Discuss the main goals of the Philadelphia Working Men's Party. Why did Andrew Jackson pay attentio

The Working Men’s Party of Philadelphia was formed in 1828 as the nation’s first labor party. The party emerged out of the workingmen’s movement of the late 1820s and sought broad reforms. The party platform called for a ten-hour workday, free public education, abolition of imprisonment for debt and the use of prison labor, militia reform, the creation of a mechanic’s lien law, a cheaper legal system, and a more equitable tax system. The party’s goals were to address the issues faced by the working class, such as long workdays, low wages, and limited opportunities for their children’s education.

Andrew Jackson paid attention to at least one of their goals, which was the abolition of imprisonment for debt. In the early nineteenth century, workers struggled to maintain a living wage as master artisans and entrepreneurs, seeking to expand production to meet the demands of expanded markets, instituted division of labor and lowered wages. Even as the twelve-hour day, or longer, became standard, workers faced the specter of imprisonment for debt, which in many cases occurred over trivial amounts of money. The Working Men’s Party of Philadelphia argued that increased disparities of wealth and power contradicted the nation’s founding principles and drew on Revolutionary era ideals to support their cause.