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Jefferson And Andrew Jackson

Decent Essays

Both Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson believed that they positively influenced the people of the United States. These two Presidents considered themselves as helping the common interests of the people, yet had different and similar approaches to running the government and conducting Presidential tasks. Thomas Jefferson, elected in 1800, had different views on the National Government and its affairs compared to Jackson (Davidson and Stoff 310). Jefferson believed that the states should have more power than the Federal Government, essentially supporting a limited central government (311). Also, in regards to foreign affairs and expansion, Jefferson chose to handle them peacefully instead of forcefully (315 and 324). Within the country, …show more content…

In other words, Jackson believed that the Federal Government should have more power over the state legislatures, in order to maintain a stable and effective U.S. government for all to see. This difference is supported by Jackson’s arguments against nullification (365). Nullification is the action of a state to cancel any objectionable federal law (364). The support against nullification means that Jackson did not believe that the states should be able to object to any federal laws; assering the Federal Government’s dominance over the states. Within this argument, Jackson issued a document known as the “Proclamation to the People of South Carolina” (365). This proclamation stated that, even if the state of South Carolina supported nullification and President Jackson did not, South Carolina could not threaten to leave the Union. This was named treason in the document. It was released in response to an attempt by South Carolina to nullify tariffs placed on textiles in 1828 (364). In a final display of Federal Government power, Jackson passed a law which allowed members of the government to forcefully collect tariffs if necessary (365). In this situation with South Carolina, it is clear that an irate President Jackson was keen on showing the country the power of the American Federal Government. On the other hand, President Jefferson fired government employees as part of his “Revolution.” Despite

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