The birth of the United States, like many, was a difficult one. This land was where the founding fathers wanted to set roots and create a life of freedom for themselves and others. Most people think that when the Constitution was created in 1787 the United States was all about freedom, that “all men are created equal.” Unfortunately, that was not the case. During this time, unfreedom was prominent in early American culture during Andrew Jackson’s presidency from 1827 to 1837. Jacksonian Society was a time of physical growth for the country but also a time of closed-mindedness. People had little liberty to do what they wanted, and life was filled with suppression, sexism and racism.
The Jacksonian era was one with a lot of change. When people go through large changes rapidly it can make them more vulnerable and cause them to make poor decisions. The people's choice to elect Andrew Jackson seemed like a good one at the time because of the way he branded himself. However, he was not the best man to run the United States during this pivotal moment in history. Jackson came from the newly founded Democrat party, which was very similar to the Anti-Federalists. Both of these parties were against expansion, but were all in favor of white male privilege. The fact that Jackson was something new, yet had old-fashioned values was a selling point to the citizens. It is not all Andrew Jackson’s fault that he made so many groups unhappy. He was elected during a time when democracy was becoming wildly popular among the masses. It soon became difficult for politicians to please everyone because more groups of people were coming together with varying opinions on everything from taxes to slavery.
President Jackson was very different compared to the presidents before him. He was the first Democrat president and represented the “common man.” However, this did not stop him from making bold executive decisions that ultimately suppressed the common folk of early America that he was supposed to represent. One of the rashest orders of power that Jackson made was the one regarding the Nullification Crisis of 1832. He believed the United States was “one people in the choice of President and Vice-President.” This was his response to Southern states, like South Carolina, that did not want tariffs. South Carolina believed that they were working too hard to make the raw goods and that the tariffs were hindering potential profits they could potentially be making. Ironically, John Calhoun, Jackson’s vice president, was against the tariff decision on South Carolina. Calhoun actually went to South Carolina to fight for their succession and quit his position. Jackson also made an overly controlling choice by creating the “Force Bill” in response to states feeling so powerful. This meant that if any state denied the federal law, the military would then be sent in to invade that state. The “Force Bill” is a perfect example of how he became overly controlling as president. He was afraid of the state actually succeeding and acted out because he was most likely afraid. Jackson’s drastic measures limited the freedom of the growing United States and instilled fear into many.
Another form of unfreedom in Jacksonian society was the inequality of gender roles. America was industrializing and growing during Jackson’s presidency. However, the lives of women in America during this time were depressing. They were very limited in the way they got to choose to live their life. Many were forced to work at home by teaching or spinning clothes. The men were able to separate their work life, while the line that separated work and home for women became blurred. Women lived a life of difficult contradictions where they could never please everyone. They were idealized yet rejected by men -- the object of yearning, and of scorn. The lifestyle of having to be a part of the workforce but not being fully accepted by society enough to do it was a result of home as a workplace. Society during this time could have been drastically different if President Jackson had stopped worrying about the white man and looked at the other half of the population. The fact that women were so unhappy and lived such a busy life filled with constant oppression due to the societal norms for so many years shows that Jackson did not think women's suffrage was important. Women at this time were also overworked and felt immense pressure to provide for their family. In addition to raising children, some women would teach during the day and then make clothes in the evening. This was essentially working three jobs that would all happen at home. Jackson did not do much to help women; instead he probably thought he was doing something right by allowing them to even be somewhat functioning members of society even though they were not even allowed to vote. It would take a long time before someone could say that women lived a life of freedom in any society of America, let alone a struggling society in the 1800s.
During Jacksonian society there was extreme racism against Native Americans. When the United States began to expand west into Native American territory it was clear that there was going to be a problem. In the beginning of the Western Expansion, the goal of the United States was to change the way of life for Native Americans. They wanted them to become more “civilized” and took away their hunting and culture. The Indians tried to change their ways, even the men of Native American Tribes attempted to farm. This was one of the most feminine acts to perform, but no one can say that Tribes, such as the Cherokee did not try to change their ways in order from being uprooted from their homeland. There was absolutely no form of freedom for the Native Americans. Many died when they were forced to leave their fertile soil into unknown land and forests. The Trail of Tears is an example of how little freedom existed in Jacksonian Society for Native Americans. The argument to say that Jacksonian Society was one filled with freedom when so many lives were lost while Jackson ignored their plea for help.
Society is more than just white property-owning males. Women and natives to the land also made up a large portion of America during Andrew Jackson’s presidency. One could argue that cities flourished and factories became more efficient during his time in office, but many lives were hindered because of his single-mindedness. One can only guess how Andrew Jackson was elected to be the leader of the Free World. Perhaps people were so distracted by politicians creating their own brand with catchy slogans that they forgot what to look for in a leader. The other option is that since only white males could vote, they just picked a man who seemed tough.
