Posted: January 2nd, 2024

Jacksonian Era. The “Democracy in America” historical readings

This week, you have examined the Jacksonian Era. The “Democracy in America” historical readings for this week demonstrated the spread of democratic ideals in many segments of American society. Drawing evidence from the historical readings for this week, compose an initial post based on the following thesis. Be sure to use the discussion guidelines/requirements posted in Week 2. Make sure to include a bibliography with your post.

During the Jacksonian Era, Americans had an optimistic view of humankind and American society

During the Jacksonian Era of the 1820s-1840s, many Americans held an optimistic view of human nature and the potential for continued progress and improvement in American society. This optimism was fueled by several key developments during this period.
First, the rapid expansion and settlement of new lands in the West gave Americans a sense of unlimited opportunities and resources. As Frederick Jackson Turner argued in his 1893 essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” the ever-present frontier allowed social problems to be solved by moving further west (Turner, 1893). The availability of free or cheap land gave hope that any American could acquire property and rise economically through hard work and perseverance on the frontier.
Second, the rise of Jacksonian democracy and expansion of suffrage to nearly all white men led many Americans to believe that democratic government could represent the interests and aspirations of the common people (Remini, 1984). The overthrow of the elites who dominated the First Party System gave credibility to the idea that ordinary citizens, not entrenched interests, could shape the direction of the nation. Faith in the democratic process was high.
Third, the rapid economic growth and modernization of the period, driven by expansion, transportation improvements, and early industrialization, nourished the view that America was on an inevitable path of progress (Hofstadter, 1955). Canals, roads, steamboats, and new technologies like the cotton gin seemed to confirm that free market capitalism and technological innovation would continuously raise living standards.
However, not all Americans shared this rosy outlook. The removal of Native Americans, spread of slavery into new states, and emergence of class conflicts with the growth of wage labor also revealed tensions and limitations in American society that would eventually challenge the optimistic assumptions of the Jacksonian Era. But for many citizens in the 1820s-1840s, the opportunities and changes of the period reinforced a broadly hopeful view of human nature and the prospects for continued improvement in America.
Works Cited
Hofstadter, Richard. The Age of Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R. New York: Knopf, 1955.
Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845. New York: Harper & Row, 1984.
Turner, Frederick Jackson. “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1893. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1894.