Andrew Jackson: The People’s President From poverty to presidency, Andrew Jackson became one of the most controversial figures of early American politics. Jackson was born on March 15th, 1767 to two poor Irish immigrants. He rose to fame at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Then, he became a rising politician, despite having no formal schooling. He was an Indian fighter who adopted two Native American boys, but also a champion of the people. He was a notorious gambler, but also a celebrated war hero. Was Andrew Jackson a democrat who pursued political and social equality, or was he a tyrant who used his power unjustly? Jackson was a democratic supporter of the people because he was a supporter of the common man, he cared about complying with the Constitution, and he did what he thought the people would agree with. …show more content…
After 4 of the 24 states in the Union removed voting requirements for the election of 1824, voters quadrupled. In that same election, Jackson won 56% of the popular vote and 68% of the electoral vote (Document 1). This evidence explains why Andrew Jackson was a democrat because it shows that his win was almost directly related to this flood of “common man” voters. To elaborate, Jackson won 38% of the electoral college in the previous election of 1824 (Document 2). This was a plurality, but not the Constitutionally required 51%. After voting requirements were lifted, more “common men” were able to vote, most of whom were Jackson supporters. Jackson’s ideals of “vote for us if you think the people should govern” appealed to voters everywhere from Louisiana to New
Did Andrew Jackson support the people and their rights? Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. He vetoed the National Bank because he said that it only supported the rich and was unconstitutional. Also Andrew Jackson set a land territory west of the Mississippi River for the Indian tribes and adopted a little Native American boy who was left from his tribe. How democratic was Andrew Jackson? Democracy is a form of government where the people have a right to assist in the law making process. Andrew Jackson was democratic in many political, economic, and geographic ways.
The Jacksonian Era, also known as the Era of the Common Man, was an era that stretched from 1824-1860. This era consisted of President Andrew Jackson’s democracy, which tended to appeal towards the ‘common man’. However, Jacksonian Democracy during this era greatly influenced social and political sectionalism. Jacksonian Democracy increased political sectionalism by increasing the power of the executive branch and demolishing the Second Bank of the United States, while it increased social sectionalism by allowing tensions between the north and south to foster as a result of The Great Silence and the Nullification Crisis. However, this wasn’t always the case, as a transportation system and a national market created unifying effects.
The Jacksonian democracy of the 1820s-1830s is often associated with an expansion of the political influence, economic opportunities, and social equality available to “the common man,” a concept of the masses which President Andrew Jackson and his newly founded Democratic party came to represent. The new administration certainly saw gains for the majority; namely, public participation in government increased to unprecedented levels, and several economic decisions were made to favor the people over monopolies. Beginning with their exaggerated portrayal of the “corrupt” 1824 election however, the Jacksonian democrats also left a legacy of substantial miscalculations
Between 1829 to 1837, Andrew Jackson, a unique and controversial man served as president of the United States, and is known as the founder of the Democratic Party. Before his time in office, Jackson was a well known soldier and statesmen, from the area west of the Appalachian mountains. As President, Jackson was the first to gain office by direct appeal to the majority of voters and sought to further the rights of the common man. Jackson is associated with the shift and expansion of democracy, from wealth elites to ordinary people, through the spoils system, decrease in voters qualifications, and destruction of the national bank. However, Jackson was very unfriendly towards minorities, including Indians, slaves, and women.
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.
At age 29, he was elected Tennessee’s first representative in the US House of Representatives, and a year later, he was elected to the US Senate. There was an event that made him a national hero, which was when he commanded American forces in the defense of New Orleans against the British. How democratic was Andrew Jackson? He was not democratic; he was deemed undemocratic. The three main reasons why President Jackson was undemocratic were the Indian Removal Act, the Spoils System, and the National Bank.
Along with the new way of choosing presidential electors, there was a dramatic move towards the expansion of suffrage with the hopes to expand the right to vote to all white men, and by the late 1820’s most voting restrictions for white men had been removed. One political figure whose career flourished from this was Andrew Jackson as he appealed to the people’s interests and ideas to win the presidential election of 1828. He had campaigned his commitment to democracy to the public by insisting that he was for the common man, displaying himself as one of them, and promising that he would be a voice for the people. By playing this democratic game, Jackson was seen as a symbol of the new age of democracy, but in reality, the democratic ideals of his presidency were not as democratic as he campaigned. Referred to by many as “King Mob”, Jackson had a domineering, undemocratic way of ruling and he failed to include groups such as African Americans and
Andrew Jackson was our seventh president, elected in 1828 and 1832. Often called common man’s president, Jackson was originally looked at as a voice of the american people. However, history has proven that he did not stand by his word and did not deserve that title. His abuse of power, mass genocide and incredibly stupid economic plans caused harmful effects throughout America for many years. Jackson should not be remember as a hero but more as a villain, who did more to protect himself than then the people he was supposed to protect.
Jacksonian Democrats believed that they were protecting individual liberty, political democracy, the equality of economic opportunity, and upholding the rights of the Constitution of the United States. In my opinion, the Jacksonians were, to some extent, guardians of the United States. However, the Jacksonians did have their flaws.
It was extremely unfair to the common people who took up more of the population. Through the years of elections (Doc. 1), the methods of the types of people who voted changed from almost no people and all legislature, to almost all people and barely any legislature. Throughout the years during and after Jackson’s presidency, electing presidential electors became more democratic each year after year because of the larger amount of people voting. The decisions Jackson made influenced all of the elections in the future, even to this date. According to Bailey and Kennedy (Doc. 2), people believed Jackson was democratic and would listen to the citizen’s wishes, because people walked hundreds of miles just to see Jackson when he became president, people were shouting “The People shall rule!”, and the citizens believed that if “Jefferson had been the hero of the gentlemen farmer, Jackson was the hero of the dirt farmer.”
In the Presidential Election of 1824, Andrew Jackson – the “people’s choice” – lost the ballot by way of a “corrupt bargain” in the House of Representatives. Four years later and with the backing of a larger political following, Jackson became president, campaigning to the middle class and offering the opportunities of a benevolent democracy. Jackson’s supporters, the Jacksonians, were as diverse as they were numerous; northern farmers, southern and western yeomen, and even urban immigrants all joined the ranks of the Champion of the Common Man (OI). During Andrew Jackson’s two terms, the state of Jacksonian Democracy that took form upheld the principles of equality and majority rule that bound the United States together politically, economically and socially. During the 1820s and 1830s, Jacksonians served as guardians of the Constitution and equality of economic opportunity, and functioned as a catalyst for popular sovereignty, but sacrificed some individual liberties to advance the political democracy in the union.
The war marked the demise of the Federalist Party, which had been accused of being unpatriotic for its anti-war stance. Instead, a new Democratic Party was soon born. Jackson and his supporters formed a New Democratic Party that appealed to the “common man” and convinced voters that he would protect ordinary citizens from the corruption of the upper class ("Jacksonian Democracy”). He represented the average everyday farmer and his movement toward greater democracy for the common man became known as Jacksonian democracy. Many think that Andrew Jackson’s legacy paved the way for Americans from all different economic backgrounds to participate in politics.
He was both a patriot and a traitor; he never hesitated to disobey superiors for example as a military commander Jackson sent in his troops over the sound of guns clearly disobeying the orders he received from John Armstrong who was the Secretary of War. Although this bold and brave decision he made despite of being ordered to stand back earned him glory at the battle of New Orleans. It’s truly beyond fascinating that even without the proper education as stated in the biography Jackson couldn’t even compose a correct sentence or spell four syllable words BUT this man made an excellent politician and president clearly because he knew when to scold and when to soothe. He was a remarkable man and leader being called “The Hero” of the war of 1812 and this causing the launch of his political career. This courageous soldier boy but was in tears to the assaulted character of his mother in the paper during his presidential campaign, this shows that this strong willed hot headed man has a softer side to him that it betrays. He was a quite popular man he was known as a national hero after defeating the British in New Orleans and his troops said he was "as tough as old hickory wood" on the battlefield, earning him the nickname "Old Hickory." He was also an adulterer; he held grudges against others and really just a plain bully. Although, he did change his ways and that of the Nation’s he really proves to others that just because you were born in not so ideal conditions you can still rise to the top. After becoming popular with his military duties he was elected president, he also helped to found the Democratic Party and was known as the “people’s president.” One of Jackson's accomplishments as president includes his elimination of the National Bank, which forces the French to pay spoliation claims. Jackson escapes an assassination attempt
Andrew Jackson was a significant person in the American history but dimly recalled. Jackson was a hard nut to crack, battle-hardened, warrior and the founder of the Democratic Party. His story is one of sex, tragedy, violence, and courage. With his bravery, connection to the people and powerful personality, he moved and shaped the White House from being an ordinary government house to the center of national activities with well-articulated visions for
Andrew Jackson, born on March 15,1767 was the 7th president of the United States, who was a self made man, rising to money and power. He is viewed as a controversial historical figure in American history between being a hero or villain. Andrew Jackson is a villain due to his controversial decisions during his presidency, such as the spoils system, the nullification crisis, the Second Bank of the United States, and lastly the most impactful decision, the Indian Removal Policy. Jackson may have been seen as the common man leader,and did many things to benefit the people, but that can not justify his unacceptable actions.