From Andrew Jackson's Obstruction To Democracy

Andrew Jackson was the first president to be born in a log cabin, similarly to other colonists at the time. Throughout his lifetime, he took upon several occupations before his presidency including serving as a general during the Revolutionary War and becoming an attorney in Tennessee. After winning the election of 1828 by a landslide, Jackson continued his career by serving two terms as President of the United States. While Jackson advanced democracy in various ways during his presidency, he also obstructed the democracy in many other ways.

Jackson saw himself as a representative to “the people.” To show his promote his belief, Jackson expanded more political opportunities to the common man, along with expanding the voting rights to white, working men. During his inauguration, he also

Many of his decisions troubled Republicans such as Henry Clay, a statesman from Kentucky and John C. Calhoun, an American statesman from South Carolina. Jackson’s first obstruction to democracy could be first seen in the idea often referred as the “spoils system.” After Jackson was inaugurated, Jackson sought to expand executive powers and remove the political elite. During his presidency, Jackson followed through in his actions by replacing the federal members of his cabinet with supporters of himself, along with his close family friends. Jackson obstruction to democracy is further seen when he “killed” the Second Bank of the United States. Although many people supported his decisions, the Bank benefitted the colonists in complicated ways such as providing a uniform currency across the nation and controlling the ability for state banks to issue paper money. Because Jackson vetoed the Bank Recharter Bill, it resulted in the Panic of 1837 and left the colonists in an extensive financial crisis. While Jackson’s ideas was popular to the common man, his ideas left Americans in economic