Andrew Jackson, King or President Most people know Andrew Jackson as our 7th President, but people don’t know him as America’s first king. Andrew Jackson was an American President who served from 1829 until 1837. In America, the country was divided between the north and the south. The president had to keep them together. Jackson took this responsibility too far. His reign was more king like. For example, he abused his power to veto. He also ignored and overpowered other government officials. Jackson was a king and not a so called “Hero of the common man” for several reasons. The first reason why Jackson was more like a king instead of a “Hero of the common man” is his extensive use of his power to veto. Jackson vetoed more laws than the six presidents before him combined. As stated in Document 3, one of the most important vetoes he made was to renew the charter for the Bank of America. Henry Clay pushed to renew the charter to congress four years early for Jackson to sign, or veto. It was a plan to force Jackson to lose votes in the upcoming re-election. The Bank was in charge of producing American Dollars for the people; they also were in charge of interest rates and some loans. When the bill was handed to Jackson, he vetoed it removing the bank at the end of 1836. Jackson was not a “Hero of the common man,” he …show more content…
Jackson was the first president to use the “Spoil System” at the extent he used it. The “Spoil System” is when a president fires most or all government officials and replaces them with his own friends or supporters. Document 6 said that Jackson appointed a criminal as a New York tax collector. He stole 1.2 million dollars before he was caught. Also, he ignored the Supreme Court’s ruling when he made thousands of Native Americans leave their home and walk the “Trail of Tears.” Jackson was a king through and through not a so called “Hero of the common