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Jackson Campaign and Memorial Items. Photo by Cornell University Library. .

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Era of the Common Man (1829鈥�37)

The era of the common man between 1829 and 1837 was the time when Andrew Jackson served as president of the United States. It is called the era of the common man because for the first time in the United States history a man born in humble circumstances was now President. Politicians in the previous generations gained precedence due to their family background, wealth, prestige, and education.

 Families such the Adams, and the Jefferson鈥檚 constituted the guidelines for political appointees. Andrew Jackson鈥檚 election showed that a man鈥檚鈥� lineage did not determine a place in office. Rather it was the candidate鈥檚 ability to appeal to the voter.

It was Jackson鈥檚 election that started the supposed ‘age of the common man’. Jackson became the defining figure of his age due to his ability to overcome early life struggles, his military record, and his successes as an adult. Here are Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Era of the Common Man (1829鈥�37).

1. Andrew Jackson was different from previous presidents

Mezzotint after a Daguerreotype of former US President, Andrew Jackson, in 1845, months before his death (age 78). Photo by Mathew Benjamin Brady. .

The first six Presidents were from the same mold: wealthy, educated, and from the east. They made it seem like to succeed in a presidency bid, one had to be wealthy or from an influential family.

However, Jackson was a self-made man who declared education an unnecessary requirement for political leadership. Indeed, Jackson launched the era when politicians would desperately try to show how poor they had been as opposed to being privileged.

2. Andrew Jackson was from a poor family

Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 during the American Revolution. His parents were Irish immigrants with little means. His father died weeks before he was born, adding to the difficulty in his early life.

At the age of 10, he joined the independence movement by becoming a courier during the Revolutionary War. Andrew鈥檚 two older brother鈥檚 died fighting in the war. 

3. The election Andrew Jackson won was a rematch

The election of 1828 was a rematch of the election of 1824 between John Quincy Adams and Jackson. In the earlier election, Jackson received more votes, but with no candidate having a majority, the House of Representatives chose Adams.

Four years later the voices of the people were finally heard. The election of 1828 was a win for the people. It set forth the era of the common man where for once Americans felt equal regardless of wealth and status.

4. Andrew Jackson’s inauguration was quite messy

View of crowd in front of the White House during President Jackson’s first inaugural reception in 1829. Photo by Robert Cruickshank. .

During his inauguration in 1828, Jackson rode to the White House followed by a swarm of well-wishers who were invited in. Muddy hob-nailed boots trod over new carpets, glassware and crockery were smashed, and chaos generally reigned.

After a time, Jackson ordered the punch bowls moved outside to the White House lawn, and the crowd followed. These people had the confidence to go in this manner because they felt a sense of belonging to Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson was one of them.

5. During the era, the common man had a say and a place in the society

During his presidency white men who did not own land gained more political power, the right to vote, and the economy favored industry and American agriculture. He was against central banks because he thought they only helped the rich.

As President of the United States, Andrew Jackson represented the rise of the common man in overall through the American political system.

6. The common man era was also called the Jacksonian era

The first president to be inaugurated outdoors at the Capitol. Photo by USCapitol.

The period from Jackson鈥檚 inauguration as president up to the Civil War is known as the Jacksonian Era or the Era of the Rise of the Common Man. This period constituted great change and issues warranting debate, such as slavery, Indians, westward mobility, and balance of power between the executive and the legislative branches of government. The United States had no strict class system.

7. Andrew Jackson taught himself law

After the war, Jackson taught himself to read and read law books so that he could find work as a lawyer in Tennessee in 1787. The wild frontier life suited Jackson and succeeded based upon his own hard work and merit.

He became one of the first congressmen representing Tennessee, later a Tennessee senator in 1797, and appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1798. These accomplishes set Jackson apart from most men.

8. He was a great commander in the battle of New Orleans

During the War of 1812 Jackson, garnered his nickname 鈥淥ld Hickory,鈥� due to his strict command of his troops and abilities shown on the battlefield. The Battle of New Orleans on January 5, 1815 concluded with a major victory for Jackson.

This victory forever made Jackson a national hero and gave him a place in the hearts of all-American citizens. Jackson鈥檚 national identity and immense popularity enabled him to run for president in the 1828 election.

9. The election of Andrew Jackson indicated a shift towards a democratic ideals

Led by President Andrew Jackson, the democratic movement championed greater rights for the common man and was opposed to any signs of  aristocracy in the nation.

Jacksonian democracy was aided by the strong spirit of equality among the people of the newer settlements in the South and West. It was also aided by the extension of the vote in eastern states to men without property; in the early days of the United States, many places had allowed only male property owners to vote.

10. Andrew Jackson embraced the role of protecting the ‘common man’

Photo by Louis Prang & Co. – Library of Congress. .

Andrew Jackson made decisions on matters such as the rotation of office holders which can be argued as being in the interest of common man.

By limiting a federal office holder鈥檚 tenure to one term, Jackson could make room for another deserving candidate, promoting the concept that one man is just as good another.