The Rise of Mass Politics: Jacksonian Democracy | BRI’s Homework Help Series

0:00 Welcome to Homework Help. Whether you’re studying for the AP US history exam or any other exam that your teacher is inflicting upon you, we’ve got you covered. Today we’re discussing the rise of math politics in the early 1800s. The Democratic Republic at the beginning of our nation’s history was different from the one we see today. Because the Founders believed that only those who owned land to vote, they tied property ownership to suffrage.

0:23 Why was this so? Well, property holders were considered to be more likely to understand public matters not dependent on others, and would vote wisely for a government that would not overtax its citizens. Voting qualifications vary by state, and it is important to note that our nation’s founding in at least five states, free blacks who owned property had the right to vote, though female property owners had the right to vote.

0:45 In New Jersey, from 1776 to 1807. Women were excluded from voting in other states because they were considered to be represented by their husbands or their fathers. Similarly, those who were enslaved had no vote, as they were not seen as citizens. Yet, as the democratic process began to unfold in America, these traditions started to change. After the War of 1812, some states began to drop their property

1:08 requirements for voting, instead of requiring that citizens either had to be a taxpayer or had served in the military in order to be eligible to vote. By the early 1820s, the public demands for expanded vote, their eligibility spread. While it was focused on males only, it was a major step in opening up political involvement all white males throughout the country, and it was rare throughout the world in those days.

1:29 The 1824 election contributed greatly to the rise of mass democracy in the United States. It saw four major presidential candidates as there were no strong factions dominating the political scene. Therefore, no candidate gained the needed 51% of electoral votes to win the presidential election. Andrew Jackson came in with the most at roughly 38% of the electoral votes.

1:50 John Quincy Adams are in 32%, and the other two candidates pulled 30% combined. Since no candidate achieved the majority of the electoral votes, the election was decided according to the 12th Amendment. The House of Representatives selected from among the top three candidates Jackson, Adams and Henry Clay. John Quincy Adams ended up winning

2:11 the presidency, and Jackson and his followers immediately accused the House of a corrupt bargain made between aristocratic elites. While Jackson’s accusation had no basis, it tapped into a deeper resentment against restricted voting rights, as many Americans believed that if the common man had been able to vote, Jackson would have been president. In the period between 1824 and 1828,

2:33 most states responded to the election by dropping their property requirements for voting, opening the way for universal suffrage for free men over the age of 21. In the years following the election of 1824, jackson supporters opened offices around the country to coordinate his campaign message. The new Jacksonian Democrats became the first formal political party and were the first organized political institution

2:55 to promote, recruit and help elect a slate of candidates at all levels of office. These campaign tactics helped spread the idea of popular democracy. Andrew Jackson went on to win the election of 1828 by a landslide. In hindsight, it became clear that the election of 1824 helped create a two party system in the United States.

3:17 The two party system broadened political participation at the time, with two sides equally coordinated in the opposing campaigns. The American public was drawn into each election. By the 1840s, nearly 80% of free adult males voted in each election, and parties responded by more deliberately reaching out to those voters. Unfortunately, at the same time,

3:38 some states began imposing racial restrictions on voting in places where none had previously existed, such as in Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, the massive expansion of democracy impacted almost all Americans in some way. Even though women were ineligible to vote, they participated in politics by engaging in social reform movements such as temperance and abolition politics.

4:00 In the early 1800s were pivotal in creating America’s current system of government and also paving the way for popular social and political movements, including the abolition of slavery and an increased movement towards women’s rights. We hope that you enjoyed the video and make sure to check back next week for more Homework Help.