Andrew Jackson Aeurtms Presidency example essay topic

During Andrew Jackson^aEURTMs presidency (1829-1837), Jackson put in his own ideas that were drastically diverse. These ideas were called Jacksonian Democracy. Jackson dealt with the nullification in Southern states because of tariffs, removal of Native Americans, dealing with Federalist vs. State regarding removal, spoil system, and attacking the National Bank. Some of these events had a positive outcome and some outcomes were not as good. To protect America from British manufacturers trying to destroy American competitors, Congress passed tariffs to protect American industry. These were increased in 1824 and 1828.

The high tariff of manufactured goods reduced British exports to the U.S., and because of this Britain bought less cotton. With this decline of British goods, the south was forced to buy more expensive northern manufactured goods. The south felt that the north was getting richer at their expense. Calhoun, the vice-president and native of South Carolina created a nullification theory.

This theory questioned the legality of applying some federal laws in sovereign states. If the constitution had been established by thirteen sovereign states, he reasoned, and then they must be sovereign, and each has the right to determine whether an act of congress was constitutional. If not, the states had the right to declare that law abolished. If not, the majority in the Federal government would crush the rights of the minority. In 1832, the issue of states rights was tested when a tariff law was passed that South Carolina legislators saw as unacceptable, they declared the tariffs nullified and they threatened to secede from the Union if anyone came to collect taxes. Jackson became furious when hearing these threats.

He felt that the actions in declaring a federal law void, ignored the will of the people as written in the Constitution. He declared these actions as treasonous and threatened to hang Calhoun and send troops into South Carolina to impose the tariff. In 1883, with Jackson's approval, a Force Bill was passed. This allowed the federal government to use the army against South Carolina if state authorities refused to accept paying dues. There would possibly been a Civil War, until Henry Clay stepped in and created a compromise. He proposed a tariff that would gradually lower taxes over a ten-year period.

There was a compromise for now but this topic would come again in the Civil War. Andrew Jackson acted too hastily and forcefully and if not for Henry Clay, there would be a Civil War. This event brought much more conflict between North and South that would play a big part in the Civil War. This was a negative point in the Jacksonian democracy. Being a Southerner and Indian fighter, Jackson wanted the Indians off land that white farmers wanted. He wanted them moved westward.

Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. This act allowed the federal government to provide finances to bargain pacts that would coerce the Native Americans to move west. Jackson used his new power in 1830, when he pressured the Choctaw to sign a treaty that forced them out of Mississippi. In 1831, he planned to send U.S. troops to forcibly eradicate the Sauk and Fox from land in Illinois and Missouri and forced the Chickasaw to leave Alabama and Mississippi. The civilized Cherokees fought for justice through the legal system; because they counted as a foreign nation, they had no federal standing. They did not surrender and were helped by Samuel Worcester.

Worcester vs. Georgia was ruled in 1832. The Cherokees won and were recognized as a political community who Georgia was not entitled to control and take land from. Jackson refused to listen to the Supreme Court decision. Cherokees still tried to fight in the courts but the Cherokees who promoted relocation to Oklahoma were considered the true representatives of Cherokees. These representatives signed the Treaty of New Echo ta; this gave the remaining land to the government in exchange for $5 million and land in Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears, where the remaining Cherokees in the east were forced into Oklahoma was an indirect event of Jackson's presidency.

The way Jackson treated the Natives was brutal and so forcing. This was the worst thing that was done in Jacksonian democracy. Andrew Jackson felt that he was the president for the people, where mob rule was accepted. Therefore, he wanted a way to give common people a chance to participate in government.

His appointees would serve four year terms, so officeholders would not become corrupt and lazy. This made a rotation in office which let Jackson give jobs to friends and allies. He fired 10 percent of the officeholders from Adams? presidency. This spoils system lets you throw out workers from the other administration and you bring in your own people. This system is positive because it keeps the workers honest and hard working because their job could be taken away. Also, the president coming into power can bring in people he trusts and knows will do a good job at their position.

The Bank of the United States, this was the one organization that Andrew Jackson greatly disliked. He believed that the bank helped to cause the Panic of 1819. To Jackson, the bank signified Eastern power and prosperity. The bank, he felt was used by the wealthy, who had no care for the common people and the bank would not help those people. The banks financial power and authority on the economy threatened American democracy. Jackson felt that it might try to control the government and disrupt free trade.

Jackson did have evidence; because all federal tax revenues were deposited in the Bank instead of state or private banks, the stockholders (wealthy people) earned the extra interest from these banks. Also, loans were extended for congressmen at lower rates of interest than the average citizen. After Jackson won his second term, he wanted his secretary of the treasury to move all government deposits into Democratic banks, his second treasurer did. The National Bank soon fell apart and the people in New York put the pieces together and made New York the new financial capital.

Jackson^aEURTMs strong policies disturbed many people in his own party; they called him King Andrew because of those policies. His strong actions had a bad conclusion because he lost his supporters. One effect of this was the establishment of the Whig party. The degeneration of the BUS was excellent because it only worked for rich people and after that people gave more of an equal opportunity to all people. Throughout his Administration, Jackson did what he promised to do. He fought for rights for the common people by separating the Bank of the United States establishing the spoils system.

These things done for the common people had a positive result that helped many simple people. The other points of Jacksonian democracy, like pushing out the Indians and his reaction to the nullification crisis in South Carolina showed his anger and hatred for the Indians and his reaction to the nullification crisis showed his short temper. Jackson was a democratic president who wanted the common man to succeed, but his anger and quick temper were shown in how he drove the country.