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. Once president Andrew Jackson wielded the executive power of the veto, which he used to excess. The twelve vetoes that were used during his reign overrode congress, the body of elected officials. The representatives of the states are suppose to be the consensus of the people. When Andrew Jackson, a single person refuses the congress's legislation it hinders democracy as less opinions are heard. In Jackson’s head the congressmen are just career politicians disconnected from the american people. However, the opinion of one man overruling all overs can not be an instance of democracy but one of dictatorship. Corrupt governments are a lingering fear in the minds of governed. Andrew jackson felt that his …show more content…
Andrew Jackson was from the west, and not a politician making him more of a common man than previous presidents. Serving in the military, being manly, and having a nickname “Old Hickory” made him relatable to the people. Presidents like George Washington, in contrast, came across as other worldly with their wealth, and education. The similarities to Jackson encouraged civilian participation in government. Coinciding with universal white male suffrage that came about in the 1820’s, the percentage of eligible voters that cast a ballot was higher in the 1828 election than any previous election. There is still no women, blacks, natives, or children represented in the country, but white men got their representation and opinions
Jackson’s very first election was a hard fought battle on both party sides, but Andrew Jackson just came up short. He returned four years later, ready to rule. Throughout his time in the oval office, he ran the country very close to his party lines. He was famous for excessive vetoing of bills and for running the country on his terms and no one else’s. Even post-presidency
Andrew Jackson was arguably the first “Average Joe” to be coined as President of the United States. His impact on the nation’s history is one that will never be forgotten since he brought about new fashions to approaching government, and new ways to view the country and its actions. This entire era was deemed “The Age of Jackson”, a deserving title for the man and the time period he was involved in, due to the way he approached and altered government and other decisions that changed American life. In the presidential election of 1824 Jackson won the popular vote of the American citizens, but he did not win the electoral vote; therefore, John Quincy Adams won the election.
Andrew Jackson’s presidency is one of the more debated presidencies in American history. Many see him as a hero while others view him as opposite. Depending on which history book is read, portrayals of him are sometimes of “the common man,” who attacked a political system that ignored the will of the common citizens. Other texts would portray Jackson as tyrant, one who disrespected many of the institutions outlined in the Constitution. He is usually celebrated by some because he defended the rights of the common people.
The era of Andrew Jackson which was nicknames the era of the “common man” certainly lived up to its name. As the seventh President of the United States, Jackson had a major effect on the life of the common man, in such a way that the life of the common man would never be the same again. Jackson’s aim, after the manner in which he was defeated in the Presidential Election of 1824, despite receiving more popular votes than John Quincy Adams who took on the office, was to reduce the power and the authority of the elite. When he came into power after the 1828 election Jackson began to carry out his proposals. Jackson expanded the voting right to all men, in accordance with the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which declared that “all men are created equal” instead of just the elite.
Is Andrew Jackson a hero or a villain? Throughout history Jackson has been viewed as both. Some see him as a war hero and the people’s president. Others see him as a racist and a political tyrant. To me, Andrew Jackson is more of a hero.
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 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.
In the document “Jackson Battles the Bank”, it shows Jackson fighting off a monster, or the national bank, with a veto stick. Jackson was fighting to destroy the national bank. He wanted to do this because it favored the rich and not the common people. He was fighting for people to have equal rights. Instead of having no bank at all, he came up with the idea to create state banks which wouldn’t be as powerful as the National Bank.
Vetoing is to allow or reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body. The overall reason Jackson is known to be a tyrant is his abuse of power. The amount of vetoes he confirmed truly justifies the fact that he took advantage of his power. “The Second Bank of the United States was founded in 1816 and had a 20-year charter approved by congress that gave it the power to act exclusively as the federal government’s financial agent.” (Source 4)
Also he wanted the offices that are solely to benefit the people so that no man has more rights than another. Finally, Jackson was not democratic because he wanted the Indians to move out of his land. So he decided to have the U.S. Soldiers move them west into the Indian territory.
One of the biggest thing that Jackson had done as a president was in 1832. Jackson vetoed a bill that would renew the second bank charter early. Jackson stated “I will kill it!”. He said this because he didn’t like the bank at all and he believed that it made the rich richer and the poor poorer. He said in his veto message “It is easy to conceive that great evils to our country and its institutions might flow from such a concentration of power in the hands of a few men irresponsible to the people.”
The Force Bill, Andrew Jackson’s veto of the Bank Bill, and the qualifications for the right to vote are examples of how undemocratic politics were. The Force Bill of 1833 gave permission to president Jackson to use military force to deny South Carolina’s Ordinance of Nullification. This action of the government is undemocratic because it gives all the military power to Jackson, even if others disagree with what he is doing (Doc 7). Another example of how this time period was not a democracy is Andrew Jackson’s veto of the Bank Bill. He was known for his hatred of the national bank and claiming it as unconstitutional.
Jackson by becoming President of the United States during the election of 1828 brought a big change the great nation, giving the common man more power to stand up and choose the leader of the country, at least more than the Founding Fathers intended. The Jacksonian era, a democratic era, is a big event that shaped America as it marked the end of National Republicans in 1832 who then formed the Whig party. President Jackson, being the most popular candidate, was the first President to actually think of himself as the head of democracy and the one who answered the “common man's” will. Another thing that Old Hickory Jackson is famous for is his war against Nicholas Biddle and the national banking system. The president triumphed in this war with the veto of a congressional act aiming to extend the bank's charter and by pulling capital out of the bank to redistribute to the states.
A British author, Harriet Martineau, describes the United States as a country where “every man in towns an independent citizen; every man in the country a landowner” (D). She would be correct if she meant every white man. Under Jackson’s rule, the property requirements and tax paying requirements for voting were lowered, so more white males could vote. Jackson increased white male suffrage and advocated equality for all white males. From a Jacksonian perspective, Jackson promoted political democracy and supported the Constitution.
Andrew Jackson was known during his presidency due to the significant events and changes. First, he promoted democracy. To promote democracy, he allowed more citizens to take part in government (Spoil System) and vetoed the bill to renew the charter to prevent rich people from taking advantage. Also, he expanded white male suffrage (the right to vote). Second, Nullification Crisis.