Andrew Jackson Essay Example for Free

Andrew Jackson Essay Andrew Jackson (1767 –1845) was the seventh President of the United States (1829–1837) and he was one of the most popular and controversial U. S. presidents in American history. Andrew Jacksons election to the presidency in 1828 created a new era with political and economic opportunities for the common man. He also became the father of the Democratic Party and achieved fame as protector of the common man. I think we couldnt deny that Jackson was still a human being; he couldn’t be perfect in every single thing. Its the reason to explain for what he did during his life, Jackson was considered as a hero, and also was he thought to be a villain in the eyes of many people. Although the fact that he raised the era of â€Å"Jacksonia Democracy† and he was appreciated as the representative of the entire generation’s ideology, he was the one who separated classes and discriminated brutally those not seen as true Americans. The relevant examples were the events in 1800s, notably Indian Removal Act. It raised a question whether Andrew Jackson was a democratic president. I think he had a good democratic ideology for the United States but his action as well as his wrong decision opposed his thought. Besides, Mr. Meacham (an author of American Lion Book) recognized â€Å"the tragedy of Jackson’s life is that a man dedicated to freedom failed to see liberty as a universal, not a particular, gift. † The role of Andrew Jackson’s presidency in affirming the new democratic politics Andrew Jackson grew up with a harsh childhood that he did not have parents and his literacy was sporadic. In his young life, he worked as a lawyer in Tennessee and a soldier when war occurred between the United States and Britain. Jackson became a famous military hero from his glorious victory in the war of 1812, especially from his win the experienced army in New Orleans in January, 1815 and â€Å"he would become Americas most influential–and polarizing–political figure during the 1820s and 1830s†. Moreover, he was different from his predecessors for being elected by popular vote. This proved that Andrew Jacksons strong influence on American politics had been pervasive prior to his time in office and it continuously spread out. A new era of American politics that followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy began with president’s role which made a bright situation and greater democracy for common man. His policy got first succeed which helps expand the right to vote for all white men and end the property qualifications for voting. Before Jacksons time, public officials used their own judgments rather than the expectation of many voters. However, under Jacksonian Democracy, their acts depended on the petition of people. During the two terms, he tried to expand the presidential power by using the veto which changed both the American politics and society. Jackson was the rare one that used his power as the chief executive in fighting against Congress. And these actions were said to be very aggressive. However, these policies were to describe himself as a president with a strong and stubborn style. For instance, having the national bank demolished was a very important milestone in Jacksons career. The reason why he ended the US bank system was that it took the role as a monopoly over foreign and domestic. Besides, he disagreed with the fact that these banks just cared about the interest of the rich, and truly to say they were held to serve the richest class in society. It could be seen that Jacksons decision to demolish these banks faced many arguments from only the richest class. And Daniel Webster through his letter also suggested Jackson about the risk to jeopardize peoples liberty when practicing his act. He stated that â€Å"it wantonly attacks whole classes of the people, for the purpose of turning against them the prejudices and the resentments of the other classes. It was suggesting that the veto could turn the classes of people to be above the other classes position. In the result, a lot of banks collapsed which pushed the national economy closer to the edge of deep depression. Although the decision to veto the Bank System faced many oppositions, â€Å"check and balance system† in American politics was exercised well to control over members of Congress. In this case, he did really a good job in the role of a president. In theory, although Jackson’s Era was the first step that created he principle in equality for people, it figured out a complex mixture of the best and the worst qualities of American society. â€Å"Age of Jacksonian Democracy† and the â€Å"Era of the Common Man† were modern standards, however, the United States was far from democratic. It was an imbalanced scale of gender and race. White men were always those who got benefit from that strong social critique. Women had no right in voting and they still had to dependon their husbands. Besides, Andrew Jackson also supported the slavery, he owned a lot of slaves, and freed none of them, even upon his death. Besides, According to an historian John Larson, he expressedâ€Å"wealth accumulation was tied to slavery Jackson practiced and defended what had been the accustomed way for white men to make money for 200 years†. There was no doubt that Democracy still remained masculine privilege and racial prejudice which offered no benefits to women, African Americans, or Native Americans. Jacksons Era wasnt democratic any longer. Indian Removal Act Andrew Jackson’s policy regarding to Native American was the most controversy in his presidency. There had been some horrible discrimination upon certain races of people, and the Indian Removal Act (1830) was the worst decision of Andrew Jackson. His act forced the Cherokees, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole to give up their lands and relocated West of the Mississippi. Jackson supported this act by stating: No state could achieve proper culture, civilization, and progress, as long as Indians remained within its boundaries. He looked down on Native American as illiterate, uncivilized like savage hunters even though 90% of the Cherokee Nation could read and write. In fact, they had assimilated many European-styles and Indians adapted the customs or beliefs of the white settlers into their traditional ways of life which historians called â€Å"selective adaptation†. In the 1830s, the Native American created their own language, and they could also use English. Moreover, they could do industrialized farming, work as merchants, and choose the leaders who favor them in government. Although Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson had good visions about Democracy, Thomas Jefferson was sympathy with Native People; he wanted the Native Americans and the U. S. to blend together, to intermix, and to consolidate steadily. He stated that â€Å"Surely it will be better for them to be identified with us and preserved in the occupation of their lands, than be exposed to the many casualties which may endanger them while a separate people. In fact, Jackson had strong ethnic bias and became a leading individual to support the policy which was known as Indian Removal. Before his election as president, he negotiated treaties and removal policies with Indian leaders to persuade some tribes to move to Arkansas Territory. After signing the Indian Removal Act into law in 1830, he tried to reject all Indians. Many a Southerner showed their approvals of the act just because the act helped them get access to the lands owned by the Native Americans as well as have gold that was discovered on the lands. Vowing not to fight, the Cherokee people used legal action to require federal government had granted them their land by treaty and therefore should be protected their lands. The Georgia Court gave the Cherokees no help at all, and the Cherokee lawsuit eventually reached the Unites States Supreme Court. However, it was not successful because Jackson refused to enforce it. When federal troops reached Georgia, they dismissed the tribes in such a coercive way. And in early 1831, the army came to appropriate Choctaws lands to let them migrate to Oklahoma. In 1835, after getting the great pressure from the American Government, the Native Americans chiefs have the act signed in such an in voluntary way. Therefore, it was totally unfair to the Indians. The Cherokees had to walk through more than 800 miles from the Mississippi Valley where they lived to Oklahoma. They suffered from a lot of bad things which caused 4,000 Cherokees deaths on the trip. And that miserable journey was later called the Trail of Tears. The number of sickness and death was very high especially among children and the elder people because of dirty water, poor nutrition and physical exhaustion. Remote and danger road created chances for many serious diseases such as smallpox, pneumonia, cholera and dysentery. It was a terrible obsession for many people who survived; a witness stated that â€Å"Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when they leave old nation. Women cry and make sad wails. Children cry and make men cry, and all look sad like when friends die, but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much. We bury close by Trail. After the â€Å"discovery† of Columbus which caused the genocide on Native America, Indian Removal Act was considered as the same crime. The Jacksonian Democracy during 1820s to the 1840s was indeed influenced President Thomas Jeffersons Democracy. Although The Declaration of Independence of Thomas Jefferson stated: that all men are created equal Native people under Jacksonian Democracy did not have that mentioned right. With the bad effect, Indian Removal Act (1830) of Andrew Jackson was not democratic because it violated legal and human rights of Native people. Firstly, Native American lived in their land for a long time so taking away the freedom and domain without the consent of Native Americans was a violation of the legal right. Secondl y, they were not treated like human beings and their dignity had been extremely devalued, and even considered subordinate to the United States by Andrew Jackson in his defense of the Removal Policy in 1830. Besides, there was a conflict in Andrew‘s policy, In Andrew Jackson’s first inaugural address in 1829, he promised, â€Å"It will be my sincere and constant desire to observe toward the Indian tribes within our limits a just and liberal policy, and to give that humane and considerate attention to their rights and their wants which is consistent with the habits of our Government and the feelings of our people. † Nevertheless, following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, soldiers were asked to detain Native Americans in stockades. These Indian people responses were to protest and to go to courts. It said no power in US government was preserved for them to have their personal vote counted. They finally failed in court although Chief Justice John Marshall supported them by declaring: that an Indian tribe or nation within the United States is not a foreign state in the sense of the constitution †Native Americans were thought as a portion of the US but they had no democracy in their hands, no ability to advocate or to show out their desires. Limitation in the rights of Indian would come out as the extent of restraint in free African Americans rights. Blacks and Indians in the South and in many parts of the North were referred to free person of color, so it was very blur for Jackson to determine how many rights those people should have. Conclusion: When looking at some events in the role of democracy during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, Democracy Party could be seen as the embodiment of the common mans will. Jackson himself could realize the future ease in voting requirements, the development of the two-party system, and the rotation in government offices. Jacksonian Era was a good precedent, however, through the way he treated Native Americans, African Americans, women, and many other minority groups, Jackson showed his defectin fulfilling one of the most pressing tasks of the president to represent the people. I feel sorry for Andrew Jackson, a democracy president who devoted all of his life to pursue the liberty, equality, however, he had still not recognized that: Skins may differ, but affection Dwells in white and black the same