Andrew Jackson: A Hero Or Villain?

No living human is either entirely virtuous or wholeheartedly evil. Sometimes it can seem that way, but that’s because most of the time individuals hear want to hear what they want to hear. This concept is entirely true in regard to Andrew Jackson, who people can see as a heroic American war hero who came from nothing and stood by his beliefs or the complete opposite. People could also perceive him as an evil, tyrannical leader who forced thousands of Native Americans out of their homes. I believe Andrew Jackson was not a hero but a villain because of the way he treated Native Americans, the actions he took during his presidency, and the fact he was a slave-owner. Andrew Jackson’s sentiment towards the Native Americans was certainly not a kind one. Manifest destiny was a popular belief among Americans, including Jackson, and he would go to the extent of forcing Native Americans out of their homes to reach their “ordained goal”. He believed in the expansion of southern slavery which is why he pushed for removing the Indians west of the Mississippi, which makes it the more disgraceful. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 said that it will allow American government to offer in-state territories to the Indian’s for their western land. This wasn’t the case when the U.S. went in and drove the Indians out by force. In 1833 Jackson told congress that “The

Jackson was obviously pro-slavery considering he owned about 150 slaves. A lot of people believe that this was not really a bad thing considering the times he lived in but in reality, it does not matter. The fact is this man owned many people as if they were his property, knowing they were living breathing human beings like him, is horrendous. Slavery existed to show off wealth and keep wealth in expense of African-American’s freedom. There is no difference between a “good” slave-master or a bad one because they are all terrible and should be recognized as