The Jacksonian Era

Essay #4

While I don't believe the Jacksonian Era was the time when the American culture was established, it does seem to have been when it was refined. The political culture was certainly greatly altered by this time period. The Jacksonian Era was wrought with heated arguments between political parties, with Jackson often at the front of these debates.

The American Culture began its development as soon as the colonists established their settlements; it was a new frontier which required new practices. One aspect of the culture of America that differed from the motherland almost immediately was the role of women. While in England women were rarely found outside of their homes, American women were often found running businesses on their own (Tindall, 71). This evolution of the role and rights of women progressed during the Jackson Era, when the Seneca Convention was held in 1848. This was the first time a convention was held to discuss the rights of women in America, and while it was not the headlining event of the time it was a momentous event in the long battle for women's equality. During this convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton used the Declaration of Independence to outline their grievances, and ignited a sense of dignity in American women.

One of the most notable changes to American Culture was caused by Jackson's election. The "American Dream" is still boasted today as the proud belief that with hard work any American can work their way out of poverty. Jackson's "rags-to-riches" story seems to be what inspired this belief in his countrymen. He started his life as a poor immigrant farmer's child, educated himself in political sciences and worked his way through the political system until he became the president elect. Upon his inauguration newspapers of the day published editorial cartoons that demonstrated that the white house was now accessible to people of all socioeconomic classes (Tindall, 330-333).

The majority of political disagreements were...