In the article “Abuse of Power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act of 1830,” the author, Alfred A. Cave, writes about President Jackson’s abuse of power. He is arguing that Jackson abused his power when he was enforcing the Indian Removal Act. He argues that Jackson broke guarantees he made to the Indians. He uses a political methodology and uses secondary sources.
Andrew Jackson was an autocratic president, since the documents from Indian Removal, Spoils system, and National Bank controversy. The first piece of evidence comes from the Indian Removal Act, where Jackson and Congress moved Indians to new territory. In Indian Removal document 1 Jackson removed Indians from their normal land to new land they had never been, and the Indians would have to walk over 400 miles. The reason for this being autocratic was, because even if Jackson was thinking about his people, he still wasn’t thinking about the Indians. Theoretically, this is an autocratic moment in Jackson’s presidency.
Jackson’s voting policies were democratic because they increased the power of the people. In Document 1, the table shows that after Jackson was elected, presidential electors were chosen more and more by the people instead of the legislature. By 1828, the ratio of legislature to people was 2:10. By 1832 and 1836, the ratio changed to 1:11. In line with Document 2, Daniel Webster said that he never saw anything like it, meaning he saw many poor farmers celebrating instead of rich upper class men.
Andrew Jackson‘s Loneliness and independent childhood lead him to become a anti-democrat. Andrew Jackson did not promote democracy rather promoted anti democracy. To begin with Andrew Jackson promoted anti democracy. For example in document 3 it has a pic of AJ dressed as a king which makes him look more superior.
It is clear from the documents that Andrew Jackson acted like a king. One reason that Andrew Jackson acted like a king was he forced the Cherokee out of their homelands. In document 4, the political cartoon depicts Andrew Jackson is stepping on two controversial issues, The rechartering of the National Bank and the Supreme Court ruling against the Indian Removal Act because it was unconstitutional. Mr. Jackson clearly ignored the Constitution and the Supreme Court completely because the law was passed anyway. Because of this, many Cherokee families were forced from their homes and moved west to Oklahoma through a march known now as the Trail of Tears.
Thesis: Andrew Jackson’s followers believed to enforce than follow the constitution. Document A was written by George Henry Evans on “The Working Man’s Declaration Of Independence’. I agree and disagree with what he says on a few things. I agree on him saying that the lower and middle class tends to get oppression than the upper class. I disagree of his way of stopping oppression in society is to stand up against the government.
Andrew Jackson was president of the United States from 1829-1837. He is mostly known for starting a new democracy in the United States and for the infamous Indian Removal Act. It is heavily debated whether Andrew Jackson was truly democratic or not. Democracy is giving power to the people and letting them have more say in government. I believe that Andrew Jackson was mostly democratic because he gave the common man more power, however not everything he did was democratic.
Andrew Jackson paved his way to the top by serving in both the House and Senate. Gained recognition as a war hero after serving in the War of 1812. He laid the framework of democracy by endeavoring to make America superior, but the ways he handled the National Bank, Spoil System, and Indian Removal made Andrew Jackson develop into a non-democratic. One way that illustrates how Jackson is non-democratic is supported by the situation that occurred for the National Bank. To begin with, Jackson sent a veto to congress discussing the bank.
The rise of Jackson in the decision of 1828 was huge in light of his stance as "the basic man's" hopeful. Jackson was one of the principal Presidents chose who did not have the Federalist family of earlier applicants. At the same time,he did not have the "insider" status of his rival John Quincy Adams. The outcast status that was given upon Jackson was featured by the vast degree of "messy governmental issues" which developed through the crusade. Jackson made cases, legitimate or invalid contingent upon partisanship, of the abuse of political assets.
Andrew Jackson is a Democrat because of the changes in votes made by the people instead of the legislature over the years, the belief that not just experienced men could hold office but common people, and his vetoed message to congress about bank changes. The changes in how people were elected of the years is a big thanks to Andrew Jackson. Before he was elected most states elected people with legislatures. However when Andrew Jackson became president things started to change.
Beginning in March of 1809, the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, was elected to serve the American people. Madison was a Virginian man who had expansive views on the future of the Country. He, along with several others, composed the US constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers. He also founded the Democratic-Republican party which was the first opposing political party. Writing the constitution, Madison believed in societal equality.
During the 1820s, Americans began to get a large and growing say in politics. This was the time where many people could vote, and their votes actually mattered. Because of this, many common people would vote for Andrew Jackson. Many believed it was time for a rough, “self-made” man to be president of the United States. Jackson represented the common people and related to them, and he also solved the national debt issue along with providing more lands for Americans.
Before Andrew Jackson became the President, he served as major general in the War of 1812, Battle of New Orleans, Creek War, and the First Seminole War (“The War of 1812 and Indian Wars”). On June 18, 1812 Congress declared war on Britain which started the War of 1812 (“An Act Declaring War Against UK and Ireland”). Jackson leads an army of 2,071 Tennessee volunteers to New Orleans but is instructed to stop at Natchez, and then Secretary of War, John Armstrong sends a message ordering him to turn over his force to Wilkinson. Jackson obeys and also promises to march them back to Nashville and face numerous hardships on the journey back but pays for all of the provisions and earns himself the respect and praise of the people of Tennessee (“The
Andrew Jackson, engaged in brawls and fought for what he believed was right and never took no for an answer. Jackson was the Seventh President of the United States and was the preeminent actor in American politics between Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. He was seeking to act as the direct representative of the common man and was known as a man of the people. The toughness and fiery will he possessed gave him the nickname, “Old Hickory”. Andrew Jackson’s life was marked with controversy but he was a great leader who turned adversity into success.
In the journal article “ Andrew Jackson versus the Historians”, author Charles G. Sellers explained the various interpretations of Jackson, from the viewpoint of Whig historians and Progressive Historians. These interpretations were based on the policies of Jackson. The Whig historians viewed the former president in a negative way. They considered him arrogant, ignorant, and not fit for being president. Sellers pointed out that it was not just because of “Jackson’s personality…nor was it the general policies he pursued as president”
