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In the so-called "Revolution of 1828", Andrew Jackson became president and the common people thus gained a voice in government. This type of "bloodless revolution" accurately described the quick and easy change in government, and the new views ushered in with the Jacksonian Democrats. This new political party prided themselves in protecting the Constitution and championing ideals of political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity. Certainly the Jacksonian Democrats protected equal economic opportunity and political democracy, but their self-promoted identity as guardians of the Constitution and individual liberties was somewhat inaccurate.

As a party supported largely by the common man, there's no surprise that the Jacksonians promoted equality of economic opportunity (though they may have only done so to get votes). Shortly after Jackson took office in 1828, the working class created an offshoot of the Declaration of Independence, in which they argued that they possessed the rights to pursue happiness, even against the influence of other classes. To protect these rights, according to the declaration, the government should institute reform. By this statement it is clear that the people had a solid idea of what they deserved in terms of rights, and they understood that the upper classes impaired their ability to pursue economic freedoms. Jackson obviously heard their message to reform governmental abuses since he used the presidential veto power twelve times while previous presidents had used it only nine times combined. Further, newly-appointed Chief Justice Roger B. Taney proved he stood up for equality of economic opportunity when he opposed the proposed monopoly of a bridge system. By arguing that a lack of competition for bridges in the area would unfairly hurt the community in an economical sense, Taney represented the system of capitalism and equal opportunity for all Americans.

As well as promoting equal opportunity in the economical spectrum, the Jacksonians likewise supported equal political opportunity: political democracy. After Jackson had served his first term, in 1834, the level to which all people in America controlled political decisions astounded a visiting British author. This author had good reason for her position, particularly because common people could hold every governmental position and actually did so at the time under Jackson's "spoils system", in which he gave offices to supporters, many of

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