Essay Response #2 Emily Refici Suny American History Paventi Liverpool High School The figure of Andrew Jackson was controversial in the 1800s and continues to be divisive in contemporary society. As several academics praise Jackson for his fortitude and mass support, others fault him for his vengeful nature and abuse of his given authority. While it is indisputable that Andrew Jackson enhanced the power of the American presidency while preserving the union and directing the country toward democracy, it is evident that his presidency has far more liabilities than benefits. By abusing his power and using cruel and unconstitutional methods, it is apparent that Jackson's administration should be seen adversely. An individual …show more content…
On their website, the author expresses this, claiming that “President Andrew Jackson redefined what it meant to lead the country” (Document 2), take that as you will but according to the Hermitage, this was positive. One instance of Jackson's “refinement” of leading the country was passing the Tariff of 1832, an act to change and amend the many statutes establishing charges on imported goods. The hermitage contends that the Tariff of 1832, which shielded the northern economy from international competitors who supplied better prices, was perceived by South Carolinians as unfairly causing harm to their state while financially supporting northern manufacturing states. South Carolina invalidated the Tariff of 1832 and vowed to secede in late 1832. Jackson saved the day by disagreeing with them and threatening to use force against South Carolina if it disobeyed the law. A negotiated taxation that appeased South Carolina and a bill allowing the application of action to protect repeal were both passed by Congress after. Consequently, this only represents one version of the story, the one in favor of …show more content…
On December 10, 1832, Jackson issued his “Proclamation to the People of South Carolina,” asserting the supremacy of the federal government and warning that “disunion by armed force is treason” (Wallenfeldt) Because nullification would extract President Jackson from office, he did not like the idea of the South endangering it, and he regarded it as a threat. Jackson had the mentality that as the nation's leader, he had to do what he presumed to be right. Jackson's agency would be in jeopardy if the South were to succeed in eliminating the tariff because it would demonstrate to others that they too could overthrow the federal government, which goes to show that Jackson's reign should be viewed severely and that he abused his power by using immoral and unconstitutional
He said that regardless with the constitution put in place he was not going to let the states follow its laws. Jackson says that the laws were not current and that and that people from the union lost the real laws. He said that the people declared the us to be a nation and not a individually state governed nation. This argument is important because it helps me and others understand that the meaning of liberty during the time frame meant to
Calhoun drafted south carolina exposition and protest responding to the tariff, saying Congress shouldn’t favor one state/ region over another. Calhoun using protest advancing states’ rights doctrine, saying since states had formed national government, that state power was greater than federal power. Believing state's right to nullify, or to reject any federal law that judging to be
Andrew Jackson’s presidency is often thought of as the first modern presidency because his beliefs were representative of the peoples’. Some of his great achievements are that he prevented South Carolina from seceding from the Union in the Nullification Crisis and defeating the Creek nation in Alabama during the Creek War. However, everyone makes mistakes, and Jackson’s mistake was the Panic of 1837. Jackson’s failure though, made him realize his mistakes and
After Jackson would win an overwhelming victory in 1828, his presidency would be full of controversies that would threaten to divide the nation. In 1828, Jackson would push Congress to approve a tariff that would put them at their highest rate. Southern planters were greatly affect by this as they trade much of their cotton on the world market. They saw is as assisting northern interests and it would ultimately lead to South Carolina threatened disunion. His VP Calhoun secretly write to southern leaders asserted that their state had the right to declare the tariff void if their state legislature did not approve of it in 1828.
During the 1830’s, Andrew Jackson’s presidency became a time the United States encountered a historical change and was an era of the common man. While elected president, he created an era of American politics which created a growth of democracy. According to Give Me Liberty, “Unlike previous presidents, Jackson rose to prominence from a humble background, reflecting his era’s democratic opportunities” (p. 281). With that being said, Jackson generated political and economic changes during his presidency.
(Khan Academy, 2016) This was a very unrealistic and terrible idea, as this would mean any state could nullify any law they wanted and blame it on being “unconstitutional”. Because of the pamphlet, South Carolina began to claim that The Tariff of Abominations was unconstitutional and planned to refuse to follow it. Jackson heard about this, and despite being a fan of the South, knew this would set the stage for the entire South to secede from the U.S, as he thought of “Nullification as a prelude into secession” (Khan Academy, 2016). So, Jackson began lowering The Tariff of Abominations to appease South Carolina and other
The southerners had originally expected Andrew Jackson to reduce tariffs, considering he was from the south, but he instead made a compromise that gained the support of most northerners and about half of southern Congress members. South Carolina, however, was not satisfied with this. They were quick to call for nullification on the tariff, especially after John C. Calhoun wrote anonymously the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, and that is how the 1832 Ordinance of Nullification came about. This action taken by South Carolinians was most likely swayed by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson’s theories of nullification in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Jefferson’s charged rhetoric had introduced to the people the evidence that nullification is part of their given rights, which stayed present in the South
Jackson was both a fiery patriot and a strident partisan. Regarding the national union as indivisible and perpetual, he denounced nullification and secession while reproving policies like the tariff which fostered sectional divisiveness. His aggressive Indian removal policy and his espousal of cheaper western land prices reflected his nationalism 's grounding in the southwestern frontier. Jackson 's powerful personality played an instrumental role in his presidency. He indulged in violent hatreds, and the extent to which his political positions reflected mere personal animus is still debated.
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
Andrew Jackson contributed many conspicuous matters to the United States throughout his presidential term. Many debates remain active concerning the intention of the seventh president of our nation. When some retrospect the essence of Jackson, they would confirm that he is accurately known for representing the rights of the common man, and for being at the forefront of our modern democratic party. On the contrary, others will condemn this once so ordinary, “common” man for possessing an insatiable crave of power that was occupied within this insidious prime minister. Jackson revealed his underlying intentions through his colossal aggregate of slaves, serving as the basis of the Trail of Tears, and his overabuse of the Spoils System.
(Henry Holt and Company 1898). What Jackson is trying to say is that the people who live in South Carolina must follow what Congress is saying or doing. If they do not follow what they tell them, it will be considered an independent state. Jackson did not want them to operate from the Union as he wants to repair or mend it back together.
South Carolina was furious about the new acts that Henry Clay had put into order. South Carolina felt that the high tariffs were unconstitutional and were pushing their citizens into poverty. Later South Carolina published an Ordinance of Nullification saying that they did not have to abide by the law of the higher tariffs, and that their officials did not have to enforce their citizens to follow it either. South Carolina also threatened to leave the Union if anyone tried to stop them from following this new Ordinance of Nullification. Of course President Andrew Jackson saw this as a huge issue.
Brittany Randall-Neppl APUSH Period 6 Mr. Kloster 12/19/2014 Andrew Jackson: Champion of the Common Man or Tyrant Andrew Jackson was born into a common life but overcame his mediocre beginnings to become a powerful politician; in 1828 he was elected president of the United States. However, he abused this position of power and made several choices that were detrimental to the welfare and rights of the American people. Jackson implemented the spoils system on a national scale and had unofficial members of his cabinet who did not have to answer to Congress. After South Carolinians were upset by the Tariff of 1832 he was angry toward those who did not agree with it. He also destroyed the National Bank and authorized the Specie Circular.
Andrew Jackson, being a tyrant, abused his power in his time of presidency. He was the 7th president, but before Jackson’s presidency, he had no political experience. One of the only things that really qualified him was the hardships he went through when he was younger. His father had died while Jackson was young and Jackson received the reputation as a “self-made man”, or an independent man.
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.”