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Securing Democracy, 1820-1832
Overview
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The paradoxes of American life in the 1820s are reflected in Americans’ religious life and philosophy. Two divergent views had America either on the verge of damnation or capable of redemption. Both agreed, however, that American social life should be modeled on the principles of religion -- especially Protestant Christianity. Americans had long associated republican virtue with labor. However the definition of labor changed in the early nineteenth century. The celebration of labor became more democratic but it also became more radical and associated with the gender of its workers. Confidence and mistrust characterized the American national culture of the 1820s and the paradoxical terms also described Andrew Jackson, who was elected to the presidency in 1828. President Jackson advocated fiscal restraint, an end to government patronage, and the appointment of good men. President Jackson announced that his administration would be one of reform.
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