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Andrew Jackson's Spoils System

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Andrew Jackson was born in Waxhaws border of the Carolinas into a family of poverty. His father died before he was born. His mother and brothers died from diseases, which were contracted from the British during the Revolutionary War. Jackson wanted revenge on the "red coats." The War of 1812 was his perfect opportunity. In a brutal battle to keep New Orleans, he defeated the British and became a national hero. In 1828, he became the seventh president of the United States. Although Jackson was a national hero from the Battle of New Orleans, his presidential administration was flawed due to creating the spoils system, sending troops to states that disagreed with him, and the demise of thousands of Native Americans. Jackson was the first president to come up with the idea of the "spoils system." The spoils system was distributing government jobs to his supporters and his friends, which could led to incompetency. The discouraged idea …show more content…

The north was becoming increasingly industrialized while the south was still mainly agricultural. Congress passed a tariff that benefitted the producers of cloth, mostly north, however it shrunk the demand for southern raw cotton. The south were infuriated and looked to Vice President, John C. Calhoun, for support against the "tariff of abomination." Calhoun supported the first tariff, however, if he ever wanted a future political career he needed to rethink his position. Calhoun proposed the idea that the power of states should be greater than the federal. South Carolina then believed they had the right to nullify the tariff. Jackson who did not approve of nullification threatened to send troops in. He also forced Calhoun into resigning his position. Meanwhile, South Carolina threatened to secede the union. Jackson was granted a bill from congress to enact and send troops in, however, Henry Clay revised the tariff before armed confrontation was

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