President Andrew Jackson example essay topic

Homicide Case No. 31836 Murder Victim: Jackson, Andrew Back round information: Jackson was shot in the chest while on the steps of the Capitol before his people on January 3, 1836. The murderer was lost during the chaos that followed the shooting. Jackson was pronounced dead 36 hours later. Possible Suspects and Descriptions: Sus No 1: Calhoun, John C Calhoun is the former Vice President of Jackson. He resigned from office from the end result of the Peggy Eaton Affair, in which the President was said to have made mean accusations targeted at Calhoun wife. During the Peggy Eaton affair, President Jackson defended the honor of Mrs. Eaton who was being "snubbed" by the other wives of cabinet members.

After his resignation, Calhoun entered the Senate as a champion of South Carolina. Calhoun opposed Jackson in more ways then just the Peggy Eaton affair. Though Calhoun was a nationalist his secret espousal of nullification in "the South Carolina Exposition" of 1828 in which he asserted nullification of federal laws proved differently. Jackson was for the Tariff of 1828 and caused Calhoun to be opposed to Jackson, which also led to Calhoun's resignation in 1832.

Calhoun is said to have been extremely frustrated because he could not do anything about Jackson's views toward tariffs, which benefited only industrial North and hurt slaveholding South. In 1832 the South Carolina legislature did just that. The next year in the Senate Calhoun and Daniel Webster opposed each other over slavery and states' rights in a debate. John C. Calhoun is the only vice president to resign. Sus. No 2: Nicholas Biddle Former President of the Bank of the United States.

Biddle lost his occupation when Jackson vetoed the proposal to recharter the Bank of the United States. Biddle compared Jackson's veto message to "the fury of a chained panther biting at the bars of his cage... a manifesto of anarchy, such as Marat or Robespierre might have issued to the mobs". And he and his allies were well satisfied that it would prove Jackson's undoing. The "bank war", undermined the credit of the institution, and after the bill for its re-charter was vetoed in 1832, Biddle's efforts to save the bank failed. The withdrawal of the government deposits by Jackson's order in 1833 precipitated financial disasters that involved the whole country. Biddle's friends assert that his non-partisanship provoked Jackson's hostility, a claim denied by Jackson's admirers.

Sus. No. 3: Marshall, John Suspect ion rejection: Alla by was legally accepted, Marshall had been dead a year. Marshall would have been physically unable to murder Jackson because of his age. Marshall was the famous Chief Justice that judged such cases as Marbury vs. Madison. However, Marshall's difficulties with President Jackson reached their peak when Marshall declared against Georgia in the matter of expelling the Cherokee a decision that the state flouted.

The 1830's discovery of gold in Cherokee territory resulted in pressure by whites to obtain their lands. A treaty was extracted from a small part of the tribe, binding the whole people to move beyond the Mississippi River within three years. Although the Cherokee overwhelmingly repudiated this document and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the nation's autonomy, the state of Georgia secured an order for their removal, which was accomplished by military force. President Andrew Jackson refused to intervene, and in the tribe was deported to the Indian Territory. Thousands died on the march, known as the "Trail of Tears", or from subsequent hardships.

Sus. No. 4: Adams, John Quincy Thought of Jackson as ignorant. Adams was replaced by Jackson. Adams and Jackson were not on good terms in many instances. Jackson held Adams responsible for Rachelle Jacksons death. Adams thought of Jackson as ignorant.

Cold and introspective, Adams was not generally popular, but he was respected for his high-mindedness and knowledge. In 1824 Adams was a candidate for the U.S. presidency. Neither he, nor Andrew Jackson, nor Henry Clay received a majority in the Electoral College, and the election was decided in the House of Representatives. There Clay supported Adams, making him president. Adams appointed Clay secretary of state, over the Jacksonians' cry that the appointment fulfilled a corrupt bargain. With little popular support and without a party, Adams had an unhappy, ineffective administration, despite his attempts to institute a broad program of internal improvements.

After Jackson won the 1828 election, Adams retired but returned to new renown as a U.S. representative. His eloquence, persistence, and moral forcefulness brought an end to the House gag rule on debate about slavery, and he attacked all other measures that would extend that institution, as well as Jackson's forced removal of southeastern tribes. Sus. No. 5: Buren, Martin Van Rising from a background of machine politics in New York State, he gained national prominence as secretary of state and then Vice President in the administration of Andrew Jackson. As Jackson's most trusted adviser, he figured in the nullification crisis and the struggle over the Bank of the United States, and he emerged as a champion of Jacksonian democracy. Elected to the presidency in 1836 as Jackson's prot " eg'e just after his death.

While much sadness surrounded him, Buren seemed cordial and rejoicing, even with the death of his friend. Sus. No. 6: Clay, Henry As a candidate for the presidency in 1824, Clay had the fourth largest number of electoral votes, and, with no candidate having a majority; the election went to the House, where the three highest were to be voted upon. It became Clay's duty to vote for one of his rivals. Despite the Western interests of Andrew Jackson and despite the instructions of the Kentucky legislature to vote for him, Clay's dislike for the military hero was so intense that he voted for John Quincy Adams. When President Adams appointed Clay Secretary of State, Jackson's friends cried "corrupt bargain" and charged Clay with political collusion.

Evidence has not been found to prove this, but the accusation impeded Clay's future political fortunes. As Secretary of State (1825-29), he secured congressional approval-which came too late for the American delegates to attend-of U.S. participation in the Pan-American Congress of 1826. Conclusion: It is my belief, after intense questioning and investigation, that Henry Clay is the assassin of Andrew Jackson. Henry Clay was physically able to do the crime, was famous in politics for compromises and therefore was slick and able to slip away and reason with people in order to demolish any accusation against him. However, after extensive research I have found that Henry Clay was scandalous and had stooped to tricks before and I believe that his frustration over the several failures he had for presidential elections threw in over the edge and impaired his sanity.