The Impact Of Andrew Jackson's Legacy

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Andrew Jackson’s legacy has proved many things about him, his ambition, talent and ability to get the job done has shaped a future for America although not necessarily in a good way. Along with the highlights of his legacy the downfalls may over shadow them, his actions alone with the trail of tears were detrimental to the Native American people, along with his ill temperament and controversial acts of racism. His inability to follow the guidelines that we still use and respect today, a man who is a poster boy for all those things isn’t fit to personify what it means to be an American. The reason Jackson had supporters has never been unclear he was a lower class orphan who worked his to the top. from a victorious general to a world leader …show more content…

the removal acts were not only unjust but it should constitute as genocide. It’s no secret that in the early 1830s the natives of America weren’t exactly welcomed by most although over time most did their best to adapt to the European American cultures around them and often converted to Christianity, people began to open up a bit more so much so that when Jackson did present the Indian removal act there was push back “thousands of northern white women signed a petition arguing that the Cherokee should not be removed from their land”(vander velede, section 11, slide vocab) and as if his people protesting wasn’t enough he also received push back from the supreme court. “After the Indian removal act only narrowly passed congress, an 1832 supreme court ruling declared it unconstitutional.”( keenan, 2 ) These people had just as much right to be on their land as anyone else it is a part of what America stood for and still stands for …show more content…

Jackson was fully aware of what that land could be used for “he was a slave owner who bought and sold men in bulk” ( Dougherty , 2) the lands were used for white settlements and more slave plantations. Now Jackson being a slave owner is not incredibly shocking for being a man of his time but his cruelty on the other hand was “When one of his slaves showed the Jacksonian temerity to escape his master, Jackson offered a $50 reward "and $10 extra for every 100 lashes a person will give to the amount of 300" — basically a freelance death sentence.”(Dougherty,2) A main cause of this atrocious behavior was for his own personal gain “part of Jacksons personal wealth came through land that had been promised to Indians in a treaty.”(Dougherty,5) For a person who spoke often of being a man of the people it’s slightly too convenient that he got more out of it than anyone. it’s easily arguable that every choice that Jackson made was for his own gain and against the non- white community. “It 's completely justified to say that Jacksonian democracy reflected this same grasping ambition of the newly expanded white voting classes at the expense of slaves and Indians.” ( Dougherty 3) a democracy that is built on personal agenda showing

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