FREE ESSAY ON THREATS TO DEMOCRACY

THREATS TO DEMOCRACY

What threats to Democracy presented themselves during the first few decades of
independence? How did leaders of the U.S. solve these problems?
During the first decades of our premature nations' existence, it is hard to imagine that
the United States would evolve to become such a great democracy. A democracy others would
prefer to believe with hypocrite reasoning. When the U.S. first won its independence it
was a united group of people left to fend for themselves. This group was to become a
nation and creating it involved more than winning independence from Great Britain.
In 1783, the U.S. was a country forming in its premature stages. By 1787, this baby
begins to develop, to become a nation. By 1787, people perceived that their constitution
represented what the people desired the U.S. to be; well at least the Federalists
presumed this. The Anti-Federalists watched for signs that threatened their republican
principals for which they so recently had fought the American Revolution. After winning
the war the unity and optimism among Americans did not translate easily or smoothly into
the creation of a strong central government. The Federalists and Anti-Feds were very
opposed to eachother's views. By the late 1700's and early 1800's, a deep political
division had occurred amongst the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Anti-Federalists were mostly from the South, and were labeled Jeffersonians. Their label
came from the fact that they defended slavery and third President, Thomas Jefferson, was
known for owning herds of black slaves. Southerners held agreed with many of Jefferson's
views. The Anti-Feds, Republicans, believed in strict interpretation of the constitution,
peaceful foreign relations, and a reduction of the role of the federal government in the
lives of average citizens. They were opposed to a strong central government and felt
states should hold the power to govern. The Federalists believed that the constitution
should be loosely interpreted and that America should follow the spirit of it to make
laws and judgements. Federalists wanted to organize the states so a strong federal power
could govern over them in order to keep enough power for the economy, war and ruling.
Many were opposed to this form of government because it so closely mimicked that of Great
Britain. Between these two diverse groups, their followers split the nation. 
The United States was geographically split North from South. The North was home of
manufacturers and industry. Farming was not the North's economic base as was
manufacturing. Crops would not grow year around due to freezing weather; therefore slaves
were of no need during off-seasons in farming. Here, it was not economically safe or
resourceful to own slaves, because of the fact that they were expensive to acquire and
maintain. Since slaves were mostly used in manual labor, their use in the North was
almost nonexistent. Blacks were not used in factories for fear of them gaining knowledge
and accessing power.
In the South, large plantations and small farm owners used slaves for their manual labor
of the fields and common household work. Not every household in the South owned a slave,
as many people may believe. Only the wealthy could afford slaves. These slaves abducted
from Africa were characterized and treated equivalent to animals by their owners. Since
slaves were owned, they were property, and they were treated however their holders felt
fit. This was a great threat to democracy because it went against what democracy
supposedly stood for. Slavery, at the time, was disregarded in the constitution and
therefore it can be concluded that the government ignored it.
There were greater threats to democracy during the first decades of U.S. independence
that are far more important to the significance of the period.
Americans held an optimistic view of the nation's manifest destiny. Manifest destiny
meant that the United States would eventually reach from sea to sea no matter what speed
bumps it ran into. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 enabled President Jefferson to partake
in this view. The purchase consisted of a vast 885,000 square miles of land for $15
million acquired from France. The purchase was done behind closed doors without the
knowledge of the federal government; Jefferson wanted the transaction to be speedy and
quiet. James Monroe arrived in France with power from President Jefferson to buy New
Orleans and the Floridas for not more than 10 million dollars; he was offered the whole
of the French territory for approximately 15 million dollars. Although the American
agents had no authority to spend such a large sum, they signed the treaty of purchase on
April 30, 1803. It was specifically purchased from Napolean Bonaparte who used the money
to build France's grand army with which he planned to conquer many nations. This was a
great threat to democracy because the president went behind the people's backs and
negotiated with France. This agreement, which was very beneficial to France, had other
nations such as Great Britain in an uproar. Although it was a quick decision for
Jefferson, it was a good one for the U.S.; the size of the nation doubled with the stroke
of a pen.
Another great threat to democracy was the Burr Conspiracy of 1804. Burr became involved
in a bizarre plot to separate the West from the rest of the nation after a series of
events. He lost the presidency in the election of 1800 to Jefferson and became
vice-president. As vice-president, Burr created difficulties for the president. Burr's
strange behavior during the election of 1800 raised suspicions that he had conspired to
deprive Jefferson of the presidency. Whatever the truth may have been the vice-president
entered the administration under a dark cloud. Burr was an ambitious man and it was
frustrating for him to deal with the minor roles that the vice-president was in charge
of. In the spring of 1804, Burr decided to run for governor for the state of New York.
During this edgy time high Federalists were planning the succession of New England and
New York from the Union. Alexander Hamilton, secretary of treasury, made comments about
Burr that he insisted made him lose the election. Burr then challenged Hamilton to a
duel, which Hamilton accepted reluctantly. Unfortunately Hamilton, a magnificent man for
our nation, was shot and killed by the vice president in New Jersey on Nov. 11, 1804. Due
to the murder of Hamilton, Burr fled to the west in seek of gaining followers there.
Jefferson was slow but successful in meeting this first real threat to the new American
union. Aaron Burr was accused of making a treasonable effort to set up an independent
government in the Southwest and his career laid in shambles.
The War of 1812, a strange war, helped the U.S. finally feel free from Great Britain. In
1811, there was a strong anti-British mood in Congress. A group of militant
representatives, some of them elected to Congress for the first time in the election of
1810, announced they would no longer tolerate national humiliations. They called for
action, for resistance to Great Britain, for any course that promised to achieve respect
for the U.S. and security for it's republican institutions. These aggressive
nationalists, many of them from the South and West, have been labeled War Hawks. The
group included Henry Clay, a Kentucky congressman who served as Speaker of the House, and
John C. Calhoun, a brilliant South Carolinian. The people felt that Britain's lingering
dominance was threatening to their democracy. Britain was on the verge of forming
peaceful relations at the time that the U.S. planned to wage war, for their own reasons.
James Madison, President at the time, had reason to ask Congress to wage war. The War
Hawks were putting pressure on him and at the same time his major aim was to force the
British to respect American maritime rights, especially in Caribbean waters where Britain
had possessions. Even though the U.S. was not ready to go into war, and Republicans in
Congress were reluctant to help the military gain needed resources, the votes in Congress
to wage war outnumbered those against. The war persisted until 1815. After the war ended,
there was the Battle of New Orleans, which was not even supposed to have transpired. Poor
communications disabled the military from learning drafts for a peace treaty had already
been written up. The British, led by General Edward Pakenham, landed an assault on the
Americans, led by General Andrew Jackson, whose army was very well defending their
positions. In a short time the British force was destroyed and the Americans had only
suffered light casualties. The victory was significant in military terms but it was more
important in creating a base for a much-needed source of pride for Americans. After this
war, the U.S. felt free from foreign threats to their independence and way of life. 
The greatest threat to our democracy has been a man, President Andrew Jackson. This
Military Hero, served his term during 1828-1836. He was a public figure who came to
symbolize the triumph of democracy. The election of 1828 saw the birth of a new era of
mass democracy. After losing the election of 1824, he came back to win in 1828 by
devising penetrating ways to win peoples' votes. The mighty effort on behalf of Jackson
featured the widespread use of such electioneering techniques as huge public rallies,
torchlight parades, and lavish barbecues or picnics paid by his supporters. His
campaigning techniques proved successful and as president he came to be known as a man of
the people. Jackson found the modern political party (today's Democratic Party) and set
down most the foundation of our politics today. As the seventh president of the United
States, he was simultaneously the best-loved and the most-hated president the young
nation had known. Jackson believed the president was directly responsible for the
nation's good, and so he set a new example for future presidents by being a more active
and responsible leader. When he did not agree with Congress, he freely used the right of
veto. His six predecessors, between them, had vetoed only nine bills. Jackson vetoed 12,
besides frequently using the pocket veto. Jackson was the first to make the presidency a
powerful office.
Through his aggressive leadership and patronage, Jackson had welded together a vigorous
new party--the Democratic Party. He might have been a great threat to democracy but there
have been many threats to this grand nation since the days of its birth that has
benefited it. This great democratic nation is constantly expanding its horizons to
accommodate new technology and satisfy generation after generation of Americans. No
empire in history ever been built that can compete with the grand United States; if its
democracy is mighty enough, it shall out last any threat to its existence.