He cherished the extinction of the national debt during his administration as a personal triumph. Believing that social cleavages and inequities were fostered rather than ameliorated by governmental intervention, he embraced laissez-faire as the policy most conducive to economic equality and political liberty.
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.
But changes did occur that broadened participation in politics, and reform movements emerged to address the inequalities in American society. ... Even while states were moving toward denying free blacks the right to vote, the franchise was expanding for white men.
