In the 1820s and 1830s, President Andrew Jackson and his followers, the Jacksonian Democrats, believed that they were the guardians of the United States Constitution. They attempted to protect the Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and economic opportunity. Unfortunately, they were not always successful in their efforts, despite their conviction that they were improving America. While the Jacksonian Democrats succeeded in some areas, they showed key weaknesses in others.

One strong point of Jackson's presidency was how he encouraged economic competition. In 1837, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney stated his opinion on the Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge case (Doc. H). In this case, the proprietors of the Charles River Bridge were attempting to forbid the building of the Warren Bridge. The Supreme Court ruled that the proprietors of the Charles River Bridge had every right to continue to collect the tolls that they were authorized to take...