Andrew Jackson: Popular, not Representative of the Average American The Election of 1828 involved John Quincy Adams, who was elected in 1824, and Democrat candidate, Andrew Jackson. As the current president, Adams was described as being a weak and ineffective leader. Andrew Jackson was a War of 1812 hero; he had a rough, frontier background, gaining him support and popularity. Jackson’s supporters celebrated his accomplishments in combat as well as his service in the Tennessee Convention. However, there were many who opposed Jackson; they were outraged at Jackson’s questionable actions in the past. Accusations of Jackson’s character and leadership capabilities caused controversy; the Election of 1828 does not depict Andrew Jackson as being …show more content…
Across the country, rallies and conventions were held in opposition of Jackson. During an anti-Jackson Convention in Richmond, Virginia, members expressed their concern: “... we are unanimous, and unhesitating in the opinion, that Andrew Jackson is altogether unfit for the Presidency, and that his election would be eminently dangerous …” (Anti-Jackson Convention, 1828). The members stood in solidarity in their opinion, demonstrating their fear for the Republic as well as how outraged many were at Jackson’s past actions: “... disobeying the orders of his superiors, trampling on the laws and constitution of his country, sacrificing the liberties and lives of men, has made his own arbitrary will, the rule of his conduct (Anti-Jackson Convention, 1828). Jackson’s character was questioned throughout the campaign, motivating those against him to use the information to demonstrate why he should not be president. Through Jackson’s past actions, he shows he is not representative of the average American, who upholds morality, values democracy, and respects authority. According to the anti- Jackson Convention, Jackson’s past indicates he has not always done these things, showing how he does not represent the average …show more content…
A Washington insider, Margaret Bayard Smith, expressed her discontent over the election after Jackson’s inauguration, “The Majesty of the People had disappeared and a rabble, a mob, of boys, negros, women, children, scrambling, fighting, romping. What a pity! What a pity!” (Smith, 1828). Through Smith’s remark, it is understood that not all Americans are not represented by the rough, rowdy, newly-elected Andrew Jackson, demonstrating that his influence was met with opposition contrary to the belief that he was popular and widely
During his two terms in office, President Jackson would not only implement a series of policies that drastically expanded slavery, but he would also create a pro-slavery sentiment in America that would reverberate for many generations after his final term in office. In the first part of this essay, I will introduce the election of 1828. In the second part of this essay, I will attempt to explain why Andrew Jackson's arrival to the presidential Mansion had such a profound effect on Southern secession. The election of 1824 was a pivotal moment in American history.
All during his life, Andrew Jackson saw conspiracy and corruption in anything or anyone who stood in his way. He was more determined than ever to defeat the corruption that had cost him his defeat in the election of 1824. In 1825, Jackson was nominated again for the presidency. The 1828 election campaign was one of the dirtiest in American history. Andrew Jackson’s opponents during this election brought attacked him with his past.
In his first attempt to run for president he lost against Adams because of the electoral votes although in 1828 because of the qualification changes, more people were able to vote for him so he won. He had accused Adams of having a corrupt bargain in the election of 1824. In his early campaign he engaged in one of the most shocking displays of mudslinging. His wife had also endured many of the insults of being an adulteress and a bigamist, which Jackson later claimed caused her to have a heart attack.
The Bank War, problems with Indians, and slavery were all examples used in the book to depict the political climate of the time period, and how parties were transformed. The book gave an overview of the era and placed Andrew Jackson as a character within the story of the development of America, not the focal point. This perspective is insightful because it shows that while Jackson was a major contributor to the era he is not the only force that determined the course of America. Therefore, it can be said that his ideas were not solely his, but were supported by other groups, which were produced based on the political climate described in the book. However, Jackson must be held accountable for his actions since he was the one who made them, even if the majority of people within the era agreed with his decisions and
“ These new strategies became a permanent part of American political life”. Andrew and Adams both took part in separating America into what it is today.(Discovering Our Past The American Journey, pg.448). Jackson influences more supporters with promises of government importance. Jackson took office but then replaced many government officials with people who supported him during his election. “ Although Jackson replaced only ten percent of the government officers he held power over, it was a high percentage compared to his processor .”.
This caused Andrew Jackson to violate the constitution as he sought to remove the Indians in order to protect and aid the common man. A growing amount of the population, especially the elites, were critical of Jackson’s actions with one political cartoonist displaying Andrew Jackson as a king who violated the Constitution depicted with him standing over it. Through this, the cartoonists sought to display the anti-Jacksonian belief that Jackson abused the executive power for his own good and overused his right to veto. When in reality Jackson violated the constitution in order to aid the common man, especially seen in the removal of the Indians which he did even after the Supreme Court made it unconstitutional (Document F). In context, Jackson had violated the Constitution multiple times to aid the common man especially seen in how he ignored Supreme Court orders by removing Indians.
Group 1: Andrew Jackson: He became a national war hero after defeating the British in New Orleans during the War of 1812. Jackson was also elected the seventh president of the United States. Andrew Jackson is significant because of his help to protect America and helped defeat the British. Andrew Jackson was a huge contributing factor of Indian removal. Trail of Tears: In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate.
In the end, it is my belief that Jackson has to be looked at from a non-biased perspective. As Sellers pointed out, interpretations that Whigs and Progressives have about him are not wrong. There is just a need for more information on the topic. As Sellers pointed out at the end, the Jackson era is filled with controversy and the multiple viewpoints from historians “suggests that we are poor in the data by which our hypotheses must be
The founders of the United States did their best to create a government that would not allow erroneous decisions to greatly harm the nation. They set a percent of presidents being politically sound and well-known; their beliefs for how the nation should be handled were essential to their campaign. President Andrew Jackson, however, did not follow this system, instead winning primarily by his personality and popularity amongst the common American. While his actions in office often appeared to be for the people, most had a hidden selfish side to them that he easily covered up. With the election of 1828, Jackson radically changed American politics, focusing them more on public appearance and personal character than on intelligence and political views, making personality just as, if not more important than the actual politics of a political term.
The political cartoons depicting Andrew Jackson “The Rats Leaving a Falling House” and “The Spoils System” show a view of Jackson that has him as a corrupt politician. They give the image that his only goal or motivation is the gain of personal power, and that he cared little for America. These drawings depict how Jackson used the ‘Spoils System’ to make his administration during his presidency to place only loyal supporters into any offices of relevance. The first cartoon, “Rats Leaving a Fallen House” shows Jackson sitting slouched down in a bow-legged chair with a blank expression on his face. Behind Jackson are several papers of resignation from various government officials who either resigned as Jackson took office or those who
Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States of America and can also be considered the most controversial president in American History. As a major general in the War of 1812, Jackson became a national hero to the American people when he defeated the British in New Orleans. After Jackson was elevated to national fame, he was then recognized as the “man of the people.” Many supporters of Jackson believed that he would be a good fit for president because of his experiences with the “common man” and how he sought to view the conditions and situations of every American. Jackson then ran for president in the Election of 1824; in which Jackson and John Quincy Adams were the two who had the best chances of becoming president.
One reason Jackson was undemocratic is his involvement in Native removal. He forced the Natives to leave their land. Instead of giving them a say in where they go they got sloppy options that basically sum up to become a slave or die. According to an
The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes Book Review James Oakes’ The Radical and the Republican is a thorough and captivating account of two of America’s most distinguished figures, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. In his intriguing and polished work, Oakes examines the issues of slavery, race, politics, and war in America during the mid-1800’s. Though both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas engendered immense social and political change throughout the Civil War era, the relationship between the two men is often neglected.
Even having a whole age named after him, Andrew Jackson’s decisions darning his presidency caused divide between the American people; ether they commended him on his impulsive behavior or despised it. Many American’s felt this radical change of their nation as a betrayal to the goals of the Jeffersonian Republicanism. The demolition of the national bank, though Jefferson was against it, in turn destroyed trust with in the elite. The total disregard to the Supreme Court leading to the “Trail of Tears” represented un-democratic ideals.
The Age of Jackson was an era where the common people of the United States were finally represented in their country by the president of the United States of America, Andrew Jackson. Although he was well-off, people called Jackson the “common man” because of his military background and how he was a farmer, instead of being born into a wealthy family and using his status as an advantage. Since the common people had the president’s support, they felt the need to express their opinion on expanding suffrage to themselves. At the time, voting was only available for the rich, land-owning, white males and it was considered a privilege for them. However, the working class reasoned that they should have a say in the country’s decisions since it was their country as well.