Religion is the substance that produced the social morality that bound all elements of society in the Jacksonian Era. Religion produced the moral code to which all men adhered. Church leaders have been so vocal in advocating patriotism and loyalty to God and country. Church members received the message of liberation and encouraged the common man to seek social and political equality. In the early 19th century, the concept of divine morality held responsible the behavior of all those who were at least partially active in their social environment. Religious services provided a bridge between the elite and the underclass as well as the government and the common man. Very often, the divine will was debated on the issues of slavery, social reform, abolition, and the roles that men and women should play. The fact that these issues were debated highlighted the dark gray areas into which morality first entered. In the veins of morality arises a doctrine of fairness which is all too exhausting when applied to oneself. No one wanted to be deprived of their freedom and access. Social morality was the driving force for cooperation and debate in the Jacksonian era. Old Hickory himself, President Andrew Jackson, knew the importance of having the common man behind him in a democracy; although in reality he was not behind the common man. Jackson, who sought divine intervention, used the loyalty of believers to advance his agenda against the banks. Banks became “the evil giant” (the Goliath) that sought to destroy this new country and its citizens. Jackson used his knowledge of religion to gain public support and opinion by convincing them that his motives were right. In Harry L. Watson's book, Liberty and Power, he writes: "Jackson is me...... middle of paper...... od and that they were upholders of the law by their beliefs morals. Many churches were the center of their community in the early 1800s. The church was a place to form closer relationships with other members of the community, including businesses and other social venues. Many public figures had one thing in common: their desire to see themselves in the public eye as a person with character and high moral convictions. Religion produced a social morality that became the substance that bound all elements of society together in the Jacksonian era. Works Cited Earle, Johnathan H. Jacksonian Antislavery and the Politics of Free Soil 1824-1854. The University of North Carolina Press, 2004.Johnson, Paul E. A Trader's Millennium. New York: Hill and Wang, 1978. Larkin, Jack. The Remaking of Daily Life 1790-1840. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.