In 1832, President Andrew Jackson stated, "Every man is equally entitled to protection by law; but when the laws undertake to add to those natural and just advantages artificial distinctions and exclusive privileges the humble members of society-the farmer, mechanics, and laborers have a right to complain of the injustice of their government." Such democratic sentiments were widespread during the Jacksonian Period of 1824-1848. This era can be referred to as the "era of the common man" because it was during this time that the masses began to gain influence on both the local and national political front and the injustices they endured began to be addressed through humanitarian reforms. .
The rise of universal manhood suffrage and the abolishment of landholding qualifications for office holding shifted the political power from the hands of the elite to the hands of the common citizen. Jackson won the presidency during the election of 1828, thanks to a sort of political revolution. This election saw a higher voter turnout than ever before, proving that the common man was eager to exercise his newly acquired voting privileges.
The people of the rustic western states tended to vote for Jackson, and his election signaled the shift in power from the hands of aristocratic East to the hands of the agrarian West. Once in office, Jackson wasted no time in rewarding his supporters with public offices, a practice known as the "spoils system." Unlike the presidents before him, Jackson heartily believed in the ability of any American to quickly catch on to the duties of office. Rather than creating a bureaucratic class of office holders as his predecessors had done, Jackson chose to appoint the common man to his administration, bringing the concerns of the masses to center stage. Jackson also advocated rotation in office, which allowed large numbers of citizens to gain office-holding experience, though each for a limited amount of time.
