The Jacksonian Period(1824-1840)

The Jacksonian Period proved to be the era of the "common man" in many different aspects. The 1824 presidential election marked the turn in the view of Democrats from tainted to respected. The politicians were now forced to abide by what the masses wanted. Also the right to vote was beginning to from exclusively for property owners, to white male suffrage in general. This demonstrated how politics was moving more into the hands of the everyday people. Democracy went from the view that the people should be governed as little as possible to even the little bit that the people were governed should be done directly by the people. Although this time period marked a shift in politics to lean more towards the needs and desires of the common people, politics did not completely move towards just the common man. This was demonstrated through the election of 1824 in which Jackson received the polular vote, yet he was still defeated by Adams who is believed tohave bargained with Clay, the speaker of the house and later secretary of state. Even though the campaigning was aimed more towards the "common man" the common man's voice is still not what prevailed. The election of 1828 even further illustrated the common man's role in the new emerging Jacksonian democracy. More people were turning out to vote, and were using their right of the ballot to their ends. Overall this election proved the need to satisfy the masses in order to succeed.