Andrew Jackson As A Common Man

897 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Pros and cons of Andrew Jackson

Caroline King
Dr. Hogge
US History H II
March 31st, 2014
Andrew Jackson: Common Man
Andrew Jackson was often seen throughout his time as president as a common man, with his best interests lying with the people of the United States. From 1829 to 1837, Jackson allowed for changes in the government that he believed would help the common man’s daily agenda and financial stability. With a strong federal government, the Indian Removal Acts, and the Spoils System built during his presidency, the Jacksonian era was proven to be the era of the “common man.”
Jackson continually kept the people in mind during his choice decisions, not wanting the aristocracy to rule over America and its growing financial empires across the country. He believed everyone deserved a fair chance at life and at making money. For this reason, Jackson also wanted the federal government to have more overall power than each individual state. In 1832, the state of South Carolina argued that the state could defy Congress, and within its boundaries not abide by laws presented through the federal government, if the state did not like them. Jackson was outraged by the state’s lack of respect and refusal to come to terms with the federal government. As stated in Document E, Jackson finds the power to annul a law of the US “incompatible with the existence of the Union…”. His reasoning for not allowing South Carolina to go through with nullification is he feels a lack of unity will develop among the states if they think they can simply change or ignore a law if they feel it not fit for their specific state. With this, the federal government is left to shambles as well. Jackson continues his beliefs as shown through Document C and the Bank War of 1832. Once again his thou...

... middle of paper ...

...ckson felt this was not right, considering only those in Kentucky and the surrounding areas would be using it. He stated that if there was to be a road, the state could pay for it itself. In this specific instance, Jackson kept his promise to be a common man, and to stick with the common man through times of disagreement.
Although many may say that Andrew Jackson was more a King than a President, the facts do not add up. Continually Jackson proved to be a man of the people, making the Jacksonian era one focused on the well being of the common man of the country. Farmers and small business workers and owners were specifically catered to, while the wealthy were forced to retreat from their exclusiveness in the economy of the country, in instances like the second Bank of the United States. Jackson proved more times than not to be a constant supporter of the common man.

Show More
Related

  • Jackson Should Be Removed From the Twenty Dollar Bill

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Jacksonian Democracy Dbq

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jackson was a strong opponent of the unequal and aristocrat dominated economic structure of most of America. He was very against the Bank of America because he believed it to have a monopoly on banking and felt that it was owned and run unjustly by wealthy aristocrats who were not always Americans (B). It must also be noted however, that while the Bank of America was undoubtedly corrupt (Nicholas Biddle is known to have given sums of money to close friends, and was also known to regularly bribe newspapers and similar media.) it also did what it was supposed to do very well. It provided money and credit to many of the lower classes that Jackson defended, and also was the source of much economic growth. As a result of this veto Jackson established pet banks in many Western areas to try to appease his main group of supporters and build up the rivalry between the agrarian South and West and the industrial North (C). Many immigrants found that one of the first things they discovered upon entering America was a sense of economic equality and lack of poverty, which are exactly the things Jackson was working towards (D). The case Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge decided that a charter given a person or group to do a service does not allow that group to have complete rights over this service. This decision supports the Jacksonian Democracy ideas that the rights of the community are more important than the rights of business (H).

    Read More

  • Andrew Jackson Dbq Essay

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Andrew Jackson Cruel

    341 Words  | 1 Pages

    Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States and represented the common people. He did many things that he believed helped the people of the United States, but in fact were unconstitutional. In my opinion Andrew Jackson acted like a king. Some of the damaging events of his presidency include the bank war, the trail of tears and the nullification crisis.

    Read More

  • Andrew Jackson Dbq Essay

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Fallen Guardian of the Constitution; Andrew Jackson

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    America had faced many challenges from the War of 1812 and the Panic of 1819. The 1828 election of Andrew Jackson promoted both a political and social change in America as many began to feel a renewed sense of optimism and hope for America’s future. Although Jacksonian Democrats, supports and followers of Andrew Jackson, did not live up to their self-appointed roles as the guardians of the Constitution, they were successful in expanding political democracy, protecting certain individuals’ liberties, and creating equal economic opportunities.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Jefferson And Jacksonian Democracy

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    He was elected by popular vote. Jackson wanted to cater to the common people. Jackson was the first president to become a democrat. The other presidents before him were either a federalist, democratic-republican or a republican. He vetoed more than twelve bills than his six predecessors. He wanted to make sure his people were treated fairly. The first president, George Washington, to the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, only vetoed nine bills. The first six presidents before him were wealthy and educated. Andrew Jackson did not have much money and felt education was not really necessary. Overall, Jackson seemed to be a hero compared to the other presidents before him.

    Read More

  • Andrew Jackson: The People's King

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Age Of Jackson

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Legacy Of Andrew Jackson

    1363 Words  | 3 Pages

    Andrew Jackson is one of the most controversial presidents. Many regard him as a war hero, the father of the Democratic Party, an inspiring leader, and a spokesman for the common man. While there is plenty to praise about the seventh president, his legacy is tarnished by his racism, disregard for the law of the land, cruelty towards the Native Americans, and ruthless temper. Jackson was an intriguing man who was multi-faceted. One must not look at a singular dimension, and cast judgment on him as a whole. To accurately evaluate one of the most complex presidents, it is crucial to observe Jackson from all possible angles. Prior lifestyle, hardships in life, political ideology, lifestyle of the time, political developments, and his character

    Read More

  • Democracy In The 19th Century

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, critics of Jackson and democracy called him “King Andrew I” because of his apparent abuse of presidential power [vetoing]. These critics believed he favored the majority so much that it violated the U.S. constitution, and they stated he was straying too far away from the plan originally set for the United States. Because of the extreme shift of power to the majority, the limiting of rights of the few [merchants, industrialists] and the abuse of power under Jackson’s democracy, the foundational documents set in the constitution was violated, and the work of the preceding presidents were all but lost. During the construction of the new Constitution, many of the most prominent and experienced political members of America’s society provided a framework on the future of the new country; they had in mind, because of the failures of the Articles of Confederation, a new kind of government where the national or Federal government would be the sovereign power, not the states. Because of the increased power of the national government over the individual states, many Americans feared it would hinder their ability to exercise their individual freedoms.

    Read More

  • The Indian Removal Policy Summary

    501 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jackson ignored congress and did what he wanted. On the Economic Issue document it said, “Ignore congress and force treasury secretary to change”. He wanted the federal government to take all their money out of the US. bank and put it into state banks, but congress said that he could not change the secretary. This shows that he acted more like a king because he wanted the money to be removed from the US bank and put into State banks he changed treasury secretary so that they would do what he

    Read More

  • Jacksonian Democracy

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    Topic: Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity.

    Read More

  • Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy are the same in just about every regard. Their views and goals as presidents are the same. Both are in favor of the common man and feel that it is the common people who should have the biggest influence on government, not the wealthy aristocrats. They also support states rights and feel that the federal government should not get involved with the state affairs. Both men's actions clearly show that the common man does not include minorities.

    Read More

  • Bernie Sanders Argumentative Essay

    471 Words  | 1 Pages

    Andrew Jackson was nicknamed as a “common man” because he was similar to the citizens who voted him into office. Along with many other achievements, his main reason for being a liked politician was because he gave government power back to the civilians. Jackson reduced the price of tariffs and also dissipated power from central government. He was a friendly personable candidate and his political views were beneficial to America. His success along with his familiar presence granted him presidency. Thoughtout his presidential term, he enacted laws that the people wanted and tried to improve the economy for the American citizens.

    Read More

More about Andrew Jackson As A Common Man

Open Document