, statewide
“political machines” developed
–Party loyalty became expected
–Partisan newspapers boomed
Universal Manhood Suffrage
Partisan newspapers played an important
role in early
American
Could
“mob politics
rule” really
work in America?
Universal Manhood Suffrage
 The
1830s & 1840s experienced:
–Massive voter turnout due to the
growth of suffrage & increased
organization of political parties
–Direct methods of selecting
presidential electors, county
officials, state judges, &
governors (replaced indirect
methods by state legislatures)
What is voter turnout like today?
Democratic Culture
 In the 1830s, high literacy & cheap
printing allowed artists & writers
to work for a “mass” audience:
–Popular genres include
romanticism, gothic horror, &
landscape paintings
–Authors included Wadsworth,
Emerson, Melville, Hawthorne,
Whitman, Poe; showed human
nature, morality, romanticism
Kindred
Spirits, by
Asher Durand
Politics:
The Elections of
1824 & 1828
John Quincy Adams video
Sec The
of State
Secof
of 1824
Treasury
Election
under Monroe
under Monroe
 The
election of 1824 was a 4-way
race among Dem-Republicans:
–John Quincy Adams
represented New England
–William Crawford represented
the South
–Henry Clay & Andrew Jackson
represented
the
West
Speaker of the Not taken seriously at first;
 Jackson
votemade
but
butthe
“warpopular
hero” status
House;
author ofwon
Jackson
a nat’l candidate
American
not System
a majority
of electoral
votes
But, because no one candidate received 51%
JQ
Adams
won
NE
Adams
won
when
of the electoral votes, theLed
House
of Repsthat
had
to charges
Henry
threw
toClay
determine
the
Adams hadwinner
"bought"
Crawford
won
VAhis
butpresidential
support
him
few
other behind
Southern
states the presidency
(Corrupt Bargain!!)
Clay’s influence
was limited to a few
western states
Jackson did well in
the South & the West
J. Q. Adams' Administration
 Adams
had a difficult presidency:
Onewanted
exception:
–JQ Adams
to continue
the National Road
the nationalist programs of the
“Era of Good Feelings”
–The depression of 1819 limited
the nationalist agenda & few of
Adams’ policies became law
–A protective tariff was passed to
help farmers & industry, but this
angered the South
Jackson Comes to Power
 “Jacksonians”
prepared for the
“Democrats”
distinguished
themselves
election of
1828 by creating
a as
different
from
the
“Nationalist
Republicans”
well-organized, national campaign
who has strayed from the Jeffersonian ideal
– Jackson (TN) formed a coalition
But, these “Jacksonian Democrats” are not
Adams’
VP Calhoun
(SC),
going towith
mirror
the “Jeffersonian
Republicans”
Van Buren (NY), & 2 newspaper
editors (KY) to rival JQ Adams
– Formed the basis of 1st modern
political party, calling themselves
the “Democrats”
Jackson Comes to Power
Democrats
presented
Democrats
 The election
of 1828 changed
Jackson
as
“Old
Hickory,”
painted
Adams
American
politics:
uneducated, a hero, a dueler
as an out-of& a–man
of the people
touch aristocrat
Showed
the effectiveness
of
political parties in elections
– It was the 1st election with overt
mudslinging & propaganda
– Exciting appeals to average the
(public
rallies & barbeques)
“Ms.man
Jackson
is a bigamist”
&Jackson
“Ms. Adams
is athe
bastard”

won
election as a
“common man of the people”
Jackson’s
& rowdy
inauguration
Who wild
is Andrew
Jackson?
Jackson Comes to Power
 Jackson
was a popular candidate
but it was not clear what type of
president Jackson would be:
–Jackson’s supporters wanted
states’ rights & limited gov’t
–During the campaign, Jackson
never clarified his stand on
major issues: banks, tariffs, etc.
–Only stood for Indian removal
Conclusions
 In
the 1820s & 1830s, America
became more democratic:
–Westward expansion facilitated
the expansion of suffrage for
common white men
–Led to unprecedented voter
participation by citizens
–Allowed for a new breed of
“common man” politicians to
come to power
 Review
Questions:
–What did the term common man
mean in the early 19th century?
–In what ways were Presidents
Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
Madison, & Monroe different
from the “common man”?