The Legacy Of The United States - 913 Words

Democracy is the feat on which the united states prides itself. This democracy was built over the ages and over many events through trial and error. By analyzing the history of the Monroe Doctrine, the two elections in which Andrew Jackson was voted a president, the theory of John C. Calhoun, and the Cherokee Nation vs Jackson trail we can arrive at the strengths and shortcomings of the American democracy in the period between 1820 and 1836. After the revolutionary war and the war of 1812 the United States had to enforce their independence and establish themselves as a political entity. This declaration of their political influence came in the form of the Monroe doctrine. A document that was written by President Monroe. The doctrine had†¦show more content†¦The democratic-republican party which ran uncontested in the elections of 1824 had split due to a rift which was created between the ideas of nationalism and sectionalism. On one side Andrew Jackson ran with his â€Å"Jacksonian Democracy† platform and Adams who has now been considered and elitist. However, the expansion of democracy came from the states’ new relaxed voting laws which in Pennsylvania went as far as allowing all adult males, while in other states had a requirement of being a taxpayer like in the case of Tennessee. This is clearly the main factor in the doubling of the voter participation rising from 26.9 to 57.6 percent. At the s ame time states were abolishing appointment and moving into popular vote for many positions like state officials and judges. In fact, South Carolina was the only state in which appointment prevailed by 1832. These two changes also inspired a reform in the political thinking and electioneering bringing a new type of politician on the pedestal: the politician who has good popular appeal, a powerful voice, and great leadership skills. The politician who can rally the people and excite them. During the next elections in 1832 a third part joined in response to a despotic conspiracy which was theorized against the Masonic fraternal order. This party called themselves the Anti-Masonic party, and believed that the masons are puppeteering the government. Their goals and ideas aside, they