Andrew Jackson Influence On American Politics

Throughout time Andrew Jackson is portrayed in different ways. When first elected in 1824 many felt that he won the title unjustly. There was a controversy of a “corrupt bargain”. At the start of the nineteenth century historians “damned Jackson as a backwoods bargain” and believed Jacksonians was “an irresponsible, ill-bred outburst”. As time went on many viewed Jackson as a hero and leader.

“The Birth of Modern Politics” is about the 1828 presidential election, which pitted Andrew Jackson vs. against John Quincy Adams. Parson’s book also discusses the events in Andrew Jackson’s and John Quincy Adams’ lives leading up to it as well. The book opens by giving background information about Andrew Jackson and his achievements. Specifically, his success in conquering the Native Americans at the battle of New Orleans and his humble origins made Jackson America’s first “man of the people” candidate for the 1824 election. However, during the 1824 election, Jackson had lost to Adams to which his followers claimed he was denied and should have won.

Another example of Jacksonian Democracy giving a helpful hand to the common folk was with the tariff. The tariff gave the small industries in America to have a chance to rise. When the industries raised so did the workforce, which helped support the common white male. Countries in the south disliked this tariff because it forced them to buy domestic materials at a higher price, but this

Watson’s book further describes that Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay mainly had political differences, morals, and characteristics. Although Andrew Jackson- like Henry Clay- was a supporter of increased democracy and economic development, he and his supporters still tended to believe that the growing wealth and power of

According to Thomas P. Abernethy, Jackson was “a frontier nabob who took sides against the democratic movement in his own state…an opportunist for whom democracy was good talk with which to win the favor of the people and thereby accomplish ulterior objectives.” Different views of Jackson continued the debate about who he really was as a leader. It was not until historian Arthur Schlesinger, took a different look at the study of Jackson. He believed that Jackson’s presidency was designed to suppress the power of capitalists, and try to help those of the lower classes. Other historians continued to disagree with Schlesinger, while others supported his idea or enhanced it, saying Jackson was almost similar to a Marxist.

The Antebellum Period that lasted roughly from 1825–1850 is an era known for its many reform movements and major transformations in American society. Prior to the popularity of reform movements in American society was the 1828 election in which Andrew Jackson became the seventh president. Jackson professed himself the “champion of the common man,” where the “common man” meant white men. Nevertheless, his presidency caused the development of a more popular mass democracy, or Jacksonian Democracy as it is commonly referred to. The westward expansion that occurred during Jackson’s presidency lead to a shift in America’s economical makeup from a mercantile/market economy to capitalism.

The founders of the United States did their best to create a government that would not allow erroneous decisions to greatly harm the nation. They set a percent of presidents being politically sound and well-known; their beliefs for how the nation should be handled were essential to their campaign. President Andrew Jackson, however, did not follow this system, instead winning primarily by his personality and popularity amongst the common American. While his actions in office often appeared to be for the people, most had a hidden selfish side to them that he easily covered up. With the election of 1828, Jackson radically changed American politics, focusing them more on public appearance and personal character than on intelligence and political views, making personality just as, if not more important than the actual politics of a political term.

Andrew Jackson was seen as a common man the voice of the people by some. By others he was King Andrew, trampling the constitution and instigating tyranny. Jackson’s presidency impacted democracy, through his use of the veto power, and his claim of Clay creating a “corrupt bargain”, which is not a turning point for a rise in democracy despite him giving white male suffrage. During Jackson’s use of executive power weakened voice of the people.

Andrew Jackson presidency focused a lot on small government and pleasing the common man. He attempted to shut down national banks to make government smaller. Jackson also enforces things like the Indian Removal Policy, which strengthened the bond between Jackson and the common man. Jackson was the first and only president to make the country debt too. All of these impacted are government today very much as well as other governments around the world.

He also thought that the National Bank stood in the way of opportunity for capitalists in the west and other regions. This clearly shows that Jackson had the interest of all people, the cornerstone of democracy. The article “Jackson’s Inauguration”, is another document that shows how democratic Andrew Jackson really was. This article shows how Andrew Jackson opened up the White House in celebration of his upcoming presidency. Some people saw this as a bad thing.

Brittany Randall-Neppl APUSH Period 6 Mr. Kloster 12/19/2014 Andrew Jackson: Champion of the Common Man or Tyrant Andrew Jackson was born into a common life but overcame his mediocre beginnings to become a powerful politician; in 1828 he was elected president of the United States. However, he abused this position of power and made several choices that were detrimental to the welfare and rights of the American people. Jackson implemented the spoils system on a national scale and had unofficial members of his cabinet who did not have to answer to Congress. After South Carolinians were upset by the Tariff of 1832 he was angry toward those who did not agree with it. He also destroyed the National Bank and authorized the Specie Circular.

Andrew Jackson, being a tyrant, abused his power in his time of presidency.   He was the 7th president, but before Jackson’s presidency, he had no political experience. One of the only things that really qualified him was the hardships he went through when he was younger. His father had died while Jackson was young and Jackson received the reputation as a “self-made man”, or an independent man.

President Andrew Jackson was a very popular president and did a lot of things during his presidency. But in my opinion, I think he was not democratic because he wanted everything done his way or no way, like during the Indian Removal act in Document 10. He wanted the Indians land so he had his soldiers move them \west into the Indian territory. One way that President Andrew Jackson was democratic was his Bank Veto Message to Congress in Document 4.

The Jacksonian Era was the time period of Andrew Jackson’s presidency. This began in 1828 when Jackson was elected president. The era is sometimes described as a time when the United States experienced the “democratization of politics.” In a democracy every citizen has an equal say in the government's decisions and actions. Some people of this time period believed that Jackson is notable for democratizing the United States during the Jacksonian Era.

Born into a non-aristocratic poor family, somewhere in the Carolina’s on March 14, 1767, was a man named Andrew Jackson. Jackson, also called “Old Hickory” was a very bold proactive man in American history. From being a military hero and founding the democratic party to enacting the trail of tears and dismantling the of the Bank of the United States, the man and his legacy are a prominent topic for scholarly debate. Some believe he was a great president and some believe he was the worse president. But if you look at it from a moral perceptive or in the eyes of a foreigner, Jackson’s legacy was far more villainous than heroic.