Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. He was elected in 1828 and served until 1837. Jackson was a controversial figure and his presidency was marked by a number of significant events. These include the Indian Removal Act, which resulted in the forced relocation of Native Americans, and the Nullification Crisis, in which South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tariffs. Jackson also played a major role in the creation of the modern Democratic Party.
I’ll go through his administration, starting with his presidential term of 1829 to 1837 and focusing on both the highs and lows of his two terms in office. I’ll discuss states rights, tariffs, the spoils system, Indian removal, and monetary policies; these issues generated a lot of conflict during his presidency. He was well-known for having an iron will and a severe personality, as well as making effective use of his authority’s powers.
Andrew Jackson’s goals were to act on the issues he saw as vital to the nation, and he did not let anything or anyone get in his way of achieving those goals. Andrew Jackson’s actions and policies as president led to lasting changes in American politics and society.
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in Waxhaws region between North and South Carolina. Orphaned at the age of 14, Jackson was brought up by his uncle. He had very little formal education but was able to teach himself law and became a lawyer in Tennessee at the age of 21. Jackson married Rachel Donelson Robards in 1791; they had one surviving child, Andrew Jr., born in 1767. Rachel died shortly after Jackson’s election to the presidency in 1828.
Jackson served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and was a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court before being elected as president. He was also a major general during the War of 1812 and is considered to be a war hero because of his victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
When Andrew Jackson became president in 1829, he brought with him a new style of politics that favored the “common man” over what he saw as the corrupt interests of government officials and wealthy elites. One of Jackson’s first acts as president was to remove federal deposits from the Bank of the United States, which he believed favored eastern businesses and bankers over western farmers and small businesses.
He was a delegate to the 1796 Tennessee constitutional convention and a congressman for a year (from 1796-1797). He was elected to the Senate in 1797, but financial difficulties forced him to resign and return to Tennessee within less than a year. In 1804, he stepped down from the bench and moved to Nashville, where he devoted his time to commercial enterprises as well as running his plantation.
Jackson’s military service began in the War of 1812. In 1814, Jackson gained national fame when he defeated a British invasion force at the Battle of New Orleans. The victory made him a hero, and he was hailed as the “savior” of the city and the nation.
Following the war, Jackson returned to Tennessee and ran for governor, but he was narrowly defeated. Undeterred, he ran again in 1822 and was elected. As governor, Jackson cracked down on corruption and improved the state’s finances. He also supported Andrew Jackson’s presidential candidacy in 1824.
When Jackson won the election of 1828, it was seen as a victory for the common man. He was the first president from west of the Appalachian Mountains, and his victory ended the dominance of the “Eastern Establishment” in national politics.
Jackson’s administration was marked by a number of controversial policies, including the Indian Removal Act, which forcibly relocated Native American tribes to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Jackson also controversially vetoed several bills that would have provided federal funding for internal improvements, such as roads and canals.
Despite these controversies, Jackson is generally considered to have been a successful president. He expanded executive power, strengthened the presidency, and helped preserve the Union during the Nullification Crisis. He also championed individual liberty and equality of opportunity for all Americans.
In 1814, Jackson was a Major General in the Tennessee Militia and was ordered to attack the Creek Indians, who were pro-British during the War of 1812. He eventually forced all indigenous people out of the area. After a war filled with military defeats, some people in Washington began calling Jackson “Old Hickory,” and he became a national hero.
In 1817, Jackson was once again called to lead American troops, this time against the Seminole Indians in Florida. Jackson successfully removed the Indians from their homes and relocated them elsewhere. This campaign was incredibly brutal, with Jackson’s troops burning villages and crops, and even enslaving women and children.
As a result of his military successes, Andrew Jackson became quite popular with the American people. In 1824 he ran for president, but lost in a close election to John Quincy Adams. Four years later he ran again and this time won. He became America’s seventh president in 1829.
During his presidency Andrew Jackson pursued a policy of Indian removal. He believed that it was necessary to force all Indians west of the Mississippi River in order to make room for white settlement. This policy led to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, and Choctaw Indians. The relocation of these Indians was incredibly difficult and many died on what has come to be known as the “Trail of Tears”.
Jackson also made changes to the American economy. He believed in laissez faire capitalism and limited government intervention in the marketplace. He lowered tariffs and vetoed a bill that would have re-established the Second Bank of the United States. These policies earned him the nickname “Old Hickory”, but they also caused economic problems that would lead to the Panic of 1837.
In 1822, the Tennessee Legislature nominated him for president and he was subsequently elected to the United States Senate in 1823. He nearly won the presidential election of 1824. He lost as a consequence of the “corrupt bargain” with Henry Clay, however, beginning in 1828, Andrew Jackson served as President of the United States.
Andrew Jackson was the first “common man” to be elected into office, which caused a lot of excitement throughout the country. He was known as a man of the people and he always tried to help out those who were less fortunate. He was a strong advocate for democracy and he believed that everyone should have an equal opportunity.
One of Andrew Jackson’s main goals as President was to get rid of the national debt, and he was successful in doing so. He also wanted to expand westward expansion, and he did this by signing the Indian Removal Act, which allowed for the removal of Native Americans from their lands east of the Mississippi River.
Andrew Jackson’s presidency was marked by many accomplishments, but it was also marred by controversy. One of the most controversial aspects of his presidency was the Nullification Crisis, which was caused by his support of the Tariff of Abominations. This tariff led to South Carolina declaring that it was null and void, which created a constitutional crisis. Andrew Jackson was also responsible for the creation of the Democratic Party, which is still one of the major political parties in the United States today.
Instead of the president’s usual cabinet, he relied on an informal group of newspaper writers and northern politicians who had assisted his campaign. I believe this gave him closer contact with the people of the United States, as well as public opinion and concerns about national issues. President Jackson established a “rotation in office” system to safeguard the American public from being subjected to a cabal of old politicians.
The spoils system increased the power of the presidency, and Andrew Jackson was the first president to really use it. This allowed him to gain more control over the government. Jackson was also the first president to veto a bill, which he did because he thought it was unconstitutional. He used his presidential powers to stop the rechartering of the Bank of the United States. Andrew Jackson is one of my favorite presidents because he really used his presidential powers to help the people and not just special interest groups.