The Rise of the Common Man

On March 4, 1829, twenty thousand Americans came to Washington, D.C. They wanted to watch Andrew Jackson be sworn in as president. Jackson was very popular. He was especially popular with the “common” people of the United States. The large crowd ended up breaking dishes and getting out of control at the White House. President Jackson had to spend his first night at a hotel.

All of this was a result of big changes that were happening in America. Before this time, only adult white males were allowed to vote. But not just any adult white male could vote: he had to own property and pay taxes.

The changes that happened in the late 1820s were that any adult white male—whether or not they owned property or paid taxes—could vote. This was called the “rise of the common man.”

Women, blacks, and Native Americans were still not allowed to vote, but giving all adult white males the right to vote was a big step in the right direction. The spirit of democracy and equality was higher than ever before.