Based on the major events that occurred in Jackson’s life, our group has come to the conclusion that Andrew Jackson was a bad president. This final resolution was reached after visiting numerous sources regarding both perspectives of this argument. The events that make up our argument comprise of the elimination of the Bank of the United States, the legalization of the Indian Removal Act, and other small but major incidents. We will also be dismantling several opposing arguments, such as the Jacksonian Democracy, and thus reinforcing our frame of mind. Firstly, Andrew Jackson is a substandard president due to his eradication of the Bank of the United States. This was initiated when Jackson announced that the “government would no longer deposit …show more content…
The root of Jackson’s hatred toward the Native Americans, which would lead to the Trail of Tears, is with the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. In this battle, he ruthlessly massacred the Creek Indians. In fact, one American said, “The river might very well be called a river of blood” (4, 28:30). Fast forward to 1830, during which Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. This gave the green light for “the President to demarcate Indian territory on public land west of the Mississippi River and negotiate treaties with the Indian tribes for their resettlement” (1). In response to this bill, the Cherokee Nation decided to sue Georgia in Worcester v. Georgia. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee Nation, stating that Georgia had to recognize the Cherokees as a nation. However, Jackson disagreed with the decision, and famously said, “John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it” (2, 10:17). By this, Jackson was asserting that he would ignore the ruling, and not enforce it. Three years later, the Cherokee were forced to march west in what became known as the Trail of Tears. During this frigid and arduous journey in the winter of 1838, “¼ of the 18,000 Indians died” (2, 10:31). This incident would blacken Jackson’s legacy for the rest of …show more content…
They rely on three points, which we will dismantle in this paragraph. Their first factor states that “Andrew Jackson was the only U.S. president to bring the national debt to zero” (5). Daniel Feller of the University of Tennessee says, “Congress required debt reductions of at least $10 million per year under Jackson’s two predecessors, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. So all Jackson really had to do was maintain the status quo” (5). The opponent’s second argument is that “Jackson handled the Nullification Crisis extremely well” (8). This statement cannot be denied. However, his method of dealing with the crisis was very deplorable. While dealing with the crisis, Jackson “threatened South Carolina that he would bring his own personal army and kill his own citizens in South Carolina” (8). This declaration certainly did not ease the tensions between the federal government and South Carolina, but rather hastened the path towards the Civil War. The dissident’s final consideration is that “Jackson introduced the system of Jacksonian Democracy” (8). To counter this argument, we will be attacking one part of the Jacksonian Democracy: the spoils system. The spoils system ensured that people appointed to government jobs “were based on the needs of the party, rather than a person's qualifications or skills” (9). This could spell out trouble, as someone who knew the least about government
( A Soldier Recalls the Trail of Tears, 1838-39) " The long painful journey to the west ended March 26th, 1839, with four-thousand silent graves reaching from the foothills of the Smokey Mountains to what is known as Indian territory in the west. And covetousness on the part of the white race was the cause of all that the Cherokees had to suffer." A white soldier tells the journey of the natives as long and painful because of the natives being forced against their will to leave their homes forever killing four thousand natives. President Jackson didn’t contemplate the natives life's because all he wanted was more land for the U.S..
The Andrew Jackson “The Good and Bad, and The Ugly” article discusses the positive and negative aspects of his presidency. Andrew Jackson is considered a controversial figure in the American history and is viewed differently to many. Jackson joined the militia as a young boy after losing his family and becoming an orphan. He became a war hero after the defeat against the British troops at the New Orleans and after the war he was announced general of the U.S. In 1824 he ran his first presidential campaign against a wealthy elitist Quincy Adams and lost Jackson and his followers accused Adams of corruption.
The conceptual appeal of the Jeffersonian heritage is important in understanding the Jacksonians. Jackson and his followers “Jacksonians” were suspicious of the new industrial society developing around them and wanted instead for the restoration of the agrarian, republican virtues of earlier times. In destroying the bank of the United States, minimizing federal economic activities, and highlighting state's rights, they made efforts to rebuild a simpler, more decentralized world. Oddly enough, their actions added to the expansion of unregulated capitalism.
Scott Meyers Ms. Scott Honors U.S History Period 3 15 November 2016 Andrew Jackson: The U.S Demagogue In the latter half of the 1820’s, the American people were faced with one of the most difficult presidential elections in the young nation's history. Until this point in time, the common man was not concerned with politics and simply wished for the best man for the job. This being the case until The Panic of 1819, when Americans finally began to realize that their opinions mattered and no longer shall the common man be controlled by the old money of Washington, D.C. However, it was this type of thought that elected one of America’s most notorious Demagogues of the time period: Andrew Jackson.
Rennie Combs US History H Mr. Hertel-Therrien 2/16/23 Was Andrew Jackson Democratic Andrew Jackson was known for many things. He was a general, war hero, politician, and man of the people. But was he truly democratic? This essay will prove that Andrew Jackson was not democratic. Being democratic is defined as “a way of governing which depends on the will of the people” (The Council of Europe).
Within the United States, Presidents are able to shape the county into whatever way they want when still following the rules, but that is not the case for Andrew Jackson. Known also as “old hickory”, Jackson has caused many events that had shaped our country in both positive and negative ways. Andrew Jackson was in fact a democrat and served as president from 1829 - 1837. At one point in his childhood, he was a orphan and had no immediate family alive. After this experience, he accepted an offer to serve as a public prosecutor.
His commitment to the Union, in this case, is admirable. But, it is also plausible to say that Jackson's only motivation for not allowing this to pass was simply to keep a certain amount of power in the national government, in him. It could have all been a selfish ploy in order to keep his power, not an argument for
As Andrew Jackson slowly rose to the complete power of president, controversy over his motives arose as well. Born in 1767 in South Carolina to a poverty-ridden family and an absent father, Jackson became one of the most debated presidents ever. His hot temper and self-reliance seemed to appeal to the people, yet his inability to take criticism and advice did not go unnoticed by the country’s government. To the bare eye he was a war hero, but if you dug deeper, you would discover he was a murderer, he was the common people’s choice, yet he seemed to not care about any other race besides his own. With these opposing characteristics, Jackson became the center of many debates and conflicts, hero or villain?
The Indian Removal Act authorized Jackson to give the Indians land west of the Mississippi in exchange for their land in the states, but could not force them to leave. He violated and broke commitments that he even negotiated with them. He tried to bribe the Indians and even threatened some of them. Alfred Cave organizes his article thematically and is trying to prove
Jackson said, “The Nullifiers of the South have run mad. It leads directly to civil war and bloodshed.” He also abused his executive power of choosing people who he trusted in his cabinet. In his presidency, Andrew Jackson promised to have equality for all white men. Furthermore he created the spoil systems so he could appoint government jobs to reward his political supporters and fire people who he believed didn’t deserve the job.
One of the dreadful things that happened in U.S. history was because of Andrew Jackson. It is none other than the Trail of Tears. The Supreme Court didn’t want it to happen but Jackson defied them and did it anyway. He forced 20,000 Native Americans out of their homelands at gunpoint even though they were living in for years. Everyone was forced out, the sick, the old and the young.
Andrew Jackson was seen as a common man the voice of the people by some. By others he was King Andrew, trampling the constitution and instigating tyranny. Jackson’s presidency impacted democracy, through his use of the veto power, and his claim of Clay creating a “corrupt bargain”, which is not a turning point for a rise in democracy despite him giving white male suffrage. During Jackson’s use of executive power weakened voice of the people.
According to “The Trail of Tears,” Andrew Jackson enforced the Indian Removal Act which ordered the U.S army to force American Indians out of their land. The Indians had no say in this even if they started adapting to American life. They were forced to walk many miles until they reached Oklahoma. Many of them suffered from certain illnesses or they died along the way. Many civilians living in the United States were ashamed of what was happening, but Andrew wanted to fight for what he thought was right.
In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was signed, forcing the Indians to move west of the Mississippi River. 4,000 of the 15,000 Cherokees died along the trail of tears, meaning over 25% of the Cherokees died. Although they did not want to leave their land, they had to because of President Jackson. The Indians should not have been forced off their land. President Jackson did not treat the Indians fairly, the land belonged to the Indians, and the Indians rights were being violated.
Jacksonian Democracy Andrew Jackson was the cause for thousands of American Indian’s deaths. A good democracy has equal rights, an educated leader and voters, peace/stability, and a strong leader. It also has voting rights, the power in the hands of the people and checks and balances. Someone who promotes democracy will take both sides into consideration before making a decision. Someone who thinks about what his/her actions would do to the group as a whole and not just a fraction of the group.