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Successes and failures of President Andrew Jackson
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To those pursuing the highest echelon of power in the United States- the Presidential office in the 1830’s, pedigree, privilege, and wealth were the necessary virtues of birth for those trying to imitate the leadership, poise, and brevity of a Washington or an Adams. Yet, Andrew Jackson was born into none of these and one day assumed the coveted position of President of the United States. Andrew Jackson was truly the first American leader to be a “Man of the People.” He was a man who truly understood the plight of the common man, and he exemplified the words so gloriously preserved in the constitution. Jackson was a president of the people, elected by the people, and for the people.
As a child born into an immigrant family of no political or
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social status at all, Jackson experienced and witnessed the tyranny and ridiculous amount of power that the rich held in his nation. From the age of 14, orphaned, hardened, and experienced, Jackson had to climb up the social ladder and break though the ceilings that held him down to gain the political power and status that every man deserved with his freedom. Through the oppression and hurdles he faced, Jackson experienced the predicaments that the common man faced in his country and grew sympathetic to their cause. In early America, conscription and drafting to the front lines were a danger unknown to the rich and wealthy. With the right amount of money, one could buy any position they liked, or even avoid the draft altogether. Yet to the poor of America, it was a very real danger. During the War of 1812, when many poor Americans were being forced to fight, wealthy Jackson accepted the call of duty and fought for his nation along with the unwashed soldiers he one was. He did not use his status and clout to dodge the draft and call of duty but he used it to help his nation and by extension the people. His sacrifice and service toward our nation is yet another example of how this wealthy plantation-owner was really a common man with the people’s best interests within him. However, he did not just care about the people but he was the people.
Inside him, his everyman upbringing and experiences still greatly influenced him and his beliefs. To see that he was a true “Man of the People,” one must look no further than his actions once he surpassed his boundaries and became a wealthy plantation-owner. Even when Jackson became a poster-boy for the old-money elites of Early America, Jackson still never forgot his origins or his upbringing. From his first day in politics to the last, Jackson dedicated himself to enhance and improve the life and existence of the common man. Even when his decisions would affect his support, funding, or social standing, Jackson always kept the people’s interests at …show more content…
heart. This can be seen on multiple occasions.
For example, during the National Bank Veto incident. Jackson, a man who grew up in a world where a bank represented predatory practices, abuse, and corruption, was fiercely distrustful of banks so large and powerful that they could manipulate the economy, vetoed the recharter of the bank. He believed that banks were the intrinsic enemies of the common man and his interests. This episode shows how Jackson was willing to defend the interests of the common man even if it meant destroying one of the most powerful institutions in the nation along with angering their political allies.
Although the typical vote-hungry politician looking for re-election might have vetoed the recharter. Jackson made several other decisions that truly shows how he was “the people’s president.”
Other examples of Andrew Jackson foregoing politics in favor of the common man’s interests are seen in the reforms that Jackson instigated. To cut down on corruption and the influence of the wealthy in American government, Jackson’s administration started huge investigations into the cabinet and into all branches of government even though there was mass political backlash. Jackson even reformed embezzlement, tax, and accounting laws to make it harder to steal or embezzle money from the people. Andrew Jackson’s actions as president show how he understood the common man and was a “Man of the
People.”
Jackson’s spoils system opened government positions to only his supporters and he had little tolerance for
Andrew Jackson, revered as the first common man to become President, symbolized the average citizen having the opportunity to climb the ranks within America 's democratic system. However, the profits of Jackson 's administration succeed in concealing his immoral procedures and behavior. Jackson 's methods worked accordingly to the reasoning of the father of political science, Machiavelli, who said, “The end justifies the means”. He achiev...
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of America who had a very unique time in office. Jackson advertised as being for the people of the United States but then his actions proved otherwise at later times. While Jackson did things for the people, he was as much of an autocrat as he was a democrat based upon the documents that were formed during his time in office.
Andrew Jackson was a man that people see that he is a good person and others say he is a terrible person. Andrew Jackson can be bad person and a good person it depends what type of person is Andrew Jackson is he going to help out the world or is he going to mess up the world? Democracy is a form of government were the people have a right to assist in the law making process. If Jackson didn’t support the people and wasn’t in the government the bank and the people would be in a huge mess. Andrew Jackson was very democratic and there are political , economic and geographic ways to prove it.
Andrew Jackson was a good president. He helped shaped the United States to the way it is today. Andrew Jackson had his up and downs as any president would. Jackson did what he thought was good for the common man. He was a common man who brought himself up all the way from he bottom.
Old Hickory himself, President Andrew Jackson, knew the importance of having the common man behind him in a democracy; even if in reality he was not behind the common man. Jackson, who sought divine intervention, used the loyalties of believers to push through his agenda against the banks. The banks became “the evil giant” (the Goliath) that sought to destroy this new country along with its citizens. Jackson used his knowledge of religion to gain support and public opinion as he convinced them that his motives were righteous. In Harry L. Watson’s book, Liberty and Power, he wrote;
To some people Andrew Jackson is remembered as the, metaphorically speaking, “People’s King” and is accused of dictator-like political moves. However, Andrew Jackson was quite the contrary, he was exalted amongst the people for being the new era of democracy: instilling a political revolution, the protection of the American people, and social equality among the masses. Therefore, Andrew Jackson was a precedent of democratic rule in the United States.
As soon as Andrew Jackson came into office, he fired 10% of the government’s employees, mainly from the post office, and placed his own supporters into the vacated posts. This may not have been a problem if he replaced these workers with people who were qualified, but the vast majority of Andrew Jackson’s appointments were incompetent. Thus, the government became bloated and less efficient. Andrew Jackson development of a special system to reward his cronies with government jobs without formal training, demonstrates that Andrew Jackson should be remembered as
Jackson remained in the military after the war. Late in 1817,he received orders to subdue the Seminole Native Americans, who were raiding across the border from Spanish Florida itself. He captured its bastions at St. Marks Pensacola and arrested, tried, and executed two British nationalists whom he charged with abetting the Native Americans.
Andrew Jackson also known as, “The people’s choice,” was a self made man. He represented the South and the Western frontier expansionism. He was a strong military leader, a superior Court judge, and an Indian fighter. Jackson represented the common man. The United States of America benefitted greatly from the actions of Andrew Jackson.
By the time Jackson came to power, the nation had been drastically changed by the Industrial Revolution. The simple, pastoral, agricultural lifestyle was being replaced by the manufacturing world, of cities and factories. Politically, the nation was in great turmoil. There was still an everlasting debate among men in power, over what should prevail, the rights of the states, or the rights of the Federal Government. If not for several personal reasons, Jackson would have been a staunch advocator of states rights. The right to vote was still a major issue, the middle class feeling robbed of power in governmental decisions, the upperclass feeling threatened by the growth of the middleclass. However, Jackson brought with him many new ideas and principles. Since he himself had very modest roots, he sympathized with the middle and lower classes. He had worked for everything he had of value in life, and he acknow...
Jackson wants to find something that will make him feel like he has done something for his culture and his people. These sayings contradict his actions because every time he gets closer to gaining more money, he spends it. In the long run, Jackson’s pitfalls did not stop his determination to gain back the regalia and ultimately find his personal identity. Given that he is Native American, the reader might assume that Jackson has a feeling of resentment towards white people due to the displacement of his people. From the beginning of the story, Jackson reveals a protective feeling caused by white people.
Andrew Jackson, who characterized the Jacksonian Era, was known widely as a “common man.” He resembled the people who were the majority of nation, which explains why he was admired by them. He also believed in benefiting the whole nation, and not one specific group of people. After the War of 1812, he was known as a hero and later developed his political career. He was determined to develop the nation, and create social equality, Jackson made changes to the country’s economy and politics. He was the symbol for the Democratic Party. Some changes produced negative outcomes, but Jackson’s alterations supported the lower and unprivileged people of the nation. Andrew Jackson defined the era. Economic and political developments defined by Jackson,
Andrew Jackson began a whole new era in American history. Amongst his greatest accomplishments were evoking the "common man" to be interested in government and tailoring democracy to satisfy the same "common man's" needs. Of course, Jackson could not go about making such radical changes without supporters, but that never surfaced as a problem. Jacksonian Democrats, as they came to be called, were great in number during the 1820's and 1830's. They advocated all of the issues that President Jackson did, and did so with great vigor. They thought of themselves very highly because they recognized their responsibilities as American citizens. They realized that as political leaders they had a true purpose- to protect and serve the American people. The Jacksonians justified their view of themselves in their sincere attempts to guard the United States Constitution by both promoting equality of economic opportunity and increasing political democracy, but they had their downfalls with issues of individual liberties.
Andrew Jackson was undoubtedly a man of the people. He was the first president to be chosen by the people and his background was not that of a typical president. He was not born into a rich family. Jackson's favored the general public rather than the wealthy. His election shifted the balance of power from the wealthy East Coast, to farmers and small businesspeople in the west. Jackson vetoed more bills than all previous presidents did in an attempt to help the common man.