I. INTRODUCTION：

America began as a British colony in the 1750s but gradually developed into a democratic country over the next century. Democracy did not occur by accident; it was the result of decades of political struggle between the two split parties, culminating in the Jacksonian Era of the 1830s, which symbolized democratic victory. However, citizens' expectations for an ideal democratic government changed over time as literature advanced,  progressives have always appealed to the ideal democracy. Here is a question: How has American politics evolved over the last century from colony to democracy between 1750 to 1830? America's politics began in the 1760s when the thirteen states united to form a powerful centralized force critical to conquering Britain, and democracy did not emerge until the nineteenth century as a result of federalists' over-centralization and educational popularization, which made citizens aware of their rights being violated and motivated them to pursue greater equality.

II. GENERAL ARGUMENT

1775-1783
1775 marked an era prelude to the War of Independence with the establishment of The First Continental Congress: a loose central governmental system was established with a mere congress without a representative head, prompted by the Coercive Act which reasserted British dominance over America. To protect America's dignity and to assuage resentment toward the British's tyrannical rule over the preceding decades, the first centralized government was established under the provisions of the Article of Confederation, in which states reaffirmed their individual powers of "sovereignty, freedom, and independence" as a precondition for combining them into a single centralized system. The states retained the authority to regulate commerce, levy taxes, and enforce laws, while the central government served as a mere head with the authority to declare war but could not infringe on the rights of the states. What America desired during that period was a quick break away from the British's undemocratic reign who charged intolerable high taxes on colonies, and that was made possible by a quick unification of 13 colonies under one central domination to become stronger and fight against Britain. Thus, the political system of that era served as a compromise between state and nation in order to garner state support and amalgamation, while congress possessed only war-related authority, including war declaration and army dispatch to confront the British. Colonists desired first and foremost the establishment of an independent nation that would be equal and liberal. As a result, little attention was paid to the establishment of the American political system until the war concluded, when the balance of power between the continent and the government was again discussed, resulting in the first split between federalist and anti-federalist political parties.

    2: 1783-1801

After 1783, American Independence brought an end to the previous "British monarchy" over America and necessitated the establishment of a strong central government to stabilize the postwar economy while also uniting 13 separate colonies into one strong country. George Washington was nominated for the first presidential election in 1788. Although Washington favored a centralized economic system, he did not join any cabinet and instead served as a mediator between two opposing political parties in order to promote unification and stability. His political philosophy was evident in his farewell address, where he cautioned future leaders about the dangers of political party separation. 

As the American Revolution ended, political leaders shifted their focus from war preparation to political debates. The contradictory political thoughts during ratification of the Article of Confederation led to the formation of two splinter parties: federalist and anti-federalist. These two parties expressed diametrically opposed political ideologies, with the former favoring centralization over state power and the latter emphasizing state power as a means of promoting democracy. Given that America was a young country with limited national authority, Washington's primary objective was to preserve national stability and avoid potential disunity. Serving as a bridge and mediator between two diametrically opposed political parties, the Bill of Rights and the drafted constitution considered both parties' appeals. They satisfied both the Federalist Paper and the opposing anti-federalist paper by recognizing the central government's authority to regulate internal affairs while establishing a more democratic central government with a two-house congress representing the common people and three executive branches mutually supervising the central government. Thus, the new political system established following the partisan negotiation restored balance between the two parties and provided the country with a stable central authority to guard against disunion while also preventing the central authority from being overused.

 3.  1801-1829

The dominant political power changed from Federalist to Democrat at the beginning of the 19th century as a byproduct of Madison's excessive use of central power. When the centralization of state power harmed the people's individual liberty, they developed a sense of resentment toward the political system and demanded greater democracy. The 1798 Virginia and Kentucky Resolution expressed citizens' outrage at Adam's imposition of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison penned the Acts in order to incite public hostility toward the Federalist party in order to increase support for their own democratic party. Their inflammatory acts contributed to Thomas Jefferson's victory in the 1800 election, also known as the "Revolution of 1800", because it marked the first time the Federalist party ceded power to the Democratic party. 

Jefferson as a "common man" was a Democratic party founder who pledged to promote “equal and accurate treatment of all men”. He drafted the Declaration of Independence, envisioning an egalitarian society in which the government acted in accordance with the citizens' will. To reduce the central power, Jefferson limited governmental funds and rights by cutting off federal taxes, reducing army size, and eliminating all convictions under the Sedition Act. Although Jeffersonian democracy provided more equality to common people and reduced the size of central power, enfranchisement has not yet extended towards all citizens. The vulnerable groups including natives, women and blacks could not yet participate in politics, and the leaders of society were still dominated by property owners who were considered the “best qualified people''. The opinions around full equality were still debated until the next century after World War.

4. 1829-1836 

The 1828 presidential election was the first true "popular vote" as a result of the scandal surrounding John Quincy Adams' political dealings with Henry Clay's corrupt bargain, ending up with Andrew Jackson defeating John Adams. The early wars and subsequent inflation during Adam’s presidency revealed the weakness of the Confederacy; those domestic and foreign troubles pushed Americans to demand a stronger union. Andrew Jackson nicknamed the "Old Hickory" was pronounced for his toughness and determination; his reign between 1829-1837 amended the gap of Adam’s presidency and laid down the law of democracy, bringing an increase of democracy but also establishing the authority of governmental power. 

Although Andrew Jackson was a democrat who supported the expansion of state power and resented excessive central government power, he prioritized national security and pronounced the power of central governments when facing potentially divisive crises. Andrew Jackson's response to South Carolina's 1832 nullification was the most visible manifestation of his ideal democracy. When South Carolina declared the federal Tariff Act unconstitutional and threatened to withdraw from the union unless the central government lowered taxes, Jackson dispatched troops and imposed army force on the state until it agreed to comply with federal laws. This Act reflected Jackson's reaffirmation of the union's authority and his preference for central government when confronting potential disunification.

Andrew Jackson also centralized the governmental power when it came to his own benefit stabilizing his presidential seats. He created the “rotation in office” system that provided benefits such as governmental jobs to his party supporters, therefore this system was also called the “spoil system” by his opponents. During Andrew Jackson's tenure, he directed the management power to his own cabinet and had his henchmen in the White House to decide. His corrupted political supporters therefore were ironied as kitchen cabinets. 

While Jackson extended central control when facing self-beneficial and national related matters, he still strictly adhered to the equality that a Democrat should provide to society. Due to the influence of the Second Awakening and the subsequent market revolution, the economic boom increased access to education and printing for the lower classes. Literary and revolutionary thinkers crafted speeches and wrote books to advance the cause of equality. At the same time, the Second awakening emphasized the importance of individuals and the freedom of belief, inspiring people to believe in their inherent potential and to value equality. 

President Jackson, as the common man, met the needs of the people and sought a more democratic society through his ascending appeal for equality. Jackson believed that the working class should have the same opportunity to succeed as the property-owning class. His ideal democracy is best exemplified by his expansion of enfranchisement. From so on, none of the new states entering the union required white men to own property to vote, and the requirement was nearly eliminated by the 1860s Civil War. However, it was worth mentioning that the enfranchisement still excluded the minority: women, Indians and slaves were barred from political participation. Andrew Jackson's victory stabilized the Democratic Party, which had long dominated the Whigs during the "second party" era preceding the Republican Party's Emergence.

III. CONCLUSION

This essay discussed the evolution of America's political system between the 1770s and the 1850s. During those 100 years, the American Revolution and decades of partisan strife transformed a European colony into a centralized power finally into a democratic republic, which sought more balance between government and states. However, partisan debates persisted, and people's attitudes toward the ideal government shifted constantly as a result of the influence various political parties' governments brought over time as well as the constant innovation of the populace's minds. The question of how to strike the optimal balance between state and federal government will continue to be debated in the next few centuries.

References

Discover U.S. government information. U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2021, November 30). Retrieved December 25, 2021, from govinfo.gov/

Foner, E. (2020). Give me liberty!: An American history. W. W. Norton & Company.

National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Declaration of independence: A transcription. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved December 24, 2021, from archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

Peale, C. W., Madison, J., Sherman, R., Washington, G., Jefferson, T., Monroe, J., Cooper, T., Birch, W., Adams, A., & Hamilton, A. (n.d.). Creating the United States Formation of political parties. Library of Congress. Retrieved December 25, 2021, from loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/formation-of-political-parties.html

Radical jefferson - jstor.org. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2021, from jstor.org/stable/info/40068463

Schmalbach, J. M. (2018). United States history: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. Amsco School Publications.

The Trustees of Princeton University. (n.d.). First inaugural address | the papers of Thomas Jefferson. Princeton University. Retrieved December 25, 2021, from jeffersonpapers.princeton.edu/selected-documents/first-inaugural-address-0

U.S. constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved December 25, 2021, from cga.ct.gov/asp/content/constitutions/Declaration.htm

United States code: Articles of Confederation - 1777 (1952). The Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2021, from loc.gov/item/uscode1952-001000005/