The demise of democracy in America began to be created through Andrew Jackson's election. It was known far and wide of the election pitch of Jackson being “for the people”and “the common man”. Although, when being voted into office, he wanted to do things on his own behaving like a monarch. Though speaking a lot of representing the people through his election, how much was that shown throughout his time as president?
One of the largest points Jackson used through his campaign was that he was going to be the leader of the downfall of the presidential electorate. This would allow more power to the people, in the sense that their choice for a presidential leader would come directly from them and not a team of legislators. His, “for the people”
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Completely ignoring his mantra when pertaining to the placement of Native Indians in Georgia. The Supreme Court, sided with the Indians in the case, Jackson then ignored them and moved the Indians to the west. Attempting to convince them all that it'd be for the best and that itd only help them. This created the trail of tears, the same event which killed generations of Indians and in which we read in our history books today as a travesty. Along with going against the supreme court, Jackson attempted to destroy the National Bank by placing federal funds into state banks. This made banks cater to rich white men, which is not what the sum of American citizens were. Not only were the needs of working white men excluded but attempted to say the bank wasn't in part of the constitution. Which contradicts the supreme court's ruling of the fact that indeed the Federal Bank is constitutional.
In conclusion, the answer to the question of Andrew Jackson being democratic could be answered as, no. He ignored the Supreme Courts and made sure laws and events benefited only a certain type of person, the elite white male. Jackson could be considered a monarch in the sense that he did things according to what he wanted. “For the people” would be an exaggeration considering that the only people Jackson was for were his friends, the upper class and
Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States of America, can be debated as either a good president or bad president. But if one were to weigh out the positives and negatives of Andrew Jackson’s presidency, one would realize that his positives outweigh his negatives for a variety of historic facts. Andrew Jackson was a good president because he represented the majority of America’s people by being a common, prevented a civil war when South Carolina threatened to secede from the nation, and because he technically found or instigated the two major parties used in America today (Democratic and Republican). Many Jackson oppositionists despise him because of he is a hypocrite, however America was founded on hypocrisy so as an
In the span of 20 years, 42 states elected by the people, and 27 states elected by the legislature. (Document 1). The election of Jackson was considered a “revolution,” because of its peaceful transfer of power. This revolution was different from any other, because it was achieved by ballots rather than bullets. Jacksonians cried, “Shall the people rule?” and the answer was, “The people shall rule!” Andrew Jackson was so notable that people have come 500 miles to see him and think that the country is rescued from some dreadful danger. It is said Jackson’s victory accelerated the transfer of national power from the country-house to the farmhouse, from the East to the West, and from the snobs to the mobs. If Jackson was a hero of the gentleman farmer, he was surely a hero of the dirt farmer. Jackson was democratic because he granted all men equal rights, and believed that the common man is just as good as the wealthy. This is how he got all his support, most of which came from the common man. We must also consider that he was a common man who became successful as president. He disagreed with the wealthy, who tried to empower the common man/farmers, and was a large supporter of wester farmers, low tariffs, and pet banks, rather than a national bank. (Document 2).
He issued a bill to remove the Indians from mainly Georgia, but all of the land we owned at the time. This gave everyone but mostly the southerners more land to work with, and not have all those sometimes hostile Indians breathing down their backs. This defiantly helped the poor and middle classes, because it was more land that they could settle down and live their lives. It brought them comfort and lots more room. The Indians defiantly did not like this at all, some thought that they weren’t going to move, and become hostile. The US brought the military and marched down there so their would be no misunderstanding. The Indians did not have the right to vote, so they were pushed around, like the poor class before Jackson stepped in. Nobody really liked the
Jackson did not serve for the people of America, Jackson served to change America how he believe it should be run. By ignoring the government Jackson acts more like a king than a president. Jackson went against Supreme Court decision and removed Indians from their land. As Jackson said in his Second Annual Message to Congress Jackson commented that, “the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation” (Doc E). Indians on the land that Jackson forcibly removed them from was delegated as their land by the Supreme Court. By going against the Supreme Court, Jackson did not act presidentially. Also, The removal of Indians resulted in countless Indian deaths and resulted in violence. Another example of Jackson attending to his own agenda was the issue of nullification and South Carolina. Jackson had a personal bias against John C. Calhoun, and threatened him when Calhoun exclaimed that South Carolina would leave the union if Jackson didn’t allow South Carolina to lower or rid of the tariff on imported
First Andrew Jackson was democratic in political ways. Andrew Jackson was democratic in political ways because according to Document letter D it says that Andrew Jackson became more democratic as he became older. He proceeded from the idea that all offices (whether appointed or elected) must ultimately fall under the absolute control of the
One of the ways Andrew Jackson was different than the previous presidents was he connected with the common people. During his second election Jackson won by speaking to the middle-
When it came to protecting individual liberties, Jacksonians favored the white male population, but totally ignored others. They wanted to move all of the Indians who lived in the eastern lands to western lands past the Mississippi River. Jackson bolstered their case. Even after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee tribe and its right to remain where it was, Jackson did
Was Andrew Jackson the democratic figure our great nation needed in the mid 1800’s? From 1828 to 1836, Andrew Jackson served as president in the United States of America. During that time, the country was torn in half due to controversies such as the eviction of the national bank, the Indian Removal, and the spoils system. Although some people believed Jackson was fair to the common man, Jackson acted undemocratically during his presidency because he was not fair to everyone and only listened to his supporters.
Unlike previous presidents, Andrew Jackson represented the common men. He and his followers did not support the aristocrats, but instead favored the interests of farmers and urban workers. When they gained power, the Jacksonian Democrats brought about great advances in creating a more democratic and economically equal society.
Jacksonian's viewed themselves as guardians of the constitution, political democracy, individual liberties, and equality of economic opportunity. Many of his followers from that time tended to agree but a lot of people today look back and disagree with each of these assumptions. I believe that he was a keeper of the constitution and political democracy. Depending upon your outlook, Jackson was a guardian of individual liberties, even with his oppression of African American slaves, Indians, and women. His equality of economic opportunity was more towards the common man that the elite but gave that common man a larger chance for equality with the elites without allowing the elites a greater chance to increase their wealth.
Jackson also gave government jobs to regular people. This was called the spoils system. He appointed people to federal jobs depending on whether they had campaigned for the Democratic Party. Anyone currently in office who was not a democratic was replaced with a democrat. This was called the spoils system because it promoted a corrupt government. He also believed in rotation in office. He wanted to make it possible for more democrats to have government jobs, so he limited a person's time in office to one term. The spoils system showed how one man was no better than another and helped build a strong two-party system.
Andrew Jackson was probably one of the most powerful and influential presidents during his time at the white house. He was hated, yet loved by many. Jackson was an American soldier, who gained fame as a general in the U.S and served in both houses of Congress. He was soon elected the seventh president of the United States. After Jackson took charge, he wanted immediate change as to how the government was being run. For starters, he came with a new idea of voting. Allowing the common people to vote for whom they believe was the right person for the job. Before the introduction to
When Andrew Jackson was denied presidency in 1824 due to “the corrupt bargain” between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, he was furious at the lack of democracy in the election system. He became determined to institute a new age of genuine democracy in America where the voice of the people wouldim being monarchal, Andrew Jackson was a very democratic president evidenced by his drive to give the people more representation and also his attempted transfer of power from the few to the many.
Andrew Jackson, whose presidential term lasted from 1829-1837, was the first president to ever be chosen by the people to lead. Because he was not born into a rich family, people felt that they could relate to him better. He too preferred supporting the common public over the wealthy aristocrats. During Jackson’s period in office he was able to shift the majority of power in the United States to farmers and small businesses in the western part of the country. Jackson vetoed many bills in order to benefit common people and also created the spoils system to balance out his cabinet. Like Jefferson, Jackson was extremely opposed to the Bank of the U.S., believing that it would only make the wealthy even
Jackson was the most democratic of any president at that time to come to power. In practically all areas of political application there was the existence of liberal thinking. This was especially apparent in his previously mentioned appointment of officials. Jackson considered the roles of officials fairly simple and could and should be carried out by all people not just the members of the socially and intellectually elite. The belief of complete equality is with out a doubt Jacksonian. Despite this already democratic view, Jackson took it one step further and appointed the illiterate and plain incompetent members of society to office.