OUTLINE FOR DBQ ESSAY: HOW DEMOCRATIC WAS ANDREW JACKSON? I. INTRODUCTION (PARAGRAPH #1) A. Grabber sentence Democratic spirit began B. Background information about Andrew Jackson (use bullets here) Early life/Military Born on the border of North and South Carolina in 1767. He lost both of his parents by his teenage years and married Rachel Donelson. At age 29, he was elected Tennessee’s first representatives in H.O.R. and a year later to the U.S. Senate. His first successes came from the victory at the Battle of New Orleans(He instantly became a national hero). Presidential Politics Ran for president in 1824 and won both electoral and popular votes. His mantra was that the voice of the People must be heard. Jackson was reelected president in …show more content…
He is also stepping on the U.S. Constitution under one foot and two important creations of Congress, Internal Improvements and The Bank of the United States. Document F (Jackson’s Veto Message to Congress) Most of the stock is held by rich class citizens and and more than a fourth is held by foreigners. Of the 25 directors, 5 are chosen by government and 20 by the citizen stockholders. The rich might “bend the acts of government for their selfish purposes.” C. Argument: This is the evidence your present in “B” which explains why Jackson was or wasn’t democratic. The evidence shows that Jackson wanted to benefit the rich class instead of the nation as a whole. By vetoing the B.U.S, it would create conflict which would weaken the nation. V. CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH: PARAGRAPH # 5 A. RESTATEMENT OF YOUR THESIS IN A NEW & INTERESTING WAY- Andrew Jackson’s corrupt Spoils System, role in Indian Removal, and veto of the National Bank proves that he was undemocratic. B. CLOSING STATEMENTS WHICH PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR READER TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF THE ESSAY OR PERHAPS TO TIE IT TO THE PERIOD OF AMERICAN
Jackson believed that since he was voted president by the people of the United States that he was the most legitimate represented of the
In the journal article “ Andrew Jackson versus the Historians”, author Charles G. Sellers explained the various interpretations of Jackson, from the viewpoint of Whig historians and Progressive Historians. These interpretations were based on the policies of Jackson. The Whig historians viewed the former president in a negative way. They considered him arrogant, ignorant, and not fit for being president. Sellers pointed out that it was not just because of “Jackson’s personality…nor was it the general policies he pursued as president”
The era of Andrew Jackson which was nicknames the era of the “common man” certainly lived up to its name. As the seventh President of the United States, Jackson had a major effect on the life of the common man, in such a way that the life of the common man would never be the same again. Jackson’s aim, after the manner in which he was defeated in the Presidential Election of 1824, despite receiving more popular votes than John Quincy Adams who took on the office, was to reduce the power and the authority of the elite. When he came into power after the 1828 election Jackson began to carry out his proposals. Jackson expanded the voting right to all men, in accordance with the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which declared that “all men are created equal” instead of just the elite.
One example of this is that he believed the people should be the ones to directly elect the president. As stated in the source: Robert Remini, Andrew Jackson and The Course of American Empire, Vol. III, 1984 “He proceeded from the idea that all offices - whether appointed or elected - must ultimately fall under the absolute control of the people. Appointed offices should be rotated, preferably every four years. Elected offices must be filled directly by the people.
Once president Andrew Jackson wielded the executive power of the veto, which he used to excess. The twelve vetoes that were used during his reign overrode congress, the body of elected officials. The representatives of the states are suppose to be the consensus of the people. When Andrew Jackson, a single person refuses the congress's legislation it hinders democracy as less opinions are heard. In Jackson’s head the congressmen are just career politicians disconnected from the american people.
He disliked the bank so much that he moved all the money to all the state banks he created. In document J, it shows Jackson standing a the constitution which is ripped up to shreds. When you walk all over something you are taking advantage of it and abusing its power and this is what Jackson was doing to the constitution. He is holding veto papers in who hand which stands for vetoing the bank and a scepter in the other. He has a crown on his head that represents as the king because he is forgetting about the people and acting like a kink and a dictator.
In the document “Jackson Battles the Bank”, it shows Jackson fighting off a monster, or the national bank, with a veto stick. Jackson was fighting to destroy the national bank. He wanted to do this because it favored the rich and not the common people. He was fighting for people to have equal rights. Instead of having no bank at all, he came up with the idea to create state banks which wouldn’t be as powerful as the National Bank.
He failed on his first president campaign. However, according to Christopher, with his bitter loss in the 1824 election, Jackson had become a symbol of popular that will struggling against elitist power broker and gave rise to a new era of democratic development and growing respect for the common man that would forever bear his name (Christopher). And Jackson, as popular wish, succeed in the 1828 president election, became the Seventh president of United States. Andrew Jackson’s contribution as a Military leader was tremendous. His bravery and wise leadership prevented this country from threatening aggressors.
Vetoing is to allow or reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body. The overall reason Jackson is known to be a tyrant is his abuse of power. The amount of vetoes he confirmed truly justifies the fact that he took advantage of his power. “The Second Bank of the United States was founded in 1816 and had a 20-year charter approved by congress that gave it the power to act exclusively as the federal government’s financial agent.” (Source 4)
Andrew Jackson during his time was considered a very patriotic politician he hated the rich, he hated the Indian, and loved the idea of slavery. It has been said that he grew up not educated and had a bad up bring but still managed to get to a high political suture. Jackson at one point was general and had a very decorated portfolio, which made sense he would become president, Andrew was most well know for “The Battle of New Orleans” where Andrew Jackson, prevented the British Army and General Edward Pakenham, from seizing New Orleans nearing the end of that war.
From what I read and what he said, I thought it sounded like he didn’t want to shut down the United States Bank. And then in Document 5, Webster acted like Jackson should put an end to the bank by saying, “It manifestly seeks to inflame the poor against the rich, it wantonly attacks whole classes of the people, for the purposes of turning against them the prejudices and resentment of the other classes.”
One of the biggest thing that Jackson had done as a president was in 1832. Jackson vetoed a bill that would renew the second bank charter early. Jackson stated “I will kill it!”. He said this because he didn’t like the bank at all and he believed that it made the rich richer and the poor poorer. He said in his veto message “It is easy to conceive that great evils to our country and its institutions might flow from such a concentration of power in the hands of a few men irresponsible to the people.”
The Force Bill, Andrew Jackson’s veto of the Bank Bill, and the qualifications for the right to vote are examples of how undemocratic politics were. The Force Bill of 1833 gave permission to president Jackson to use military force to deny South Carolina’s Ordinance of Nullification. This action of the government is undemocratic because it gives all the military power to Jackson, even if others disagree with what he is doing (Doc 7). Another example of how this time period was not a democracy is Andrew Jackson’s veto of the Bank Bill. He was known for his hatred of the national bank and claiming it as unconstitutional.
In the years 1829-1839, Jackson had decided to run for President. He thought that the “common man” should have more say in government, therefore, he was running as a Democratic. When he had run for President, he won with 178 electoral votes. Andrew Jackson was Democratic because he chose a “common man” to be in office and he vetoed the National Bank. There were a few reasons why Jackson was Democratic, but here is one.
Jackson did not know how to hold his tongue and got to fight often but, at age 17 he became more responsible and got a degree in law. Was Andrew Jackson a minute of people was he a dictator? I believe Andrew Jackson was a dictator because of the fact that he appointed Samuel Swartwout,